The "Pats" are the darling professional football team of sports fans in the Greater Boston area. They used to be called the Boston Patriots but the owners changed the name in 1971 after they moved the team to Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Pats have been around since 1959 when Bostonian Billy Sullivan was awarded the eighth and final franchise of the developing then AFL. The area fans were allowed to submit name suggestions for the new team the most popular choice was the one that Sullivan finally selected - The "Boston Patriots".
For the longest time the Pats never had a regular home stadium. They used Nickerson field, Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium, and Alumni Stadium when they were part of the AFL. They did have a winning season in 1963 and played against the San Diego Chargers and lost 51-10. They didn't make any post-season appearances again for another 13 years.
In 1970, the NFL and AFL merged and the Pats were placed in the AFC East division, where they still are today. It was the following year that they moved to their new stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which was their home for the next 30 years. The 70's weren't all bad years. They made the playoffs in 1976 and in 1978 but they lost both playoff games.
In 1985 the Patriots made it to the playoffs again and made it all the way to the Super Bowl XX which they lost to the Chicago Bears with a score of 46-10. They made the playoffs again the next year and lost in the first round and it would not be for another eight years before they made the playoffs again.
The team has had several owners. First by the Sullivan family and then by Victor Kiam and then James Orthwein in 1992, who sold the team 2 years later to the current owner Robert Kraft. Bill Parcells was hired in 1993 and drastic changes were made to the Patriots uniforms. Their colors were changed from the traditional white and red to silver and blue. At the same time, they got a new logo. Parcells took the Pats to two playoff berths, including the Super bowl XXXI. They lost that one to the Green Bay Packers with a score of 35-21. Parcells's successor, Bill Belichick, also took the team to the playoffs for two times. Bill Belichick was hired in 2000 and the team got their new home stadium in 2002, the Gillette Stadium. The team went to three out of four super bowls under the direction of Belichick and finished the 2007 regular season with a perfect record of 16-0. Not bad for the team. By finishing the 2007 with such a perfect record, they became only the fourth team in league history to go undefeated in regular play and the only one since the NFL expanded its regular season the a 16 game schedule.
The Pats have their share of famous football players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There is John Hannah, who was elected in 1991. He was with the Pats from 1973-85. Then there was Mike Haynes, elected in 1997. He was with the Patriots from 1976-1982. Andre Tippett and Niche Buoniconti were elected in 2008 and 2001 respectively and each was with the team from 1982-93 and 1962-68.
Several team members have had their numbers retired. No easy feat there. They are #20 Gino Cappelletti, #40 Mike Haynes, #57 Steve Nelson, #73 John Hannah, #78 Bruce Armstrong,# 79 Jim Lee Hunt, #89 Bob Dee.
The New England Patriots have their own team hall of fame that was established in 1991. They have 13 former team players enshrined that were there between 1991 and 2001 and in 2007 another three were selected.
Writer and editor, Freddie Brister, is a former high school football coach of 25 years. His love of the game of football is reflected in his words and memories of growing up in the South and playing football in the back yard with his brother, cousins and neighborhood friends. His biggest thrill is watching former high school players he has coached play at the college level. His favorite pastime is watching NFL football on tv and attending the games in person every chance he gets. Freddie Brister is a huge fan of the NFL and the New England Patriots. Check out his New England Patriots Lamp or his Green Bay Packers Lamp.
