The New England Patriots: A Fan's Story

Fall in New England is like no other part of the country.  Its many regions cater to the many tastes of its inhabitants.  Tourists come during the fall because New England is known for its majestic fall follaige.  You want nostalgia, try walking through the streets of old Salem Town.  Country Fairs, we have that in Topsfield, Massachusetts. 

Its rugged shores gives us the fisherman of Gloucester, Massachusetts and the best lobsters from Maine.  We have the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. New England's A list schools have names like Cornell, Brown, Harvard and Radcliffe to name a few. 

People who come to school here hardly ever leave and adopt the home town teams.

Given all that, you can see why we think we know a little bit about football. We feel entitled, after all we have a city of champions.  Within the past 6 years the local baseball, basketball and football team have all been champions.  Not many cities can boast that fact.

In early Fall there are only three things in New England that matters its God, family and the New England Patriots.

Fans wax nostalgic about the plow-bowl.  In a divisional playoff game against the Raiders the Patriots were allowed to plow a spot for Vinateri and the Pats won the game.

How about the tuck rule being changed solely because of Tom Brady?

I became a fan of the Patriots before that.  I remember sitting in front of the only TV we owned and watching football games with my stepfather.  I was a casual fan then not really understanding the games.  All I knew back then that those guys looked really cute in their uniforms. 

But a funny thing happened through my early football years, I started to understand the game.

I was now officially hooked.  I watched Steve Grogan, Darryl Stingley (R.I.P), Russ Francis, John "Hog" Hanna, and Sam Cunningham. 

Coaches like Chuck Fairbanks, Pete Carroll, Bill Parcells and now the godfather himself Bill Belichick.

I was there for Tony Eason's dissapointing superbowl appearance__he did not complete a pass. Through the obsessive compulsiveness of Drew Bledsoe to key in only on Ben Coates.  And the ever ending need to find a great running back since Curtis Martin took his game to the hated Jets.

Then came the 2002 Patriots a team who finally changed the culture of the New England Patriots.  Tom Brady became Tom "Terrific" in his first playoff run. Time and time again they defeated the odds and made it to the super bowl. 

There they met the greatest show on turf.  St. Louis had Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Holt, and Marshall Faulk  in the backfield.  The 2002 patriots were the first team to come out as a unit when the team was being announced. 

They knew they were different from any other team in the NFL.  Each team represented a city, but New England well—New England represented a region.  So how could they  go out as individuals when they were supported by the strength of a collection of states.  A collection that proudly carry the paraphernalia of their beloved Patriots.

So they came out together and together they were able to stop the St.Louis Rams and my love for them grew.

No longer did New Englander's have to suffer through a season without an identity.  They could hold themselves up because they now had a team.  A team that showed the dogged determination of New England fans.  Fans like me that loved them through their growing pains but still continued to care.  

We still continue to watch and support our team. We New Englander's stick together we know the Patriots are our team. Because just like me we leave the area, come back and always support our team.