New England Patriots: The New Dynasty
On November 16, 1959, the upstart American Football League (AFL) awarded Billy Sullivan its eighth and final franchise to be based in Boston. Locals submitted ideas for the Boston football team’s official name. The most popular choice—and the one that Sullivan selected—was “Boston Patriots” (reflecting Boston’s role in early American history). During their time in the AFL, they not only struggled to win, but also to find a regular home stadium.
The Patriots were absorbed by the NFL following the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. The following year, they moved to Foxborough, a suburb of Boston. As a result of the move, the team changed their name to the New England Patriots. Unfortunately, they brought their struggles in the AFL to the NFL. They made the playoffs only nine times from 1971 to 2000, highlighted by their two Super Bowl appearances in 1985 and 1996. Despite their sporadic postseason appearances, they had no shortage of stars during the period, including Mike Haynes, John Hannah, and Drew Bledsoe.
However, in the 2000’s, thanks to the hiring of head coach Bill Belichick and the emergence of quarterback Tom Brady, the Patriots transformed from recurring losers to perennial elite contenders. They became the second team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in four years from 2001 to 2004, and appeared in a couple more big games in 2007 and 2011. The Pats have had a winning record since 2001, further establishing themselves as the new dynasty in the NFL while redeeming themselves from their losing past.
The Name:
The Patriots (1959-present)
Seventy-four fans suggested Patriots in the name-the-team contest that was conducted by the management group of Boston’s original AFL franchise in 1960. “Pat Patriot,” the cartoon of a Minuteman preparing to snap a football drawn by the Boston Globe’s Phil Bissell, was chosen as the team’s logo soon after. While the first part of the team’s name changed from Boston to New England in 1971, the Patriots portion remained.
The Championships:
Super Bowl Championships (3): 2001 (XXXVI), 2003 (XXXVIII), 2004 (XXXIX)
AFC Championships (7): 1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011
Playoff appearances (18): 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
The Home Fields:
Nickerson Field (1960–62), capacity: 10,412
Fenway Park (1963–68), capacity: 37,499
Alumni Stadium (1969), capacity: 44,500
Harvard Stadium (1970), capacity: 57, 166
Foxboro Stadium (1971–2001); a.k.a. Schaefer Stadium (1971–82), Sullivan Stadium (1983–89), capacity: 60,292
Gillette Stadium (2002–present), capacity: 68,756
More on the Patriots:
- The New England Patriots
- Game by Game Betting Predictions for 2013
- Five Places a Patriots Fan Should Never Go
- Five Games a Patriots Fan Will Never Forget
- New England Patriots: Bitter Rivalries
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