Stretching way back to November 16, 1959 a small group of influential and local businessmen who were led by a former PR executive, William Sullivan Jr, they eagerly sought after, and were awarded, the eighth and final franchise of the recently formed American Football League.
The Patriots received their name through a public contest where thousands upon thousands of entries were sent in to name the New England team. Interestingly enough by design or happenstance, 74 of the fan entries suggested the name; "The Boston Patriots." Their first logo was a cartoon drawing of a Minuteman from the American Revolution who was in the process of snapping a football. The owner, Mr Sullivan, apparently liked it so much that he nicknamed the drawing "Pat the Patriot."
Play began on April 1, 1960 at the Boston University Field which happened to be the old home of the Boston Braves, yet would now be used as the first home of the Boston Patriots. Fast forward many years when in 2000, the Patriots unveiled designs for their new stadium. The new 68,436-seat facility opened in May, 2002 and celebrated its Grand Opening on Sept. 9, 2002.
The team's ownership has changed hands over the years and now is owned by Robert Kraft and American businessman whose father was a dressmaker in Boston's Chinatown.
Frequent winners in the Super Bowl, the fans hold this team and its remarkable history to a very high standard.
- Started in 1970
- 7 Super Bowl Appearances (3 Wins in 4 Years)
- Most Super Bowl Appearances in the last 25 years
- Have not had a losing season since 2000
- Longest winning streak in history with 21-game streak from October 2003 through October 2004
- Most wins in a decade with 126 wins (2003-2012)
- 11 NFL Appearances
- Home is the Gillette Stadium
- 18 Pro-Football Hall of Famers
- Stadium Capacity is 68,756
To check out how you can get a cool stadium locker for your Ultimate Patriot's Fan, check out our Super Bowl Super Fan Super Locker Deal and CLICK HERE. And for an entire list of fast facts from all of the 2014 NFL Playoff teams, CLICK HERE.
