Highlights
The New England Patriots are a professional football team that has enjoyed varying degrees of success throughout its checkered history. Under owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots won three Super Bowls during a four-year period (2001-04). The team originated when Boston businessman William H. "Billy" Sullivan Jr. was awarded the eighth and final franchise in the upstart American Football League on Nov. 16, 1959. Originally known as the Boston Patriots, the team played home games at several venues during the 1960s, including six years at Fenway Park. The Patriots were one of 10 AFL teams that joined the NFL when the two leagues merged on Feb. 1, 1970. The following year, t...
The New England Patriots are a professional football team that has enjoyed varying degrees of success throughout its checkered history. Under owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots won three Super Bowls during a four-year period (2001-04). The team originated when Boston businessman William H. "Billy" Sullivan Jr. was awarded the eighth and final franchise in the upstart American Football League on Nov. 16, 1959. Originally known as the Boston Patriots, the team played home games at several venues during the 1960s, including six years at Fenway Park. The Patriots were one of 10 AFL teams that joined the NFL when the two leagues merged on Feb. 1, 1970. The following year, the team was renamed the New England Patriots and started playing home games at newly built Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The venue would be renamed twice, first as Sullivan Stadium (1983-89) in honor of the man who founded the franchise and later as Foxboro Stadium (1990-2001) after Sullivan sold the team to Victor Kiam, owner and CEO of Remington Products in Bridgeport, Conn., in 1988. In 1992, Kiam sold the controlling interest of the team to James Orthwein. The ownership changed hands two years later when Kraft, who strategically purchased Sullivan Stadium in November 1988 with the hopes of buying the team some day, fulfilled a lifelong dream when he became the fourth owner in Patriots history on Feb. 25, 1994. The following day fans responded to the sale by purchasing nearly 6,000 season tickets, a single-day sales record at the time. The Patriots have come a long way. At his introductory press conference as head coach in 1969, Clive Rush was shocked, literally, when he grabbed a microphone that wasn't grounded and received a jolt. With the team headed to the postseason in 1978, fans were stunned to learn that coach Chuck Fairbanks had accepted a job to be the University of Colorado coach. The team suspended Fairbanks for the final game of the regular season but reinstated him for the playoffs and the Patriots played like a distracted team in a 34-14 loss to Houston. In 1985, the Patriots won three playoff games on the road for the team's first trip to the Super Bowl. Days after getting hammered by the Bears 46-10, six Patriots players were identified as drug users. The next time the Patriots played in the Super Bowl, there was more dysfunction. A power struggle between coach Bill Parcels and Kraft resulted in Parcells quitting shortly after a 35-21 loss to the Packers. He was replaced by Pete Carroll, who lasted three seasons. The Belichick era began in 2000 and coincided with the opening of Gillette Stadium two years later. In Belichick's first eight seasons, the team won the AFC East six times and three world championships with Tom Brady as quarterback.
Displaying items 1-12 of 1018
» View baltimoresun.com items only
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11-20
•
Next >
-
Not-so-golden oldies
After the collapse last season, the Ravens hired coach John Harbaugh to change the culture and breathe some life into the team. Instead, the Ravens have gotten worse and are limping to the starting line for the 2008 season.
It's not Harbaugh's fault. The...Tags: Atlanta Falcons, People, Chris McAlister, Ed Reed, Mike Flynn
-
Wide receivers, defensive backs on Giants' bubble
tom.rock@newsday.comThey made their case. Will they make the team? That's the question more than several Giants players are asking themselves as the team prepares to trim its roster from 75 to 53 Saturday. Some of the most intriguing decisions will come at wide receiver,...Tags: Amani Toomer, Reuben Droughns, Antonio Pierce, Washington Redskins, New York Giants
-
Events This Week
The Virginia GazetteSaturday/30 12th annual Virginia Symphony concert--The symphony returns to Yorktown Victory Monument at 7:30 p.m. for a free concert. Take lawn chairs and picnic baskets. Fifes and Drums of York Town give a pre-concert performance at 6 p.m. The Actor'...Tags: Tourism and Leisure, Recreational and Sporting Goods Industry, Colonial Williamsburg, Palace Theater, Christianity
-
Manning Will Start Colts' Opener
Peyton Manning expects to be in the starting lineup when the Indianapolis Colts open the season against the Chicago Bears. The Colts quarterback, who underwent knee surgery in July, was activated Tuesday and went through a pregame workout with the team...Tags: Baltimore Colts, Chicago Bears, Rosevelt Colvin, Terrell Owens, Indianapolis Colts
-
Dieruff wins in a rout
Joe Ocelus passed for 211 yards and three touchdowns as Dieruff opened the season with a 49-7 victory over Pocono Mountain East Friday night at Allentown. The Huskies' Kyle Grimes had 127 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Pocono Mountain East7000 -- 7...Tags: Chicago Bears, Jim Thorpe, Terrorism, Matt Johnson
-
Vikes' McKinnie to sit 4 games
Associated PressThe NFL suspended Minnesota left tackle Bryant McKinnie for four games without pay Friday for violating the league's personal conduct policy, a blow to the protection of quarterback Tarvaris Jackson's blind side. McKinnie has pleaded not guilty to...Tags: Chicago Bears, Defense, Tropical Storms, Rosevelt Colvin, Hurricane Gustav
-
Scout talk: Rookies that will succeed
Tribune staff reporterIt's one thing for a rookie to have talent. It's another for him to succeed. We asked five NFL scouts which rookies they thought were in the best positions to succeed, given their playing opportunities, the schemes they were in, their coaching and the...Tags: Philadelphia Eagles, National Football League
-
Former third-round pick Moats cut by Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles released running back Ryan Moats and seven other players Friday, trimming their roster to 67. Moats was a third-round pick in the 2005 draft and had a promising rookie season, averaging 5.1 yards per rush and scoring three...Tags: Chicago Bears, Baltimore Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins
-
Obama's speech turns on nation's television viewers
Barack Obama's audience for his acceptance speech likely topped 40 million people, and the Democratic gathering that nominated him was a more popular television event than any other political convention in history. More people watched Obama speak from...Tags: Super Bowl, George Bush, Satellite and Cable Service, Hurricane Gustav, Government
-
Giants Deep At Wide Receiver
NewsdayThey made their case. Will they make the team? That's the question more than several Giants are asking themselves as the team prepares to trim its roster from 75 to 53 today. Some of the most intriguing decisions will come at wide receiver, which has...Tags: Amani Toomer, Reuben Droughns, Antonio Pierce, Washington Redskins, New York Giants
-
Gripping drama unfolds in AFC North
As he sat down to a lunch of lemon pepper roasted chicken, potato wedges and several small M & M cookies, Rashard Mendenhall had much to be thankful for. He is playing for a stately organization with a tradition of winning and weathering storms. He is...Tags: Chicago Bears, Values, Game Playing, Clark Haggans, Devin Hester
-
Woodside goes to the air
247-4649A year ago, he was an untested sophomore taking over at quarterback. But Woodside's Aaron Evans came into this season as a junior with 11 career starts under his belt. No. 12 might have been his best. Evans threw for 143 yards and three touchdowns, while...Tags: Marcellus Harris
Aug 30, 2008
|Column| Baltimore Sun
Aug 30, 2008
|Story| Newsday
Aug 30, 2008
|Story| Virginia Gazette
Aug 30, 2008
|Story| Associated Press
Aug 30, 2008
|Story| Allentown Morning Call
Aug 30, 2008
|Story| Chicago Tribune
Aug 29, 2008
|Story| Chicago Tribune
Aug 30, 2008
|Story| Allentown Morning Call
Aug 30, 2008
|Story| South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Aug 30, 2008
|Story| Newsday
Aug 30, 2008
|Column| Chicago Tribune
Aug 30, 2008
|Story| Hampton Roads Daily Press
Original site for New England Patriots topic gallery.
