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The New England Patriots, or "'''Pats'''" as frequently referred to by sports writers and fans, ESPN.com An example of the "Pats" nickname being used within sports reports. Accessed 26 January 2006. are a professional American Football team based in Foxborough, Massachusetts . They are currently members of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Originally called the '''Boston Patriots''', the ownership changed the name After Relocating The Team to Foxborough in 1971 . After forming in 1960 as an original member of the American Football League , the Patriots joined the NFL in The League Merger Of 1970 . The team advanced to the playoffs four times before their first Super Bowl appearance, a loss in Super Bowl XX in 1986. The team also lost Super Bowl XXXI in 1997. Between 2001 and 2004, the Patriots became the second team in NFL history (after the Dallas Cowboys ) to win three Super Bowls in four years ( Super Bowl XXXVI , XXXVIII , and XXXIX ). The Patriots are also the seventh team in NFL history to win consecutive Super Bowls (XXXVIII and XXXIX). FRANCHISE HISTORY See Also: History of the New England Patriots 1959–1991 On November 16 1959 , Boston executive William "Billy" Sullivan was awarded the eighth and final Franchise of the developing American Football League (AFL). The following winter, locals were allowed to submit ideas for the Boston football team's official name. The most popular choice—and the one that Sullivan selected—was "Boston Patriots", which derived from the historical Patriots of the American Revolution . Afterward, Phil Bisell developed the "Pat Patriot" logo (see Section ). Immediately thereafter, Lou Saban was selected as Patriots' first head coach. The franchise's first training camp began on of that year, the Boston Patriots played the Denver Broncos in the first-ever AFL regular season game. The Broncos defeated the Patriots by a score of 13–10. In their first three seasons, the Patriots posted a cumulative record of 23–17, though they failed to reach the playoffs in all three years. However, in 1963 the Patriots reached the AFL Championship for the first time, which resulted in a loss to the San Diego Chargers 51–10. Although the franchise lost the championship, it was honored when eleven Patriots made the AFL All-star team, including Gino Cappelletti , Nick Buoniconti , and Babe Parilli . The Patriots were unsuccessful in reaching the AFL playoffs for the remainder of the decade. Nevertheless, fullback , the first Patriot All-star, founded the AFL Players Association in the mid 1960s. In 1970, the Patriots' franchise joined the NFL pursuant to the merger of the AFL and NFL that had been agreed to three years earlier. The Patriots were merged into the American Football Conference (AFC), where they remain to the present day. However, the Patriots' first season as part of the NFL resulted in a record of 2–12, sole possession of the newly merged league's worst record. In 1971, after shifting between four different Boston-area stadiums in their first 11 seasons, the Patriots moved into a new stadium in Foxborough (also known as Foxboro). The stadium, to be known as Schaefer Stadium , would become Sullivan Stadium in 1983 and, ultimately, Foxboro Stadium in 1990. In March 1971 the team was renamed the "New England Patriots" in order to reflect the fact that the team was now located outside of the Boston city limits. Sullivan had also considered '''"Bay State Patriots''','''"''', but rejected the name when it was realized it would inevitably be shortened to the BS Patriots. The Patriots' series of losing seasons continued into the 1970s. Players during the early 1970s included , who would become the first career Patriot to make the Hall of Fame in 1991. Top 100 Players: 13 - John Hannah . Information on John Hannah's career, including a list of awards, which features the 1991 NFL Hall of Fame induction. Accessed 29 January 2006. Chuck Fairbanks was hired as head coach in 1973. The Patriots finished 7–7 in 1974 and 3–11 in 1975, which resulted in offensive changes. Plunkett was traded to the San Francisco 49ers and replaced by second year player Steve Grogan . Grogan and Fairbanks found success in 1976 when the Patriots finished 11–3—the best record in team history to that point—and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1963. Despite the successful season, the Patriots lost to the Oakland Raiders 24–21 in the first round of the playoffs. The following year, Fairbanks was fired as head coach and replaced by Ron Erhardt , who, in turn, was followed by Ron Meyer in 1981. From 1977 to 1984, the Patriots missed the playoffs six times; the 1978 and 1982 seasons both resulted in first round playoff losses. Looking to improve leadership, the Sullivans replaced head coach Ron Meyer with former wide receiver Raymond Berry in 1984. In 1985, the Patriots went 11-5 in the regular season and obtained a 46-10 in Super Bowl XX . The following season, New England won the AFC East with another 11–5 record, but lost to the Broncos in the first round. Local resident Doug Flutie played several games with the Patriots during the 1987–88 seasons, in which the Patriots finished with records of 8–7 and 9–7, respectively. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Patriots' lack of playoff appearances was underscored by coaching changes and controversy within the organization, namely, the Sullivan ownership. Book discussing various aspects of the Patriots sports franchise Website accessed January 31, 2006. The Sullivan family lost millions of dollars on expensive investments, including . The Patriots' worst season in franchise history came under Rust in 1990, when the team finished 1–15; Rust was fired after that season and replaced by Dick MacPherson . In September 1990, the Patriots were thrown into the middle of a sexual harassment scandal when '' Boston Herald '' reporter Lisa Olson was sexually harassed and verbally assaulted by several Patriots players in the team's locker room. The NFL investigated the incident and following the report NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue fined the team $50,000, as well as players Zeke Mowatt , Michael Timpson and Robert Perryman who were fined $12,500, $5,000 and $5,000 respectively for the Lisa Olson incident. This is cited as one of the several reasons why Rod Rust was quickly fired from his post as Head Coach. Lisa Olsen sexual harassment scandal Accessed 31 January 2006. 1992–present In 1992, St. Louis businessman James Orthwein became sole owner of the Patriots franchise. Throughout New England, sportswriters and fans discussed the possibility that Orthwein would relocate the franchise to St. Louis. However, no move was scheduled for the 1992 season. Patriots History . Orthwein takes over the franchise, which sparks controversy over a possible franchise relocation. Accessed 31 January 2006. The Patriots shifted gears by firing MacPherson and hiring coach Bill Parcells in 1993. The highlight draft pick during the 1993 season included Drew Bledsoe , who would quarterback the team until 2001. Despite these acquisitions, the 1993 season resulted in a losing record, and rumors about relocation to St. Louis continued during the offseason. In order to save the team from relocation, Robert Kraft outbid an intense field of competition and obtained full ownership of the Patriots in 1994. Patriots History . Kraft takes over in 1994, saving the team from a move. Accessed 31 January 2006. Kraft developed changes in organization and leadership, several of which culminated in a ten-season stadium sell-out streak from 1996 to the present. The Patriots entered the 1994 season after drafting first round and fourth overall pick Willie McGinest , who would later play Linebacker on all three Super Bowl-winning teams. Although the team lost in the first round of the 1994 playoffs and finished the 1995 season with a 6–10 record, Kraft decided to keep Parcells. In 1996, the Patriots finished with an 11–5 record and an AFC East division championship. The team eventually advanced to Super Bowl XXXI , where they lost to the Green Bay Packers 35–21. Due to rising tensions between Parcells and Kraft, the former was replaced by Pete Carroll in 1997. Meanwhile, the Patriots and the New York Jets began switching players and coaches, including current Jets head coach Eric Mangini , the aforementioned Parcells, and running back Curtis Martin . Nevertheless, New England finished 1997 with a 10–6 record—good enough for first place in the AFC East. The Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 17–3 at home in the opening round, before losing against the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 7–6. In the 1998 season, the Patriots finished 9–7, and lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs. However, a subpar 1999 season resulted in Carroll's firing. poses with the New England Patriots during a ceremony honoring the 2004 Super Bowl Champions in the Rose Garden]] After Carroll was fired, , who led the team into the playoffs with an 11–5 record. The Patriots defeated the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers and advanced to Super Bowl XXXVI , where they defeated the St. Louis Rams on a last-second Adam Vinatieri field goal. In New England's first Super Bowl victory, Brady was selected Super Bowl MVP . Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills in the 2002 off-season. In 2002 Robert Kraft opened the new Gillette Stadium . Kraft privately funded the construction of the stadium. After getting no support from the Commonwealth Of Massachusetts , Kraft made a deal to move the team to Hartford, Connecticut in 1998. CT.gov Story on Kraft moving the team to Hartford. Accessed 18 April 2006. However, problems with the Hartford site, and Massachusetts' willingness to invest $70,000,000 in infrastructure around Foxboro, led to a reversal of the Hartford deal. Sportslawnews.com Information on the reversal of the Hartford deal. Accessed 18 April 2006. The state-of-the-art stadium is widely considered to be one of the premier stadiums in NFL Football. Information about Gillette Stadium Accessed 31 January, 2006 Additional information about Gillette Stadium Accessed 31 January, 2006 That season, the Patriots missed the playoffs after finishing with a record of 9–7. In 2003 the Patriots started 2–2 but finished with a 14–2 record and fourteen straight wins on their way to Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers . The Patriots won by a score of 32–29; the final three points came from another Adam Vinatieri field goal. Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his career. In 2004 the Patriots broke the all-time winning streak record of 18 wins, following a victory against the Miami Dolphins. Later in the season, the Patriots lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which halted their winning streak at 21 games. NFL's Longest Winning Streaks . From the Pro Football Hall of Fame website. Information on the winning streak being stopped by the Steelers at 21 wins. Accessed 28 January 2006. After finishing the season with a 14–2 record, the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers en route to Super Bowl XXXIX . The Patriots went on to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 24–21, thus becoming the first team in six years (and the Eighth in history) to repeat as NFL Super Bowl champions, and only the second team ever to win three Super Bowls in four years (the Dallas Cowboys did it in the years 1992-95). Moreover, the Patriots won all three Super Bowls by 3 points, two of them with a last second field goal by Vinatieri. After the 2004 season, Belichick's top two coordinators— 28–3 in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Broncos 27–13. The New England Patriots became the seventh team in NFL history to fail on a chance to win the Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons, the last team to do so being the Broncos. During the 2006 off-season, defensive coordinator and Willie McGinest left New England for the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns respectively. In March, kicker Adam Vinatieri left the team to join the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots later signed receiver Reche Caldwell , cornerback Eric Warfield , safety Tebucky Jones and kicker Martin Gramatica . The team hopes that Gramatica can revert to earlier form and fill in for Vinatieri. The Kraft years have provided a major turnaround for the fan base of the Patriots. Prior to Kraft's arrival, the Patriots rarely played at Foxboro Stadium's maximum capacity (with the only exception being the highly successful 1986 season). The attendance was particularly low during the early 1990s, when poor performance and the aforementioned rumors of franchise relocation to St. Louis loomed; the average home attendance was below 60% of maximum capacity. However, the improvements made during Bill Parcells' coaching tenure (both on and off the field) resulted in a rejuvenation of the fan base. From the 1996 season onward, every Patriots home game has sold out, both at Foxboro and Gillette stadiums, including preseason games. Attendance information from 1980- Accessed 1 February 2006 Specific information on 2003- Sell-out streak Accessed 1 February 2006 Logo and uniforms The original Patriot logo was a stylized depiction of a snapping a football without wearing football gear. Initial Patriots owner William Sullivan coined the logo's nickname: "Pat Patriot". Patriots History . Logo naming information. Accessed 26 January 2006. The team's original uniforms consisted of red and white shirts, blue stripes on the sleeves, and white pants and helmets. The helmets featured the original tricorne hat logo until the Pat Patriot symbol was developed in 1961. i-NFL Helmet Information relating to the evolution of the Patriots' helmets. Accessed 28 January 2006. In 1993, changes to the Patriots' uniforms and logo were rolled out by then owner James B. Orthwein. Patriots History . Changes. Accessed 26 January 2006. The old "Pat Patriot" logo was retired and replaced with a stylized Patriot head in silhouette wearing a red-white-and-blue tricorne hat, designed in tandem with NFL Properties that fans and sports officials would eventually nickname the "Flying Elvis ". NFLHistory.net Information on the Patriots' ownership, including the start of the "Flying Elvis" logo. Accessed 26 January 2006. The team's uniforms were changed from red to "Patriot" (dark) blue, and both the helmets and pants from white to silver. NFLHistory.net Color changes; one of the colors is called "Patriot" blue by this source. Accessed 28 January 2006. In 2000, the team developed additional changes to their logo and uniform. Although the "Flying Elvis" logo remained, a darker shade of blue was introduced. i-NFL Helmet . Mention of helmet and uniform changes in 2000. Accessed 30 January 2006. Season-by-season records
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