Gillette Stadium: Patriots versus Ravens 1.22.12

Last Thursday evening my Dad called me and asked me if I could get up to Boston if he could score me a ticket to the Patriots Ravens game that Sunday.  Without hesitation, I said yes, and with that began a whirlwind weekend. 

As a little bit of background for my sports allegiances, my parents both grew up in the Boston area.  My Dad grew up a HUGE Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics fan.  Upon moving to Chicago, after law school, he wanted to become a Cubs fan because given the history of the two organizations, there was little chance that he would ever have to choose between the two clubs (remember this pre-dated interleague play, so the only time American and National League teams met was in the World Series).  Unfortunately for him, he (like all fans should have by now) grew so frustrated with the losing ways of the Cubs, their refusal to even attempt to improve, the logistical nightmare that is going to a baseball game at Wrigley Field (I've always maintained Wrigley Field is an awesome bar, but a terrible place if you actually care about baseball), that he raised us White Sox fans.  While he still maintained his allegiance to the Red Sox, my younger brother and I were such baseball fans and my family went to so many White Sox games growing up that his allegiance to the Red Sox softened and he became a dual fan, many times choosing the happiness of his children (and by extension the White Sox) over that of his own (the Red Sox).  Having two young boys growing up in the mid-1990s in Chicago, during the Michael Jordan era, he quickly switched out his Celtics fandom to root on the Bulls en route to their six championships. 

Fans entering Gillette Stadium

Football was another story though, the Bears were never that good when my brother and I were growing up, we played soccer, and didn't really become football fans until we got to high school, so my dad was blissfully able to maintain his status as a Patriots fan.  I then moved to New England for college (New Haven, CT), and the local game every Sunday was the Patriots game, consequently I became a dual fan.  I continued to root for the Patriots while living in New Haven, and subsequently when I moved to Boston.  The year I lived in Boston (2006-07), my dad got two seats to the AFC Championship Game between the Patriots Colts game in Indianapolis.  I flew home and my Dad and I drove down to Indy for the game.  While the outcome was unfortunate (the Colts beat the Patriots 38-34), I had a blast (it also didn't help that the Colts play indoors in a dome, so the January weather wasn't a factor).  When I moved to Pennsylvania the next year (and the Patriots went 16-0), I found it harder to root for them (not being from Boston, or living there), and consequently became more of a Bears fan.  That all being said, I always pulled for the Patriots when the Bears weren't involved. 

The weekend itself was an excellent one, I got to catch up with some college friends (It was great seeing you, Will, Lo and Flanders), despite a snow storm (there have been two snow storms in Boston this year so far, and I have been there for both...go figure...).  I got to see my mom and sister, spend some quality time with my parents, and see my Dad's new office in Boston. 

Then came game time.  My dad and I drove to Foxboro with one of his clients (who also had tickets), and went into the game.  It was a balmy 34 degrees at kickoff, and my Dad and I were dressed to the hilt in as much warm weather gear as would fit.  Once the game actually started, we began to warm up (or at least the game took our minds off being cold, that and the hand and foot warmers began to kick in).  We were treated to a back and forth game in which the Ravens Defense generally smothered the high powered New England Offense (especially in the Red Zone, leading to three Patriots drives stalling and settling for field goals), forcing the usually unflappable Tom Brady to play one of his worst games of the year.  The normally pedestrian Ravens passing attack looked unstoppable between the 20's, but the Patriots defense came up with some big red zone stops of their own. 

With seconds to go after driving the length of the field and having what looked to be a sure touchdown knocked out of the hands of Lee Evans by Patriots undrafted rookie defensive back Sterling Moore, the Ravens lined up for what should have been a sure-thing 32 yard field goal to tie the game and send it to overtime.  

Ravens kicker, Billy Cundiff shanked the field goal wide left giving the Patriots the win. 

It was an incredible experience, one I'm so thankful I got to experience, and even more grateful that I got to experience it with my Dad.  One more win to go for Tom Brady to win his fourth Superbowl and end the best quarterback of this generation debate once and for all.  Go Pats!!