The New England Patriots open up tonight against the Buffalo Bills in one of the most highly anticipated regular season games in team history. Tom Brady returns to the starting line up and the Patriots will wear their throwback uniforms at home for the first time since the early 90s. The Patriots did bring them back for a Thanks Giving game in 2002, but that was in Detroit.
Contrary to popular belief, it's not the first uniform the team had. It's also not the most recent throwback or even the second most recent. The Patriots weren't even all that good when they wore it, nor was the fan base all that big. The team played one Super Bowl in it, and you'd be hard pressed to find a picture or highlight of it that isn't flat out embarrassing, unless of course you are a Bears fan. The team was so bad while wearing it and the franchise was so worthless that there were rumors swirling towards the end of the uniform's life that the team would be moving to St. Louis.
But in spite of all the bad that occurred during its tenure, this uniform, featuring the real Pat the Patriot, is for special to Patriot fans. If you conducted a poll today and asked every living Patriot fan if they should switch back to it tomorrow, I guarantee to a person everyone would vote yes. If anyone voted no, I'd be willing to bet a small fortune if pushed, that person would want to at least make it the third alternate like Buffalo and San Diego do with their throwbacks. The logo fits in nicely with New England. If you've ever been here, odds are you've seen all the old buildings and touristy things where people still dress like our Revolutionary War forefathers. It also works so well with the name. If I were to say "New England Patriots" and you knew nothing about football (i.e., you're a Jets fan), what would you be more likely to think of? This? Or this? Even in a fair fight it's not even close. Old logo always wins.
As this is the 50th Anniversary of the AFL, all the original teams in the conference (not the Johnny-Come-Latelys like the Steelers) have agreed to bring back their original* uniforms for select games when they play each other. The Patriots will wear there throwbacks tonight, at Denver on October 11, against the Oilers/Titans on October 18th, and at Miami week 17.
"Wait a second," you've probably just exclaimed. "The Dolphins aren't an original AFL team!" This is true, and I find this exciting. Hopefully this is foreshadowing and the team will use the throwback more frequently in the future.
*I think the Patriots are the only ones cheating and using their second uniforms. Imagine that. The Patriots cheating? Nah!
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The Steelers are original members of "the conference," being the AFC, founded in 1970, as well as the Colts and Browns.
Of course, those teams were founded in 1933, 1920/1953, and 1946/1999, respectively.
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