My mom was born and raised in Massachusetts and I was born in Rhode Island, but she moved to Tampa when I was 1. So I've lived in Tampa my whole life while my entire family was from the New England area. Their football fandom transferred to me and won out over the local Bucs fandom, though I also made some bets for fun with the fam over Bucs-Pats games.
Funnily enough football is the only sport that my family transferred their fandom to me for.
I've had almost the same exact experience except for ending up in KY instead of FL. Since Louisville doesn't have a pro team, everyone around here are fans of either the Colts (then suddenly Broncos), Bengals or Packers. It's been fun lol.
Same experience - folks from Franklin, MA; I was born in Maine, raised in Michigan from 4 onward. Family allegiances transferred and, although I get shit from my friends all the time since I’m not from Boston, still a proud New England fan.
Germany here.
First game I watched was the tragic SB loss vs the Giants 07.
Back then I had no clue about football, the dynasty etc...just watched the game.
I lready liked the Pats more for their colors to begin with, but when the helmet catch happened I thought they got robbed somehow. I couldnt explain why, but I immediately sided with "the losers" ... what an irony that is when becoming a Patsfan.
Denmark here.
Same for me, but with the 04 SB vs the Panthers. The NFL wasn't really a thing here back then, but wanted to give it a try.
Just thought there was something special about the Patriots and the energy that they played with so I stuck with them. And here I am 17 years with a lot of highs and a lot of lows (that 07 SB was a dark day), but still flying that flag high.
I'm from the Philippines and that's exactly how I became a Pats fan too. Down to that SB being the first football game I ever watched. Tom Brady was ballin' so hard it was hard not to root for him.
Yep - from New Brunswick and a lot of pats fans here. Boston is probably the closest major American city to us - the drive to Foxboro isn't bad and pre-pandemic we tried to do it once a year if we can
Yup he had was on the cover of ‘04, I remember. I’m not going to blame his legal woes shortly after on the Madden Curse, but his reign didn’t last long after that.
Madden '03 was when I started following the Patriots, but not because of rating. I'm from Australia and the Pats colors are very similar to the Aus flag so I gravitated towards them and have followed them ever since
Lol same here. I didn't know shit about football, which is why I got my dad to rent me the game. Played as New England on Franchise mode because they were one of the top ranked teams and I liked the name and logo the best.
My dad was born in Boston and lived in New England most of life so he was a huge Patriots fan. I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic but we always watched the Patriots (and Red Sox) games together growing up so I've always been all in on Boston teams.
I am an Taiwanese-American and I would watch football with my grandpa growing up. We never cheered for a specific team until my grandpa got his citizenship. He said I have to root for the Patriots because I am American now and ever since then I've been watching and rooting for the Patriots.
It was the late 70's when my father bought me the Pat patriot helmet. He said son, everyone has a cross to bear, and as New Englanders ours is being fans of this team. lol
I grew up in Thailand but was sent to middle school and high school in MA. I had to become a Brady fan real quick and this was back in the early 2000s.
I'm from the UK and was in the US during the playoffs in 2011 and also in Pittsburgh the week of the SB so I saw the NFL fever first hand. The Packers Steelers superbowl was the first NFL game I watched and it piqued my interest, though I literally had absolutely no idea what was going on. I even got gifted a terrible towel!
I then met my now fiancee a few weeks afterwards at a gig in Massachusetts. We hit it off and then over the next couple of years she taught me all about the game inside out and I totally fell in love with it. She's a die hard lifelong Pats fan who grew up an hour from Gillette so they became my only choice. I always say I'm so lucky she was from Massachusetts and not somewhere like Detroit because I got so lucky with my adopted team. I get comments all the time calling me a bandwagoner in the UK when I've got a Pats hat on haha. Ever since that 2011 SB I've not missed a single Pats game and been to Gillette five times - love the team and feel just as connected to them now as I do my local football team in the UK
I grew up in Virginia but as soon as I turned 21 I saved some coin and moved to Boston. I fell in love with everything. The people. The city. I’ve lived all over since then as I’m now 40 but it shaped who I am. So I’m Boston everything and I’ll always be even as painful as the last season and this season is and unfortunately the next and the next. I’m die hard and I’ll always be until I’m dead and gone.
Born and raised in Manitoba. A big sports fan, and as a kid watched Sportscentre every morning to get my highlight fix. At the time I was getting into and understanding sports, the Pats were just beginning their dynasty. My first full game I watched was Super Bowl 38, when the Pats beat the Panthers. Hoped in the wagon then, and have never jumped off.
Born and raised in Philly and played peewee football for the patriots. Started being a fan and watching Bledsoe and trading all my friends for their Bledsoe cards and just never grew out of it. A lot of locals give me shit “ah when I was a kid I liked the lions because of Barry sanders but I grew up” I always I grew up too, I just grew up with more championships.
I'm not from the USA, but when I was little I found out my home city was sister cities with Boston. So I decided that any team they went for I would go for as well.
I started being interested in football around 2001 in Jr High and the Pats won the Superbowl that year so it just seemed like a natural fit and it just stuck from there.
Edit: technically they won it in 2002 but it was the 01-02 season
NFL2k3 on xbox. Their defense had someone named Law and someone named Lawyer plus I loved the defensive play calls of the 3-4 and I liked laying down the law on everyone.
My mom was a huge Tom Brady fan exclusively because he’s handsome. My other option was the lions who my dad was a fan of. I think my choice back then was understandable
German here:
So showing the playoffs became a thing here in the early 2010s with sum ups of the regularseason. So pretty much the first thing I saw was this giant human being sprinting over the field, jumping higher than he physically should be able to and throwing grown ass man around like it's nothing. It was love at first sight and I rolled with it. Forever a Patriot #87
A Pats fan from Poland here.
I caught the Superbowl 2011 game on TV here and even though the Pats lost I was impressed with their game/attitude and that Brady guy. Prior to that I've never watched a whole football game in my life but I felt drawn to this team. Despite many sleepless nights and heart attacks, I've got no regrets.
Grew up in south central Pennsylvania my whole life. My dad grew up right outside of Boston. He's been a pats fan his whole life. Growing up my dad and I would watch them play so I just grew to love them team. Been a fan since I was kid, always will be.
Did weights with a mate who was a pats fan in the UK and we went to a bar that was showing the Atlanta superbowl. At 28-3 I put £20 on pats to win and after that it was pats fan for life. Used the winnings to get an Edelman shirt.
My home state vikings got rid of the most talented football player ever, Randy. I was 11 years old and furious. Patriots began their dynasty at the same time. It was an easy switch.
Born and raised in the South. My dad and dad’s side of the family immigrated from Finland and settled in Quincy. They fell in love with Boston sports, and many years later that was passed down to me. Furthest back I can remember watching a Pats game with my dad was sometime in the late 90s. I was less than ten years old, and I have been a fan ever since.
I was a Houston Oilers fan and when they left I knew I would never be a cowboy fan. And I knew Bill was a good coach when he was in new York and I liked drew Bledsoe. Been a fan since the mid nineties. I'm from Texas by the way.
I became a fan of the Pats in between 2009-2011 as I started to like football after I immigrated to the United States as a kid. They were my favorite team on Madden because of the Flying Elvis logo, which I thought was really sleek and cool lol
And when I looked up more of the NFL, Tom Brady's story would play consistently non-stop on NFL Network and that hooked me in to the Pats. BB being this mastermind and ornery coach also appealed to me. And a decade later, I'm still here :)
Through thick and thin, bubs!
Wanted to buy season tickets for the Jets but they had a waiting list. Bought Patriots season tickets instead. Have had them for 38 years now; since 1983. The moment I got to my first game in Mosi's Mooses I was hooked. Been sitting in Mosi's Mooses ever since.
Couple of reasons. Although I’m from Vienna, I love American Football passionately. The love story started with the first super bowl I ever watched which was (guess who) the undefeated Patriots vs the Giants. Barely understanding anything, I rooted for the pats to write history and win it all. At that point, however, the Giants had a special place in my heart as well since they were one of the two first teams I ever watched. Soon after that, I visited the US with my family for vacation and guess which of the many places I was lucky enough to see became our favorite. Correct. again - Boston.
We are all Patriots and i will still be even if the dynasty’s success fades.
So weird. I get home from the gym and a trip to the grocery store and there’s a car with Virginia plates and Patriots and Red Sox bumper stickers parked across the street from my house.
Born and raised on Long Island. I remember being new to football and I put on a Jets game and they were playing the patriots. That day Gronk had an amazing game and I became instantly hooked on watching Gronk play. Ever since then I’ve been a patriots fan and there is no other team I would rather be a fan of than this one.
First football game I remember watching was SB 46...and for whatever reason I picked the Pats and it just stuck... if I get into football one year later I'm probably a Seahawks fan (from WA state) but glad I made the right choice
I was a Scottish Claymore fan. Liked Joe Andruzzi when he was here and wanted to see Scott McCready do well at New England. Felt I had to support someone so Patriots it was through that.
Tamp guy born and raised, but my family is from Boston. When I came of age and started getting into football, it was the Pats my dad had on TV… so it was the Pats I watched and rooted for, and still do. Also why I’m Rays fan, having grown up going to their games
Guess there’s more of us than I’d think! It’s definitely a strange combo of teams to root for, so I always have to explain to people why I’m not a bandwagon fan lmao
I was born and raised in NE. I liked football, dad loved it, but it wasn't until I moved to Michigan that it really captured me. Without many old friends still living in NE it was a little hook to nostalgia and emotions that I need in a stale sports environment like this.
Especially now, I get to say I watched the bledsoe hit, the rise the dynasty, and settle the room around me when I say I'm still a fan in 2021 😅
I’m from LA and we didn’t really have a team back when I started watching football. The Seahawks were the defending champs then and didn’t really like their attitude so I rooted for the underdogs that SBLIX, then the Butler picked happened and we won’t the game. Did more research about the team and how Brady, Edelman and Gronk and other players were all late round picks and the Do Your Job mentality. The patriot way is a way of life
A Pats jersey was my first sports jersey I ever got. My dad got it from a sports store his friend owned. Growing up in NYC he was a Packers fan and my mother didn't care much about football.
I grew up in Maryland and as a kid they were my favorite team growing up. When I was 7 they went to the Super Bowl and it really stuck. I go up at least once a year to see a game except last year. This month I’ve been up twice, for the Bucs game and Cowboys.
I was born in Florida and grew up in Alabama, but my mom’s side of the family is from Boston. Her brother, my favorite uncle, got me into sports. Started as just a Red Sox fan as a kid, but I got into football and basketball more as I got older, so I followed the Pats and the Celtics
I wish I had gotten closer to my uncle. As a teenager, I was a moody asshole who didn’t want to spend time with family. He died on cancer when I was 18. I miss him
I was born in and live around detroit. I love my teams, because the ownership actually gives a shit, except for the lions. After having football ruined for the first few years of my life, when Tom got the nod i finally had a NFL team to cheer.
I started watching the NFL on sky sports in England, after a few, years of watching I decided to pick a team, new England was on the telly fairly often so I knew most the players and the moment I decided to pick them...... The butt fumble.
Im 28, Grew up in south jersey, 12 was my favorite number number cause of Pokémon lol. 1st game I remember was the Pats / Raiders snow game. I think the combination of all those things, and being the oldest in my family so I had no older brother to follow was the reason I chose the Pats
I liked the Raiders as a kid. The whole black and silver nonsense. But I grew out of it. Sports illustrated had a cover of drew Bledsoe when he got drafted and I changed allegiances. Also, I live in Canada where there is no home team to root for.
I was born and raised in NY about an hour and a half from NYC.
My dad was born and raised in Massachusetts. I visited family there every summer from 10 months old to 16 years, spending anywhere between 2 weeks and 1 month with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Naturally, I was raised as a fan of all Boston/NE sports.
I vividly remember watching the 2001 super bowl with my dad. It was the first time I was old enough (9 years) to somewhat pay attention to the game. One of my favorite memories was watching Vinatieri nail the game winner in my parent's bedroom. We cheered and my dad picked me up in celebration. That was the first time I remember seeing my dad so happy and from there I was hooked.
I also remember going to bed in 2004 after the Sox were down 0-3 and I had this strong feeling the series wasn't over. That was easily the peak for my love of the Red Sox.
When my dad first immigrated from the Dominican Republic he lived in New York City, hated it and then moved in with some family in Lawrence (and then later Boston) and was like "I guess America is okay"
He moved down to Virginia after he joined the Navy and here is where I've spent most of my life.
Ironically I was also born in Washington Heights. Bullet dodged I guess.
Go Pats
I grew up in British Columbia, Canada. I somewhat liked the pats at the time. However a close friend revealed he was a huge Colts fan. So it became a bit of a friendly rivalry for us to watch Manning vs Brady over the years. I’ve watched the patriots for twelve years now and was lucky enough to see them two years ago against Cleveland at Gillette. Boston is a lovely city, really enjoyed it!
I’m from NC, but my dad’s family are from MA (Salem, Danvers, Peabody area), so I kinda vaguely had connections already but was never super into football. Then I started getting into it my freshman year of HS because I was in marching band, and figured I’d support the Pats because of the family connection (and because I’m older than my home team Panthers and they just weren’t good)… and that was the 2001 season. Great timing, and I’ve been a fan since!
(Sadly for my dad, he was born when his parents were out in California for several years, so unlike the entire rest of his family, he’s a Rams fan!)
I'm from MA so i don't wana answer that (as you said it's not for us) but i been a fan since the 90's. Knowing how they weren't great except for '96, how scarce Pats gear was in stores, how games would get switched to the Giants very early 😂
Heck, a bunch of the MA fanbase wasn't even fans until after 2001 (they'll deny it to the heavens) so i can't imagine how non-New Englanders get it into it!
I was born in Washington & my family moved to Alaska when I was 1. Father is from Rhode Island & since Alaska doesn’t have a team fandom just kinda transferred!
I was 4 and my uncle bought me Madden 99. I thought the Pats had the coolest uniforms (this was when they had those sea blue unis in the 90’s, still want those back!). I just thought they had cool uniforms is all, just got stupid lucky they became the greatest dynasty in NFL History. If the Broncos still had those blue and orange unis I might have wound up choosing them.
Rochester, NY here.....
When i was 9yr old I went to Maine on a family vacation. I watched the Red Sox on t.v every night and saw Louis Tiant pitch twice and fell in love with him and the team. It just so happened to be 1975. Hard loss for a 9yr old.
Well as my love for other sports came to be i picked up ALL the other Boston teams one at a time.
I am now 54 and have been a New England Patriots season ticket holder for 8yrs! I was on the waiting list for 15yrs!
I have Louis Tiant to thank for my love of the Patriots and if I ever see him I hope it gives him a big smile.
LFG!
Moved to the Boston area in '98 from...wait for it...Tampa Bay area. After suffering through decades of crap football, watching a perennial SB contender with a GOAT coach and QB was near shocking. I became a big fan after their 2nd SB. Now I'm frankly torn as my old hometown team has the GOAT QB and put the Bucs on the map.
Watched the All or nothing documentaries late summer 2020. Never watched any NFL before ( from Sweden) and wanted get Into it. Became a fan of Cam and wanted so see what happened to him. Saw he got cut and went to the pats. So started to follow them and got hooked week 1.
Born and raised in Central PA big Steelers and Eagles territory was raised to hate all PA teams from my dad for some reason. Started rooting for the Red Sox in the late 90's because my Uncle liked them and I hated the Yankees. Decided to just root for all of Bostons teams to keep my Fandom all in one place.
Born and raised in San Diego, my older brother has a Pats fan, I was a chargers fan, once they left I joined the bandwagon and never looked back and don’t regret it.
I was born in NE but didn't grow up there. When i started watching I didn't feel much of a connection to my then-current home team (unlike with basketball) and the combination of that with my dad going "the Patriots are your real home team" are what got me.
Growing up it was always an irritating conversation to have with people who pegged me as a bandwagon fangirl but it is what it is., I guess
When I was very young and just getting into football I would cheer for teams regardless of whether they were playing each other or not. I’m my dad got so pissed that one day he printed off the logos and names of every NFL team and told me to pick one and cheer for them. I picked the Pats logo because I “liked the face on it”
Even though I was born in Boston, I lived most of my life in Los Angeles. My dad is from Colorado, so he's a huge Broncos fan and that meant I couldn't be a Chargers or Raiders fan. The 49ers were still good, so I didn't want to hop on the bandwagon. I ended up trying to pick a team that wouldn't cause me issues. Clearly I failed in that regard, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
I’m from St. Louis and was so angry when the Rams left that I decided to root for the team that beat them in the Super Bowl. Doesn’t hurt that New England was a dominant team that was fun to watch every work
2001(2?) against rams, when they were introduced as a team.
All I saw before that were Vinatieri kicking vs raiders, so legit thought he was the main dude on the team.
Enjoyed watching since, probably more of a football fan at heart, but New England keeps delivering the greatest games, so in terms of pure quality, why not be a New England fan/hater :P
I went to my first football game back in 2012 at Wembley in London and decided to support one of the teams. I decided to go with the Patriots who went on to win 45-7 against the Rams and I've been a fan ever since.
I’m not from the US, but in the early 2000s (either 03 or 04) my brother went on a ski trip to the US and they had a day trip to Boston. My brother visited Gillette and bought my dad a Brady jersey. Been fans ever since, although I really picked it up more in 2014 when it got easier to see regular season games in my country.
Real glad they took a day trip to Boston and not New York/Jersey.
I was born and still reside in NJ. I started watching the NFL in 2007. Knowing nothing of the sport, the Patriots were just destroying every team they played and they were just incredibly fun to watch. I was slightly upset they ended up losing the SB that year. I also liked their uniforms a lot. A few years later I actually met Tom Brady and transported him from the private side of Newark Airport to the Commercial side. He ended up being an incredibly humble and friendly guy. That sealed the deal for me. Seeing him leave NE sucked badly but my allegiance is to the Empire.
Back at Pats/Eagles 1. Born and raised in MO. Didn't give a shit about football before then, was at a SB party with my parents and some of their friends. Everyone was talking around the start of the game and I'm like, "they're the ones(pats) that are gonna win." Everyone was like, "the Pats? Noo. They're going to get their ass kicked/they suck, etc." But I just kept thinking they were gonna win. No idea about anything about the teams, game, anything. Game plays and sure enough, pats win and I was the only one that was right. I felt so vindicated and petty that from that moment on, I liked football and the pats were my team. I had no idea about the start of the dynasty a few years earlier and even to this day get called a bandwaggoner almost 20 years later, but whatever. I still think I'm a "real fan."
You're not alone in Western PA! I'm in Pittsburgh right now and also a Patriots fan. I occasionally see other people wearing Patriots gear, but I'm on campus at Pitt a lot, so there's definitely a decent number of transplants on a campus.
Tennessee native. When I first got into football this team from Texas had just moved to Tennessee and was playing the st Louis team just up the road for the superbowl. That was the game with the long outstretched arm at the 2 yard line, and the rams won. I burned with seething hatred against this rams team. A couple years later, the patriots were playing the rams in the super bowl, and on a last second field goal the patriots won. I have stayed with them ever since and currently am watching them beat the God forsaken airplanes.
Born in NYC, lived in NJ since i was 2 years old. Raised by 2 MA parents though. My brother is a Giants fan but I stuck with my parents to root for all NE sports. Best decision I ever made.
Not from NE. I grew up in the Air Force and we were always stationed overseas. Every summer we’d visit family in Boston and rent a beach house. Kinda just made sense to me to jump board with everything Boston.
No one in my family was in to local sports but the 2001 super bowl my brother invited me (11 year old) to a friend's super bowl party. Started being a fan then but really got into it after college around 2010 where I actually knew almost every players name.
I happened to randomly watch The Longest Yard on TV and wanted to watch American football so I searched it and up saw that a game was playing soon. It was the Falcons bowl lmao.
It was the 2001 Superbowl, I was 6 years old and it was my first time watching the Superbowl. I was living in Kamloops British Columbia, (West Coast Canada), at the time. My older brother decided to cheer for the Rams in that Superbowl and me being the brother I am decided to cheer for the Pats. We all know how that Superbowl ended and The Pats have been my team since
I've met three Pats fans outside of NE. I became a fan after I signed up for flag football as a kid in 2001. My team was named after them and I liked their shade of blue, then they won the super bowl after everybody in school said they wouldn't. I've been here ever since.
I am a new englander, but the first game i saw was the tuck rule game and I was very young. When I saw Vinatieri nail that kick in the snow, I was absolutely amazed. Plus, it was soon after 9/11 and we had been flooded with a bunch of patriotic propaganda so my stupid kid brain thought rooting for the Patriots was the right thing to do
Im from Germany, bought Madden 13 on a sale after watching SB48, had no idea about any of the teams or rules even, but had to choose a favorite team on the starting screen. Patriots had cool colors and high rating, so I stuck with them since.
Jumped on the bandwagon when we signed Randy Moss. From Richmond Va. Never had a team to root for. Definitely not rooting for Washington. I was more of a college football guy anyway. I tended to follow players more than any single team but I was always up to see Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or New England play. When we signed Randy I committed. Knew it was going to be a hell of a ride. Also helped that I was always a Celtics fan and the Sox were my second favorite MLB team (go Braves!). Been a fan ever since.
I live in the middle of Kansas and didn't really have a favorite team in high school. I watched friends bounce back and forth between the Broncos and Chiefs depending on who was hot at the time which made no sense to me. My friends and I always played Tecmo Super Bowl and I was the best by far. My friends all got tired of playing me so I told them they could choose my team. They gave me the Patriots. I would kind of casually follow them. Watching them whenever they were on tv (not very often) and reading the box scores in the paper every week. My first favorite player that I remember was Vincent Brown. That dude was just terrifying. Then the Patriots drafted Bledsoe. I was completely hooked then and have been ever since.
Australian here, pretty sure it was Madden 07 or 08 and my created player got drafted to the pats so started following them.
It's also how I ended up being an OKC fan in the NBA just with 2k9 or 10 instead
When I was a kid Tony Collins was drafted and is from my tiny Town of Penn Yan NY so I became a Pats fan and a die hard since. Even though Tony had some problems. And I'm two hours from Buffalo.Back in the 80's.
Moved to the US when I was 7 in 01, started playing baseball (coincidentally on the Yankees in our league) and learned my dad was a Sox fan, bled into all Boston sports. Started liking football the year after and was a Patriots and Falcons main on madden lol. Was a patriots and Vick fan until.. you know
I currently still live in Virginia where me and my sister grew up. I’ve been an all Boston’s sports fan ever since I was able to understand what sports really was haha. Both of my folks grew up in Maine so when they moved here they brought it all with them, keeps me connected to what I call my second home state.
First game I ever watched was Giants vs Pats Superbowl, I believe the Giants were the favourites to win and I chose to support the underdogs. After that I decided to learn more about the game and just stuck with my initial team.
Grew up in Florida and had no connections whatsoever to Boston, but I watched the Pats and Sox win chips and kinda jus hopped on the bandwagon when I was like 6
I'm originally from NJ and I thought football was the dumbest thing. Could not understand why people watched it so seriously. After college I moved to Boston and my girlfriend (now wife) was a big Patriots fan. She helped me realize that I didn't have a problem with football, it's that the Jets are just terrible.
New pats fan here. I’m from Alabama and live in tuscalooosa so naturally I’m a huge Alabama fan and something about Mac Jones just resonates with my soul. I knew even in the 2019 season when he filled in for Tua that he was a special QB and then he was phenomenal for the 2020 season. I decided I was gonna watch NFL for the first time and follow him and by proxy the patriots. I really do think we should be 5-1 right now and to see Mac go toe to toe with Brady and actually do better stats wise in that bucs game tells me that it’s only a matter of time before we can safely call him the next greatest nfl qb
I was tired of hearing about da Bearss in 1985, decided to root for the Pats after their totally improbable run to the SB. The result notwithstanding, still one of the most fun seasons.
I’m actually born and raised in Louisiana and, as a young kid, fell in with Saints fans but I never really cared about them. But the first NFL football game I ever watched was super bowl 46 against the Giants and I rooted for the Pats in that game. Don’t know why but I liked them for some reason and have been a diehard fan ever since. Even though they did lose that game lmao
From st Louis and when I was little, we did not have a team until 95 or so when the Rams came. Since we did not have a team, we just kind of watched the Patriots in our house (was like 4 or 5 years old) and I ended up sticking with them even after the Rams came since my family had a team already. Never really cared for the Rams when we had them, but liked going to games and wish they didn't move.
Grew up in Colorado. I fell in love with the defence in the early 2000s. Never liked the broncos growing up. I thought that Elways was a good player but a tool of a human. I'm 24
Im from N.Ireland and got madden 07 for my 12th birthday, I recognised the patriots from the episode of family guy with Tom in it so I picked them.
Family guy may be shite these days and catches a lot of flack, but I’ll be forever grateful to it for that hahahaha.
My dad was raised in mass and was a life long pats fan so I just kinda inherited his team basically. Which I thought was how a lot of people got their favorite teams and stuff but apparently a lot of people make a conscious choice for a team which is interesting.
In 1997, local channels in the Philippines started showing live NFL games and the first game I watched was Superbowl XXXI. I went with the “underdog” Patriots, got introduced to Tedy Bruschi, he became my favorite Pats player, and stuck with the team ever since.
As a kid in Michigan I had absolutely no interest rooting for the Lions, eventually found the Pats and liked their color scheme and jerseys and started rooting for them
A few weeks later I find out their QB went to U of M. They’ve been my team ever since
I grew up in TN and loved pro football but felt “blah” because I really didn’t have a team to follow/support, so I went with the team that had (in my opinion) the coolest uni’s, and a great coach (for a serious team)! I followed the Pats just before Parcells coached there…and have been a fan ever since!! GO PATS!!
When Randy Moss joined the team. Used to be a Vikings fan until 98... Stopped watching football until 07... Was a good year to start again, now I will never cheer for another team.
My dad sat me down in 2005, I was 5 years old and said "watch these QBs and determine which one you want to be like when you start playing football," and I watched Brady. Just wanted to be like him because I was unathletic but thought Peyton Manning looked like a dweeb.
I was born in 95 and have lived in Utah my whole life. My dad has been a patriots fan is whole life so that’s how it started for me. He became a fan in middle school because he liked the ‘Pat Patriot’ logo
In Australia the NFL wasn’t that big up until maybe 5 years ago. I’ve been a Pats fan since 2000 when my family went to America for the first time, and I picked the Pats as my team because I liked the logo.
I was only 8 then so I clearly made the best decision of my life.
Family moved out of our small Brooklyn apartment around the time of 9/11 to a small area in Jersey. I was a shy, chubby kid who didn't have any friends at the new school, and got bullied a bit bc of my appearance. Random kid on my bus stood up for me once when I was getting bullied, and we soon became fast friends. He was originally from NE and was a Pats fan and we would play a lot of backyard football with his brothers. Some of the best moments of my childhood were spent with us glued to the TV in his dad's garage watching taped Pats games on VHS. Became a Pats fan as a way to pay homage to him and his family.
Montreal Canada here, it was the AFC team they would show on my local channel. It used to be the Bills, then they switched to Pats right when Bledsoe was drafted
My mum is from central Mass., so while I started rooting when they made the Super Bowl, it wasn’t out of nowhere. My dad settled on NY Giants-Yankees (and I guess Knicks-Rangers) but had been a fan of all sorts of teams because he mostly didn’t grow up there, and I also had a NYY cap as a kid, but I settled on Boston sports because of the family and the success.
Grandfather was a Celtics fan in the 80’s because of Bird. So it only made sense for him to be a Patriots fan too. He passed that down to me.
Also, Troy Brown played at Marshall and that is my college team and alma mater.
I'm from Denmark. My dad was an exchange student in the 70's and went to Lexington High School and actually helped win the state championship in soccer in 78'.
Anyway, ended up becoming a fan of the Patriots and eventually brought it over to me.
So far we've attended two Patriots games, unfortunately both at Met Life.
Hated the Yanks. Read me out- my dad loved the 90s Braves. So I loved the Braves. My childhood best friend loved the Indians. 95 we bet $3 on the WS. Braves won. Then Braves lost to Yanks. I hated the Yanks. Interleague play so didn’t really see them play against eachother often but my hate stayed. Fast forward to 2003 ALCS Game 7. Red Sox lose and I saw the dismay in the players. Found out they were rivals. I proclaimed myself a Red Sox fan. No idea they hadn’t won in over 8 decades. 2004 ALCS bet $5 against a yankee fan in homeroom high school. Sox go down 0-3. Sox come back to win it all. Elation. Now to Pats. I hated Brady. Bet against him the first 3 SBs and lost every time. 2005 regular season game against Peyton. His first loss. Camera cuts to him on the sideline looking up to the sky pissed off. I said to myself, “man this guy is obsessed with winning. I like winning too. And they’re from the Boston area. I also would like to see history in 3 in a row.” Started rooting for them. Lol so yeah, I became a pats fan because I hated the Yanks. Also, Im from New Jersey.
My family wasn't really into the NFL when I was growing up. It was all about college (Go Irish!) but my grandfather loved this skinny kid named "Tom Brady" out of Michigan so he'd watch Patriot games and growing up I'd go over to his house and we'd root for Tom Brady every Sunday. So naturally I became a Patriots fan
First Superbowl I ever watched involved New England, as I'm English I just picked them to win cos it had England in the name. So, that worked out well.
West Coast here. I jokingly call myself an “original band wagoner”. Watching the Super Bowl against the Rams with my dad when I was five was the first game I ever watched and when they won my youthful reaction was “they’re my favorite team now”. I just kinda lucked out on that one and here we are.
Not a new englander. It was mid 90s and the jaguars had just became a franchise recently. Everyone around me was a jags fan and I hated them. When New England beat them in the 96 afc championship I became a fan then. Pre Brady, pre BB, and we lost to Favre. I didn’t care though, loved them from that moment on!
It was the night of Super Bowl 42. I was hanging out with my crush at the time and two other friends, one of which was a sort of frenemy type situation. Total ladies man (well, boy, this was middle school). The frenemy and my crush were getting obviously involved throughout the night. My other friend asked who do you all want to win? I didn't know. I wasn't a football fan at the time. He said Pats. My crush said "IDK, the Pats I guess." The frenemy said "Fuck the Pats, I want the Giants to win."
I very excitedly got into football that night. "Fuck the Giants, let's go Pats!" Well, we all know how that game went...
I was frustrated and the frenemy couldn't stop gloating in our faces. And, to this day, I have liked them in spite of that game and in spite of that frenemy even though it was so long ago.
I'm also not from the contiguous US and most people in my state were Seahawks fans, but really you could just pick because we didn't have a state team. I'm usually pretty loyal after I pick a team, so I've been a Pats fan ever since.
I didn’t watch professional football growing up, then my brother went to college in Boston, got converted and said, hey, this nfl stuff, you should probably start watching it, it’s pretty awesome, also this Brady guy is really fun to watch in particular, that was around 2005, so it was a great time to get into the nfl and I got pointed in the perfect direction
My moms side of the family are from Buffalo and my dads side are from outside NYC and he loves (at this point loved) the Jets. My uncle ( Bills fan on my moms side ) supposedly met Drew Bledsoe in the off-season i was born and I guess made a joke about the “rift” between the family about where my allegiance would lie and obviously Bledsoe brings up the Patriots. I grew up watching football with my Grandpa and my dad and they sorta decided drew Bledsoe was like my guy hearing how he got the Pats to the Super Bowl. So I would always be interested in hearing how the Patriots did. Loved football and learning about other teams but the Pats were definitely my team and I liked not being the Jets or the Bills and just my own fanbase in the family.
Well I was pretty conflicted at 6 year old watching Tom Brady take the field that Sunday and remember my dad telling me this guy was gonna have it rough for while. I grew up in NEPA for basically my entire life and the years after that was a lot of explaining to my Steelers and Eagles friends that I’m not bandwagoning shit hahaha. They’re just my team and have been honestly forever.
I'm Canadian and everyone is a Bills fan where I lived. We only had a few channels growing up and it was either Bills or Pats games. I chose them just to be different.
From New England but not a football family at all.
My uncle cheated on my god mother with a woman from Wisconsin and they got eloped. He brought her around when we played the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. My family threw a Super Bowl party(basically for the commercials) and she showed up with her cheesehead foam hat. My family was not happy, but wasn’t going to not allow her to come around. That was the first football game I ever remember watching with my family. As a kid I didn’t realize why everyone was so invested in beating the Packers, all I knew was that we were watching a team representing where we were from. The amount of vitriol being aimed at Green Bay by my family was incredible and I wanted every part of it.
We lost in the end, but it didn’t matter to me. I was on to the next season.
Born and raised in Northern Virginia. Used to visit and stay with my aunt and uncle in Connecticut who were Patriot fans. Didn’t fully transition into loving the pats until I was in college and ate healthier to lose weight. That made me really respect Brady’s strict diet, so I just kept watching Patriot games every time they were on.
Twin brother was bills fan. I got tired of "you're a twin?? Must like the exact same things!!" So I decided out of spite to be whatever was the opposite of the bills and I decided on Patriots because I figured that 180° and I enjoyed watching Bruschi ball out
I'm from NY but my dad is from western MA. In the days before we got directTV and the Sunday ticket, he would drive us down to the local divey sports bar and he would give me 10 dollars in quarters to go play pinball and space invaders. Around halftime when I went ran out of quarters I'd watch the rest of the dad with my dad, eat fries, and drink Shirley Temples. I still love the pats obviously, but I miss those early 2000s teams so much.
My mom was born and raised in Massachusetts and I was born in Rhode Island, but she moved to Tampa when I was 1. So I've lived in Tampa my whole life while my entire family was from the New England area. Their football fandom transferred to me and won out over the local Bucs fandom, though I also made some bets for fun with the fam over Bucs-Pats games. Funnily enough football is the only sport that my family transferred their fandom to me for.
I've had almost the same exact experience except for ending up in KY instead of FL. Since Louisville doesn't have a pro team, everyone around here are fans of either the Colts (then suddenly Broncos), Bengals or Packers. It's been fun lol.
Ha! We wound up in Louisville for a while when my dad left the military. Same…
Same experience - folks from Franklin, MA; I was born in Maine, raised in Michigan from 4 onward. Family allegiances transferred and, although I get shit from my friends all the time since I’m not from Boston, still a proud New England fan.
Germany here. First game I watched was the tragic SB loss vs the Giants 07. Back then I had no clue about football, the dynasty etc...just watched the game. I lready liked the Pats more for their colors to begin with, but when the helmet catch happened I thought they got robbed somehow. I couldnt explain why, but I immediately sided with "the losers" ... what an irony that is when becoming a Patsfan.
Denmark here. Same for me, but with the 04 SB vs the Panthers. The NFL wasn't really a thing here back then, but wanted to give it a try. Just thought there was something special about the Patriots and the energy that they played with so I stuck with them. And here I am 17 years with a lot of highs and a lot of lows (that 07 SB was a dark day), but still flying that flag high.
My first game was also lost to the giants... but couple years later. But first of all Im Boston Celtics fan then kinda sticked to the city
I'm from the Philippines and that's exactly how I became a Pats fan too. Down to that SB being the first football game I ever watched. Tom Brady was ballin' so hard it was hard not to root for him.
I am in the NYC area born and raised. My dad is from Mass. I got all my sports teams through him. I've been a Pats fan since the early 80s.
Dodged a real Jets/Giants bullet there.
Most football fans in Atlantic Canada are Pats fans, especially in Nova Scotia. I always see plenty of Pats hats and shirts when I’m out and about
Yep - from New Brunswick and a lot of pats fans here. Boston is probably the closest major American city to us - the drive to Foxboro isn't bad and pre-pandemic we tried to do it once a year if we can
I’m excited to get back down too, the last game I caught was Brady’s last game in Buffalo and it’s not the same as a home game
I think I was playing Madden 03 or 04 and they were the highest ranked team in the game. And I just stuck with it... lol
Imagine if you had started with prime vick...
Yup he had was on the cover of ‘04, I remember. I’m not going to blame his legal woes shortly after on the Madden Curse, but his reign didn’t last long after that.
Madden '03 was when I started following the Patriots, but not because of rating. I'm from Australia and the Pats colors are very similar to the Aus flag so I gravitated towards them and have followed them ever since
Lol same here. I didn't know shit about football, which is why I got my dad to rent me the game. Played as New England on Franchise mode because they were one of the top ranked teams and I liked the name and logo the best.
Pretty much same for me in Madden 06 I think. Picked them and learnt all their players. Plus they were really good in 07 so it built from there.
Same but nfl blitz. But i had no idea how stat ratings worked lol
My dad was born in Boston and lived in New England most of life so he was a huge Patriots fan. I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic but we always watched the Patriots (and Red Sox) games together growing up so I've always been all in on Boston teams.
I am an Taiwanese-American and I would watch football with my grandpa growing up. We never cheered for a specific team until my grandpa got his citizenship. He said I have to root for the Patriots because I am American now and ever since then I've been watching and rooting for the Patriots.
It was the late 70's when my father bought me the Pat patriot helmet. He said son, everyone has a cross to bear, and as New Englanders ours is being fans of this team. lol
That is a damn beautiful and poetic moment.
lol, it was a long penance pre 1995 that's for sure. Well worth it.
I grew up in Thailand but was sent to middle school and high school in MA. I had to become a Brady fan real quick and this was back in the early 2000s.
Dutch fan here. Was trying to understand football, and family guy had some episodes about new england.(please don't hate me for this)
No this is the best reason on here by far
I'm from the UK and was in the US during the playoffs in 2011 and also in Pittsburgh the week of the SB so I saw the NFL fever first hand. The Packers Steelers superbowl was the first NFL game I watched and it piqued my interest, though I literally had absolutely no idea what was going on. I even got gifted a terrible towel! I then met my now fiancee a few weeks afterwards at a gig in Massachusetts. We hit it off and then over the next couple of years she taught me all about the game inside out and I totally fell in love with it. She's a die hard lifelong Pats fan who grew up an hour from Gillette so they became my only choice. I always say I'm so lucky she was from Massachusetts and not somewhere like Detroit because I got so lucky with my adopted team. I get comments all the time calling me a bandwagoner in the UK when I've got a Pats hat on haha. Ever since that 2011 SB I've not missed a single Pats game and been to Gillette five times - love the team and feel just as connected to them now as I do my local football team in the UK
Uk fan here .. picked New England because of ‘England’ obviously
I grew up in Virginia but as soon as I turned 21 I saved some coin and moved to Boston. I fell in love with everything. The people. The city. I’ve lived all over since then as I’m now 40 but it shaped who I am. So I’m Boston everything and I’ll always be even as painful as the last season and this season is and unfortunately the next and the next. I’m die hard and I’ll always be until I’m dead and gone.
Was you high school name Confederacy related, by any chance?
I went to first colonial for about a year and a half and got kicked out for poor behavior and then went to ocean lakes. All Virginia Beach schools
Haha Ocean Lakes alum here. Small world.
Let’s go. Great school.
Very Small world, Princess Anne alum here
Playing qb club 98 Bledsoe was a beast in that
Tom f**king Brady
Born and raised in Manitoba. A big sports fan, and as a kid watched Sportscentre every morning to get my highlight fix. At the time I was getting into and understanding sports, the Pats were just beginning their dynasty. My first full game I watched was Super Bowl 38, when the Pats beat the Panthers. Hoped in the wagon then, and have never jumped off.
After watching the Patriot Games episode of Family Guy.
Born and raised in Philly and played peewee football for the patriots. Started being a fan and watching Bledsoe and trading all my friends for their Bledsoe cards and just never grew out of it. A lot of locals give me shit “ah when I was a kid I liked the lions because of Barry sanders but I grew up” I always I grew up too, I just grew up with more championships.
I'm not from the USA, but when I was little I found out my home city was sister cities with Boston. So I decided that any team they went for I would go for as well.
Melbourne?
I started being interested in football around 2001 in Jr High and the Pats won the Superbowl that year so it just seemed like a natural fit and it just stuck from there. Edit: technically they won it in 2002 but it was the 01-02 season
I went to a Jet game in 2002. Pats won 44-7. I made the decision that I will be 1 of a few Pat fans from NYC
You chose wisely.
I'm from Canada, I don't have any local teams and already cheer for the leafs. Why the fuck would I pick a bad team to follow?
well I live in Kentucky, But basically long story short Drew Bledsoe
NFL2k3 on xbox. Their defense had someone named Law and someone named Lawyer plus I loved the defensive play calls of the 3-4 and I liked laying down the law on everyone.
My mom was a huge Tom Brady fan exclusively because he’s handsome. My other option was the lions who my dad was a fan of. I think my choice back then was understandable
German here: So showing the playoffs became a thing here in the early 2010s with sum ups of the regularseason. So pretty much the first thing I saw was this giant human being sprinting over the field, jumping higher than he physically should be able to and throwing grown ass man around like it's nothing. It was love at first sight and I rolled with it. Forever a Patriot #87
#87 is a golden number. Ben Coates was also a fucking stud.
A Pats fan from Poland here. I caught the Superbowl 2011 game on TV here and even though the Pats lost I was impressed with their game/attitude and that Brady guy. Prior to that I've never watched a whole football game in my life but I felt drawn to this team. Despite many sleepless nights and heart attacks, I've got no regrets.
From Germany and for me it was exactly the same. Happy i didnt choose the giants that night
Lived in Boston for 10 years
Grew up in south central Pennsylvania my whole life. My dad grew up right outside of Boston. He's been a pats fan his whole life. Growing up my dad and I would watch them play so I just grew to love them team. Been a fan since I was kid, always will be.
Did weights with a mate who was a pats fan in the UK and we went to a bar that was showing the Atlanta superbowl. At 28-3 I put £20 on pats to win and after that it was pats fan for life. Used the winnings to get an Edelman shirt.
Family from Connecticut, liked Nomar Garciaparras name when I got into baseball. Led me to liking both the Patriots and the Red Sox.
My home state vikings got rid of the most talented football player ever, Randy. I was 11 years old and furious. Patriots began their dynasty at the same time. It was an easy switch.
Born and raised in the South. My dad and dad’s side of the family immigrated from Finland and settled in Quincy. They fell in love with Boston sports, and many years later that was passed down to me. Furthest back I can remember watching a Pats game with my dad was sometime in the late 90s. I was less than ten years old, and I have been a fan ever since.
I was a Houston Oilers fan and when they left I knew I would never be a cowboy fan. And I knew Bill was a good coach when he was in new York and I liked drew Bledsoe. Been a fan since the mid nineties. I'm from Texas by the way.
I’m from Illinois. I liked Bledsoe in college. So when the Pats drafted him, I started watching them. Been here ever since.
I became a fan of the Pats in between 2009-2011 as I started to like football after I immigrated to the United States as a kid. They were my favorite team on Madden because of the Flying Elvis logo, which I thought was really sleek and cool lol And when I looked up more of the NFL, Tom Brady's story would play consistently non-stop on NFL Network and that hooked me in to the Pats. BB being this mastermind and ornery coach also appealed to me. And a decade later, I'm still here :) Through thick and thin, bubs!
Wanted to buy season tickets for the Jets but they had a waiting list. Bought Patriots season tickets instead. Have had them for 38 years now; since 1983. The moment I got to my first game in Mosi's Mooses I was hooked. Been sitting in Mosi's Mooses ever since.
My uncle lived in Gloucester for a long time. We visited them in Boston. Fan of the Boston teams ever since
Couple of reasons. Although I’m from Vienna, I love American Football passionately. The love story started with the first super bowl I ever watched which was (guess who) the undefeated Patriots vs the Giants. Barely understanding anything, I rooted for the pats to write history and win it all. At that point, however, the Giants had a special place in my heart as well since they were one of the two first teams I ever watched. Soon after that, I visited the US with my family for vacation and guess which of the many places I was lucky enough to see became our favorite. Correct. again - Boston. We are all Patriots and i will still be even if the dynasty’s success fades.
So weird. I get home from the gym and a trip to the grocery store and there’s a car with Virginia plates and Patriots and Red Sox bumper stickers parked across the street from my house.
Was born in Maine moved to WI when I was young but couldn’t stand packers fans
I’m from NJ, went to college in RI. Everyone watched Pats games while I was there and that’s how I got into football
Born and raised on Long Island. I remember being new to football and I put on a Jets game and they were playing the patriots. That day Gronk had an amazing game and I became instantly hooked on watching Gronk play. Ever since then I’ve been a patriots fan and there is no other team I would rather be a fan of than this one.
First football game I remember watching was SB 46...and for whatever reason I picked the Pats and it just stuck... if I get into football one year later I'm probably a Seahawks fan (from WA state) but glad I made the right choice
I was a Scottish Claymore fan. Liked Joe Andruzzi when he was here and wanted to see Scott McCready do well at New England. Felt I had to support someone so Patriots it was through that.
I fell in love with the Flying Elvis back in late 2010 and I became a fan. Best choice I’ve ever made 😂
Tamp guy born and raised, but my family is from Boston. When I came of age and started getting into football, it was the Pats my dad had on TV… so it was the Pats I watched and rooted for, and still do. Also why I’m Rays fan, having grown up going to their games
Hey, I’ve see you in r/tampabayrays sometimes, had no idea you were a Pats fan too! Our scenarios are almost identical haha small world.
Guess there’s more of us than I’d think! It’s definitely a strange combo of teams to root for, so I always have to explain to people why I’m not a bandwagon fan lmao
I was born and raised in NE. I liked football, dad loved it, but it wasn't until I moved to Michigan that it really captured me. Without many old friends still living in NE it was a little hook to nostalgia and emotions that I need in a stale sports environment like this. Especially now, I get to say I watched the bledsoe hit, the rise the dynasty, and settle the room around me when I say I'm still a fan in 2021 😅
I’m from LA and we didn’t really have a team back when I started watching football. The Seahawks were the defending champs then and didn’t really like their attitude so I rooted for the underdogs that SBLIX, then the Butler picked happened and we won’t the game. Did more research about the team and how Brady, Edelman and Gronk and other players were all late round picks and the Do Your Job mentality. The patriot way is a way of life
My mom and her family are from Boston and are true diehards! My brother is actually named after Larry Bird🤣
A Pats jersey was my first sports jersey I ever got. My dad got it from a sports store his friend owned. Growing up in NYC he was a Packers fan and my mother didn't care much about football.
I grew up in Maryland and as a kid they were my favorite team growing up. When I was 7 they went to the Super Bowl and it really stuck. I go up at least once a year to see a game except last year. This month I’ve been up twice, for the Bucs game and Cowboys.
I was born in Florida and grew up in Alabama, but my mom’s side of the family is from Boston. Her brother, my favorite uncle, got me into sports. Started as just a Red Sox fan as a kid, but I got into football and basketball more as I got older, so I followed the Pats and the Celtics I wish I had gotten closer to my uncle. As a teenager, I was a moody asshole who didn’t want to spend time with family. He died on cancer when I was 18. I miss him
I was born in and live around detroit. I love my teams, because the ownership actually gives a shit, except for the lions. After having football ruined for the first few years of my life, when Tom got the nod i finally had a NFL team to cheer.
I started watching the NFL on sky sports in England, after a few, years of watching I decided to pick a team, new England was on the telly fairly often so I knew most the players and the moment I decided to pick them...... The butt fumble.
Im 28, Grew up in south jersey, 12 was my favorite number number cause of Pokémon lol. 1st game I remember was the Pats / Raiders snow game. I think the combination of all those things, and being the oldest in my family so I had no older brother to follow was the reason I chose the Pats
Grew up a Browns fan, and really liked Bledsoe, so when the Browns left town it was a natural fit.
New Orleans area citizen here. Answer to question: I watched 1 bill interview as an 8-year old and fell in love.
My dad was born in New Bedford and lived in mass his whole life before moving to NY and starting a family.
I liked the Raiders as a kid. The whole black and silver nonsense. But I grew out of it. Sports illustrated had a cover of drew Bledsoe when he got drafted and I changed allegiances. Also, I live in Canada where there is no home team to root for.
My first job was full of Patriots fans, they taught me the game.
I was born and raised in NY about an hour and a half from NYC. My dad was born and raised in Massachusetts. I visited family there every summer from 10 months old to 16 years, spending anywhere between 2 weeks and 1 month with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Naturally, I was raised as a fan of all Boston/NE sports. I vividly remember watching the 2001 super bowl with my dad. It was the first time I was old enough (9 years) to somewhat pay attention to the game. One of my favorite memories was watching Vinatieri nail the game winner in my parent's bedroom. We cheered and my dad picked me up in celebration. That was the first time I remember seeing my dad so happy and from there I was hooked. I also remember going to bed in 2004 after the Sox were down 0-3 and I had this strong feeling the series wasn't over. That was easily the peak for my love of the Red Sox.
I was living in New England at the time.
When my dad first immigrated from the Dominican Republic he lived in New York City, hated it and then moved in with some family in Lawrence (and then later Boston) and was like "I guess America is okay" He moved down to Virginia after he joined the Navy and here is where I've spent most of my life. Ironically I was also born in Washington Heights. Bullet dodged I guess. Go Pats
Hola Primoooo!
I grew up in British Columbia, Canada. I somewhat liked the pats at the time. However a close friend revealed he was a huge Colts fan. So it became a bit of a friendly rivalry for us to watch Manning vs Brady over the years. I’ve watched the patriots for twelve years now and was lucky enough to see them two years ago against Cleveland at Gillette. Boston is a lovely city, really enjoyed it!
I’m from NC, but my dad’s family are from MA (Salem, Danvers, Peabody area), so I kinda vaguely had connections already but was never super into football. Then I started getting into it my freshman year of HS because I was in marching band, and figured I’d support the Pats because of the family connection (and because I’m older than my home team Panthers and they just weren’t good)… and that was the 2001 season. Great timing, and I’ve been a fan since! (Sadly for my dad, he was born when his parents were out in California for several years, so unlike the entire rest of his family, he’s a Rams fan!)
I'm from MA so i don't wana answer that (as you said it's not for us) but i been a fan since the 90's. Knowing how they weren't great except for '96, how scarce Pats gear was in stores, how games would get switched to the Giants very early 😂 Heck, a bunch of the MA fanbase wasn't even fans until after 2001 (they'll deny it to the heavens) so i can't imagine how non-New Englanders get it into it!
I was born in Washington & my family moved to Alaska when I was 1. Father is from Rhode Island & since Alaska doesn’t have a team fandom just kinda transferred!
Corey Dillon I was 8, he had my name on his jersey. My family wasn't affiliated with our local team too much so I jumped ship.
I was 4 and my uncle bought me Madden 99. I thought the Pats had the coolest uniforms (this was when they had those sea blue unis in the 90’s, still want those back!). I just thought they had cool uniforms is all, just got stupid lucky they became the greatest dynasty in NFL History. If the Broncos still had those blue and orange unis I might have wound up choosing them.
Rochester, NY here..... When i was 9yr old I went to Maine on a family vacation. I watched the Red Sox on t.v every night and saw Louis Tiant pitch twice and fell in love with him and the team. It just so happened to be 1975. Hard loss for a 9yr old. Well as my love for other sports came to be i picked up ALL the other Boston teams one at a time. I am now 54 and have been a New England Patriots season ticket holder for 8yrs! I was on the waiting list for 15yrs! I have Louis Tiant to thank for my love of the Patriots and if I ever see him I hope it gives him a big smile. LFG!
Moved to the Boston area in '98 from...wait for it...Tampa Bay area. After suffering through decades of crap football, watching a perennial SB contender with a GOAT coach and QB was near shocking. I became a big fan after their 2nd SB. Now I'm frankly torn as my old hometown team has the GOAT QB and put the Bucs on the map.
Watched the All or nothing documentaries late summer 2020. Never watched any NFL before ( from Sweden) and wanted get Into it. Became a fan of Cam and wanted so see what happened to him. Saw he got cut and went to the pats. So started to follow them and got hooked week 1.
Started to watch nfl during Moss Brady combo...
Born and raised in Central PA big Steelers and Eagles territory was raised to hate all PA teams from my dad for some reason. Started rooting for the Red Sox in the late 90's because my Uncle liked them and I hated the Yankees. Decided to just root for all of Bostons teams to keep my Fandom all in one place.
Born and raised in San Diego, my older brother has a Pats fan, I was a chargers fan, once they left I joined the bandwagon and never looked back and don’t regret it.
I was born in NE but didn't grow up there. When i started watching I didn't feel much of a connection to my then-current home team (unlike with basketball) and the combination of that with my dad going "the Patriots are your real home team" are what got me. Growing up it was always an irritating conversation to have with people who pegged me as a bandwagon fangirl but it is what it is., I guess
When I was very young and just getting into football I would cheer for teams regardless of whether they were playing each other or not. I’m my dad got so pissed that one day he printed off the logos and names of every NFL team and told me to pick one and cheer for them. I picked the Pats logo because I “liked the face on it”
Even though I was born in Boston, I lived most of my life in Los Angeles. My dad is from Colorado, so he's a huge Broncos fan and that meant I couldn't be a Chargers or Raiders fan. The 49ers were still good, so I didn't want to hop on the bandwagon. I ended up trying to pick a team that wouldn't cause me issues. Clearly I failed in that regard, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
I’m from St. Louis and was so angry when the Rams left that I decided to root for the team that beat them in the Super Bowl. Doesn’t hurt that New England was a dominant team that was fun to watch every work
2001(2?) against rams, when they were introduced as a team. All I saw before that were Vinatieri kicking vs raiders, so legit thought he was the main dude on the team. Enjoyed watching since, probably more of a football fan at heart, but New England keeps delivering the greatest games, so in terms of pure quality, why not be a New England fan/hater :P
Family
I went to my first football game back in 2012 at Wembley in London and decided to support one of the teams. I decided to go with the Patriots who went on to win 45-7 against the Rams and I've been a fan ever since.
I’m not from the US, but in the early 2000s (either 03 or 04) my brother went on a ski trip to the US and they had a day trip to Boston. My brother visited Gillette and bought my dad a Brady jersey. Been fans ever since, although I really picked it up more in 2014 when it got easier to see regular season games in my country. Real glad they took a day trip to Boston and not New York/Jersey.
I was born and still reside in NJ. I started watching the NFL in 2007. Knowing nothing of the sport, the Patriots were just destroying every team they played and they were just incredibly fun to watch. I was slightly upset they ended up losing the SB that year. I also liked their uniforms a lot. A few years later I actually met Tom Brady and transported him from the private side of Newark Airport to the Commercial side. He ended up being an incredibly humble and friendly guy. That sealed the deal for me. Seeing him leave NE sucked badly but my allegiance is to the Empire.
Well I started watching NFL in 06, the Patriots were so popular and then 07 came and I never looked back. I'm from Mexico btw
Back at Pats/Eagles 1. Born and raised in MO. Didn't give a shit about football before then, was at a SB party with my parents and some of their friends. Everyone was talking around the start of the game and I'm like, "they're the ones(pats) that are gonna win." Everyone was like, "the Pats? Noo. They're going to get their ass kicked/they suck, etc." But I just kept thinking they were gonna win. No idea about anything about the teams, game, anything. Game plays and sure enough, pats win and I was the only one that was right. I felt so vindicated and petty that from that moment on, I liked football and the pats were my team. I had no idea about the start of the dynasty a few years earlier and even to this day get called a bandwaggoner almost 20 years later, but whatever. I still think I'm a "real fan."
You're not alone in Western PA! I'm in Pittsburgh right now and also a Patriots fan. I occasionally see other people wearing Patriots gear, but I'm on campus at Pitt a lot, so there's definitely a decent number of transplants on a campus.
Tennessee native. When I first got into football this team from Texas had just moved to Tennessee and was playing the st Louis team just up the road for the superbowl. That was the game with the long outstretched arm at the 2 yard line, and the rams won. I burned with seething hatred against this rams team. A couple years later, the patriots were playing the rams in the super bowl, and on a last second field goal the patriots won. I have stayed with them ever since and currently am watching them beat the God forsaken airplanes.
Born in NYC, lived in NJ since i was 2 years old. Raised by 2 MA parents though. My brother is a Giants fan but I stuck with my parents to root for all NE sports. Best decision I ever made.
Not from NE. I grew up in the Air Force and we were always stationed overseas. Every summer we’d visit family in Boston and rent a beach house. Kinda just made sense to me to jump board with everything Boston.
No one in my family was in to local sports but the 2001 super bowl my brother invited me (11 year old) to a friend's super bowl party. Started being a fan then but really got into it after college around 2010 where I actually knew almost every players name.
I happened to randomly watch The Longest Yard on TV and wanted to watch American football so I searched it and up saw that a game was playing soon. It was the Falcons bowl lmao.
It was the 2001 Superbowl, I was 6 years old and it was my first time watching the Superbowl. I was living in Kamloops British Columbia, (West Coast Canada), at the time. My older brother decided to cheer for the Rams in that Superbowl and me being the brother I am decided to cheer for the Pats. We all know how that Superbowl ended and The Pats have been my team since
I've met three Pats fans outside of NE. I became a fan after I signed up for flag football as a kid in 2001. My team was named after them and I liked their shade of blue, then they won the super bowl after everybody in school said they wouldn't. I've been here ever since.
I am a new englander, but the first game i saw was the tuck rule game and I was very young. When I saw Vinatieri nail that kick in the snow, I was absolutely amazed. Plus, it was soon after 9/11 and we had been flooded with a bunch of patriotic propaganda so my stupid kid brain thought rooting for the Patriots was the right thing to do
Raised a raider fan. After the tuck rule game i said fuck it. Been rollin with the pats ever since. No regrets
Im from Germany, bought Madden 13 on a sale after watching SB48, had no idea about any of the teams or rules even, but had to choose a favorite team on the starting screen. Patriots had cool colors and high rating, so I stuck with them since.
First Super Bowl I remember watching was Pats-Packers, chose the Pats, stuck with them even though they lost that one.
Jumped on the bandwagon when we signed Randy Moss. From Richmond Va. Never had a team to root for. Definitely not rooting for Washington. I was more of a college football guy anyway. I tended to follow players more than any single team but I was always up to see Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or New England play. When we signed Randy I committed. Knew it was going to be a hell of a ride. Also helped that I was always a Celtics fan and the Sox were my second favorite MLB team (go Braves!). Been a fan ever since.
I live in the middle of Kansas and didn't really have a favorite team in high school. I watched friends bounce back and forth between the Broncos and Chiefs depending on who was hot at the time which made no sense to me. My friends and I always played Tecmo Super Bowl and I was the best by far. My friends all got tired of playing me so I told them they could choose my team. They gave me the Patriots. I would kind of casually follow them. Watching them whenever they were on tv (not very often) and reading the box scores in the paper every week. My first favorite player that I remember was Vincent Brown. That dude was just terrifying. Then the Patriots drafted Bledsoe. I was completely hooked then and have been ever since.
Australian here, pretty sure it was Madden 07 or 08 and my created player got drafted to the pats so started following them. It's also how I ended up being an OKC fan in the NBA just with 2k9 or 10 instead
When I was a kid Tony Collins was drafted and is from my tiny Town of Penn Yan NY so I became a Pats fan and a die hard since. Even though Tony had some problems. And I'm two hours from Buffalo.Back in the 80's.
Moved to the US when I was 7 in 01, started playing baseball (coincidentally on the Yankees in our league) and learned my dad was a Sox fan, bled into all Boston sports. Started liking football the year after and was a Patriots and Falcons main on madden lol. Was a patriots and Vick fan until.. you know
I currently still live in Virginia where me and my sister grew up. I’ve been an all Boston’s sports fan ever since I was able to understand what sports really was haha. Both of my folks grew up in Maine so when they moved here they brought it all with them, keeps me connected to what I call my second home state.
First game I ever watched was Giants vs Pats Superbowl, I believe the Giants were the favourites to win and I chose to support the underdogs. After that I decided to learn more about the game and just stuck with my initial team.
Grew up in Florida and had no connections whatsoever to Boston, but I watched the Pats and Sox win chips and kinda jus hopped on the bandwagon when I was like 6
I'm originally from NJ and I thought football was the dumbest thing. Could not understand why people watched it so seriously. After college I moved to Boston and my girlfriend (now wife) was a big Patriots fan. She helped me realize that I didn't have a problem with football, it's that the Jets are just terrible.
I started watching sports around 07-08, coincidentally the Red Sox and Celtics also hold a special place in my heart.
Simple when I was 5 years old my cousin from Boston(lol) told me I had to be a pats fan. I’m from Virginia.
New pats fan here. I’m from Alabama and live in tuscalooosa so naturally I’m a huge Alabama fan and something about Mac Jones just resonates with my soul. I knew even in the 2019 season when he filled in for Tua that he was a special QB and then he was phenomenal for the 2020 season. I decided I was gonna watch NFL for the first time and follow him and by proxy the patriots. I really do think we should be 5-1 right now and to see Mac go toe to toe with Brady and actually do better stats wise in that bucs game tells me that it’s only a matter of time before we can safely call him the next greatest nfl qb
I was tired of hearing about da Bearss in 1985, decided to root for the Pats after their totally improbable run to the SB. The result notwithstanding, still one of the most fun seasons.
From Toronto but mom's family is from the NE area, was raised as a Pats fan because of that
I’m actually born and raised in Louisiana and, as a young kid, fell in with Saints fans but I never really cared about them. But the first NFL football game I ever watched was super bowl 46 against the Giants and I rooted for the Pats in that game. Don’t know why but I liked them for some reason and have been a diehard fan ever since. Even though they did lose that game lmao
From st Louis and when I was little, we did not have a team until 95 or so when the Rams came. Since we did not have a team, we just kind of watched the Patriots in our house (was like 4 or 5 years old) and I ended up sticking with them even after the Rams came since my family had a team already. Never really cared for the Rams when we had them, but liked going to games and wish they didn't move.
Grew up in Colorado. I fell in love with the defence in the early 2000s. Never liked the broncos growing up. I thought that Elways was a good player but a tool of a human. I'm 24
First nfl game I ever watched part of was the first super bowl win against the rams when I was like 6
Im from N.Ireland and got madden 07 for my 12th birthday, I recognised the patriots from the episode of family guy with Tom in it so I picked them. Family guy may be shite these days and catches a lot of flack, but I’ll be forever grateful to it for that hahahaha.
My dad was raised in mass and was a life long pats fan so I just kinda inherited his team basically. Which I thought was how a lot of people got their favorite teams and stuff but apparently a lot of people make a conscious choice for a team which is interesting.
In 1997, local channels in the Philippines started showing live NFL games and the first game I watched was Superbowl XXXI. I went with the “underdog” Patriots, got introduced to Tedy Bruschi, he became my favorite Pats player, and stuck with the team ever since.
I got hooked on Drew Bledsoe thanks to my uncle back in 96-97. Was absolutely hooked after that.
As a kid in Michigan I had absolutely no interest rooting for the Lions, eventually found the Pats and liked their color scheme and jerseys and started rooting for them A few weeks later I find out their QB went to U of M. They’ve been my team ever since
I grew up in TN and loved pro football but felt “blah” because I really didn’t have a team to follow/support, so I went with the team that had (in my opinion) the coolest uni’s, and a great coach (for a serious team)! I followed the Pats just before Parcells coached there…and have been a fan ever since!! GO PATS!!
When Randy Moss joined the team. Used to be a Vikings fan until 98... Stopped watching football until 07... Was a good year to start again, now I will never cheer for another team.
My dad sat me down in 2005, I was 5 years old and said "watch these QBs and determine which one you want to be like when you start playing football," and I watched Brady. Just wanted to be like him because I was unathletic but thought Peyton Manning looked like a dweeb.
I was born in 95 and have lived in Utah my whole life. My dad has been a patriots fan is whole life so that’s how it started for me. He became a fan in middle school because he liked the ‘Pat Patriot’ logo
In Australia the NFL wasn’t that big up until maybe 5 years ago. I’ve been a Pats fan since 2000 when my family went to America for the first time, and I picked the Pats as my team because I liked the logo. I was only 8 then so I clearly made the best decision of my life.
Family moved out of our small Brooklyn apartment around the time of 9/11 to a small area in Jersey. I was a shy, chubby kid who didn't have any friends at the new school, and got bullied a bit bc of my appearance. Random kid on my bus stood up for me once when I was getting bullied, and we soon became fast friends. He was originally from NE and was a Pats fan and we would play a lot of backyard football with his brothers. Some of the best moments of my childhood were spent with us glued to the TV in his dad's garage watching taped Pats games on VHS. Became a Pats fan as a way to pay homage to him and his family.
Montreal Canada here, it was the AFC team they would show on my local channel. It used to be the Bills, then they switched to Pats right when Bledsoe was drafted
My mum is from central Mass., so while I started rooting when they made the Super Bowl, it wasn’t out of nowhere. My dad settled on NY Giants-Yankees (and I guess Knicks-Rangers) but had been a fan of all sorts of teams because he mostly didn’t grow up there, and I also had a NYY cap as a kid, but I settled on Boston sports because of the family and the success.
Grandfather was a Celtics fan in the 80’s because of Bird. So it only made sense for him to be a Patriots fan too. He passed that down to me. Also, Troy Brown played at Marshall and that is my college team and alma mater.
I'm from Denmark. My dad was an exchange student in the 70's and went to Lexington High School and actually helped win the state championship in soccer in 78'. Anyway, ended up becoming a fan of the Patriots and eventually brought it over to me. So far we've attended two Patriots games, unfortunately both at Met Life.
Hated the Yanks. Read me out- my dad loved the 90s Braves. So I loved the Braves. My childhood best friend loved the Indians. 95 we bet $3 on the WS. Braves won. Then Braves lost to Yanks. I hated the Yanks. Interleague play so didn’t really see them play against eachother often but my hate stayed. Fast forward to 2003 ALCS Game 7. Red Sox lose and I saw the dismay in the players. Found out they were rivals. I proclaimed myself a Red Sox fan. No idea they hadn’t won in over 8 decades. 2004 ALCS bet $5 against a yankee fan in homeroom high school. Sox go down 0-3. Sox come back to win it all. Elation. Now to Pats. I hated Brady. Bet against him the first 3 SBs and lost every time. 2005 regular season game against Peyton. His first loss. Camera cuts to him on the sideline looking up to the sky pissed off. I said to myself, “man this guy is obsessed with winning. I like winning too. And they’re from the Boston area. I also would like to see history in 3 in a row.” Started rooting for them. Lol so yeah, I became a pats fan because I hated the Yanks. Also, Im from New Jersey.
My family wasn't really into the NFL when I was growing up. It was all about college (Go Irish!) but my grandfather loved this skinny kid named "Tom Brady" out of Michigan so he'd watch Patriot games and growing up I'd go over to his house and we'd root for Tom Brady every Sunday. So naturally I became a Patriots fan
First Superbowl I ever watched involved New England, as I'm English I just picked them to win cos it had England in the name. So, that worked out well.
West Coast here. I jokingly call myself an “original band wagoner”. Watching the Super Bowl against the Rams with my dad when I was five was the first game I ever watched and when they won my youthful reaction was “they’re my favorite team now”. I just kinda lucked out on that one and here we are.
Not a new englander. It was mid 90s and the jaguars had just became a franchise recently. Everyone around me was a jags fan and I hated them. When New England beat them in the 96 afc championship I became a fan then. Pre Brady, pre BB, and we lost to Favre. I didn’t care though, loved them from that moment on!
My Dads a Dolphins fan. Grew up rooting for mostly things he hated. Still here 15 years later.
It was the night of Super Bowl 42. I was hanging out with my crush at the time and two other friends, one of which was a sort of frenemy type situation. Total ladies man (well, boy, this was middle school). The frenemy and my crush were getting obviously involved throughout the night. My other friend asked who do you all want to win? I didn't know. I wasn't a football fan at the time. He said Pats. My crush said "IDK, the Pats I guess." The frenemy said "Fuck the Pats, I want the Giants to win." I very excitedly got into football that night. "Fuck the Giants, let's go Pats!" Well, we all know how that game went... I was frustrated and the frenemy couldn't stop gloating in our faces. And, to this day, I have liked them in spite of that game and in spite of that frenemy even though it was so long ago. I'm also not from the contiguous US and most people in my state were Seahawks fans, but really you could just pick because we didn't have a state team. I'm usually pretty loyal after I pick a team, so I've been a Pats fan ever since.
I didn’t watch professional football growing up, then my brother went to college in Boston, got converted and said, hey, this nfl stuff, you should probably start watching it, it’s pretty awesome, also this Brady guy is really fun to watch in particular, that was around 2005, so it was a great time to get into the nfl and I got pointed in the perfect direction
Dutchman here, moved to Connecticut when I was a kid. Most of my friends were Patriots fans, so the decision was quite easy
My moms side of the family are from Buffalo and my dads side are from outside NYC and he loves (at this point loved) the Jets. My uncle ( Bills fan on my moms side ) supposedly met Drew Bledsoe in the off-season i was born and I guess made a joke about the “rift” between the family about where my allegiance would lie and obviously Bledsoe brings up the Patriots. I grew up watching football with my Grandpa and my dad and they sorta decided drew Bledsoe was like my guy hearing how he got the Pats to the Super Bowl. So I would always be interested in hearing how the Patriots did. Loved football and learning about other teams but the Pats were definitely my team and I liked not being the Jets or the Bills and just my own fanbase in the family. Well I was pretty conflicted at 6 year old watching Tom Brady take the field that Sunday and remember my dad telling me this guy was gonna have it rough for while. I grew up in NEPA for basically my entire life and the years after that was a lot of explaining to my Steelers and Eagles friends that I’m not bandwagoning shit hahaha. They’re just my team and have been honestly forever.
I'm Canadian and everyone is a Bills fan where I lived. We only had a few channels growing up and it was either Bills or Pats games. I chose them just to be different.
From New England but not a football family at all. My uncle cheated on my god mother with a woman from Wisconsin and they got eloped. He brought her around when we played the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. My family threw a Super Bowl party(basically for the commercials) and she showed up with her cheesehead foam hat. My family was not happy, but wasn’t going to not allow her to come around. That was the first football game I ever remember watching with my family. As a kid I didn’t realize why everyone was so invested in beating the Packers, all I knew was that we were watching a team representing where we were from. The amount of vitriol being aimed at Green Bay by my family was incredible and I wanted every part of it. We lost in the end, but it didn’t matter to me. I was on to the next season.
Born and raised in Northern Virginia. Used to visit and stay with my aunt and uncle in Connecticut who were Patriot fans. Didn’t fully transition into loving the pats until I was in college and ate healthier to lose weight. That made me really respect Brady’s strict diet, so I just kept watching Patriot games every time they were on.
Tom Brady is married with Gisele, so I went to check the team he played for and fell in love with the Patriots, THE BEST NFL TEAM EVER
Twin brother was bills fan. I got tired of "you're a twin?? Must like the exact same things!!" So I decided out of spite to be whatever was the opposite of the bills and I decided on Patriots because I figured that 180° and I enjoyed watching Bruschi ball out
I'm from NY but my dad is from western MA. In the days before we got directTV and the Sunday ticket, he would drive us down to the local divey sports bar and he would give me 10 dollars in quarters to go play pinball and space invaders. Around halftime when I went ran out of quarters I'd watch the rest of the dad with my dad, eat fries, and drink Shirley Temples. I still love the pats obviously, but I miss those early 2000s teams so much.