Hidden in plain sight, training camp a sanctuary where Patriots fans can just talk football
Fans are using the crowded confines of camp to bond after a tumultuous offseason.
Patriots fans soak in a training camp practice.
“Amendola’s going to have a huge year, I’m calling it.’’
“Malcolm Brown looks great. I don’t think they’ll miss Wilfork at all.’’
From high on a hilltop above a scorched practice field next to Gillette Stadium, over the din of blowing whistles, Patriots fans can’t hold back their affirmations on the 2015 team. It’s the third day of training camp, a Saturday, and the first time the team is practicing in full pads.
It’s been six months since the AFC Championship Game, the last time so many Patriots fans had congregated in Foxborough. After a tumultuous offseason featuring the loss of key players like Darrelle Revis, Brandon Spikes’s hit-and-run arrest, and something about air pressure, it would he hard to blame a segment of fans for being tepid.
You won’t find those fans in Foxborough.
Patriots quartback Tom Brady has been a hit at training camp.
On Day 1 of camp, more than 10,000 fans descended on the sports and shopping complex off of Route 1, giving quarterback Tom Brady a standing ovation for his ongoing fight with the NFL.
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Two days later, thousands surround the practice field, braving 90-degree heat, just to get a glimpse of their favorite players. For the diehards, camp represents a first chance to check out the new draft class and free-agent signings. Kids eagerly await the end of the session to score autographs on sweaty souvenirs. Some conversations revolve around coverage schemes, others around wide receiver Julian Edelman’s hair. There’s something for everyone.
Spend any amount of time in the crowd and the first thing that jumps out is the sheer volume of people, and the lack of viable places to sit or stand. The practice field behind Gillette Stadium, where team plays its home games, has two public seating areas: a long set of metal bleachers with a grassy hill to the left. Both areas are completely full, which isn’t surprising considering people line up at the gate hours before it’s opened. For those unable to score a seat, standing up to five deep at the top of the hill is another option (especially if you can climb on someone’s shoulders, as many young fans do).
Young Patriots fans wait for autographs.
It was in the last row of standing room where Kyle Montero and Brian Boyle of Newport, Rhode Island could be found trying to get a glimpse of the field, where wind sprints were taking place at the time. The duo, attending their first training camp, were sporting homemade shirts with “WE DID OUR JOB’’ on the front and “FIRE GOODELL, FREE BRADY’’ on the back.
“We came to bring added support,’’ Boyle said. “We saw the fans who came out earlier in the week and wanted to help out.’’
Unsurprisingly, there’s a palpable sense that all eyes are on Brady. Even warm-up lobs to team staffers are greeted with loud applause (one fan comments on how “sharp’’ his delivery looked). Loud chants of “free Brady’’ fire up occasionally, and the audience erupts when the offense jogged towards the bleachers for the first time.
It was in those bleachers where Tom Lowe is seated with his two children, Scott and Sophia. The Foxborough resident studies his roster (which most people use as a makeshift fan) as he’s watching Brady and company practice and makes a significant observation.
“If you look at it, Brady’s 37, and the next oldest guy is 31,’’ he says. “There are only nine guys over 30 and three with ten or more years of experience. Are we among the youngest teams in the league now? It seems like we could be.’’
Sophia, 14, has some choice words about Revis, who signed with the Jets as a free agent after failing to come to an agreement with New England and subsequently being cut. “I thought he was stupid, he’s not going to win anything over there.’’
Training camp practices are unique. They have the feel of a pep rally, with no real competition occurring, but it’s clear some fans take it seriously. Others seem bored and look for ways to occupy their time. Some guys in the bleachers try to start “the wave’’ and roar with delight when they’re successful. Another loud ovation greets Edelman when he jogs by the seats, in the midst of a punishment lap for a fumble. Concessions and souvenirs are offered — with frozen lemonade being the smash hit on this sweltering day. Because the practices are free, there is more fluidity to the crowd, a lot of coming and going, and people changing seats often.
When a spot opens up on the hill, I sneak in next to Wakefield’s Chris Garabedian. He offers some very bold predictions.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski
“I think Rob Gronkowski and Scott Chandler will combine for 30 touchdowns this year,’’ he says. “Gronk can easily score 20 touchdowns. Last time he was fully healthy going into a season, in 2011, he had 17, and 1,300 yards. He’ll give those numbers a run for their money.’’
Garabedian wasn’t as optimistic when it came to the secondary. “You don’t lose one of the best corners in the NFL and not take a step back,’’ he says. “But if Bradley Fletcher is out there, we’re really toast. He can’t play, he’s the worst corner in the league.’’
Behind Deflategate, the secondary is the primary topic of discussion. There aren’t many familiar names on the roster, and the losses of Revis, Browner, Alfonzo Dennard, and Kyle Arrington have fans concerned. Everyone has their own opinion about which combination of the remaining cornerbacks will work.
“I’d like to see Tarell Brown and Malcolm Butler starting with Logan Ryan mixing in,’’ Bryan Rocha, a Rehoboth native, says. “I like the Brown signing, he was solid in San Francisco.’’
As practice winds down, cheers start to wane as people prepare to seek autographs, but topics such as Jimmy Garoppolo’s work with the first team, the rebuilt front seven, and Gronkowski’s Family Feud appearance continue to bounce around. There’s plenty of teaching going on as well, like explaining which drills are being run, what “PUP’’ stands for, and why quarterbacks are clad in red non-contact jerseys. There isn’t another opportunity to see the region’s favorite team — and the current center of the sports universe — for free.
“The season’s right around the corner, and you can see how many people love watching this team,’’ Tyler Jordan of Tuftonboro, New Hampshire says. “Hopefully we can defend the title.’’
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