Fans rally at Super Bowl sendoff for the New England Patriots
FOXBOROUGH – New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a message for the thousands of fans who attended the team’s Super Bowl sendoff rally this afternoon at Gillette Stadium.
“You’re the greatest fans in America,’’ he told the revved-up crowd that began packing lower-level seats when the stadium opened more than two hours before the start of the noon rally.
Brady, who will be making his fifth Super Bowl appearance next Sunday when the Pats take on the New York Giants in Indianapolis, stopped short of predicting a victory, but vowed the team will be going full speed on game day.
“We’re going to give it our best and hopefully we’ll have a lot more people at our party next weekend,’’ he said. “Thank you, guys.’’
Many of the fans in attendance touched on a theme that Brady and other players who spoke during the rally left unsaid: revenge.
“Oh God, we can taste it,’’ said Doreen DuPont, 50, of Leicester. “We need to get that monkey off our back.’’
She was referring, of course, to the team’s devastating Super Bowl loss to the Giants in February 2008, quashing what had been a perfect season and sending the Patriot faithful into a winter-long depression.
Wearing team jackets and holding a sign urging the squad to avenge that loss — “Yeah Baby!! Super Bowl Bound!! Bring It Home Boys!!’’ — DuPont and her friend, Beth Cardinal, 42, of Auburn, were ready to cheer on the team.
Cardinal, who along with DuPont attended the playoff victories against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday and the Denver Broncos the week before, predicted that the Pats will prevail by a 34-20 margin next week.
Her team loyalty runs deep, she said.
“I’ve been a fan since the ‘80s, when it was $10 to get into the old place,’’ Cardinal said, referring to the old Foxborough Stadium.
Younger fans shared her passion.
Paulmichael Bertocchi, 18, of Reading, wearing a Chad Ochocinco jersey, said the last Super Bowl loss to the Giants was hard to stomach.
“I have to admit it, I cried,’’ Bertocchi said.
How will he react if the Pats win next week?
“I don’t even know,’’ he said. “I’m just going to go crazy. Bang the pots and pans like the good old days and stuff.’’
Robert Kraft said that his late wife, Myra, who was celebrated for her volunteerism, has been watching all of the games this season, along with all the fans who died before the season began.
“I want you to know that they are ardent Patriots fans,’’ Kraft said. “They’ve all been smiling down on us over this past year. But especially this last game in this stadium, I saw one smiling face along with your dear ones, making sure that things worked out the way we wanted at the end of the game.’’
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