It's been 50 years since the New England Patriots entered the NFL, and what a storied 50 years they've been. My next five articles will be about the history of the New England Patriots, each of them covering a ten year period in the team's history. We'll now look at the origins of the team and their first ten years.
In late 1959, the Boston Patriots came to life. The franchise was founded by Billy Sullivan Jr., who decided that it'd be fun to let the media select the team's name. It was decided that the team would be called the Patriots, and with a name and logo in hand, it was time to find a coach and a stadium.
The team decided to go with Lou Saban as its first ever coach, and hired him for the 1960 football season. As far as a stadium goes, it was Boston University's Nickerson Field, and the team played its first game in franchise history against the Denver Broncos in 1960. The Pats lost this game 13-10, and finished last in their division that season.
The next season didn't have a great start, as the team lost 3 of its first 5 games. Management decided to fire Saban and Mike Holovak came in. This was a great move for the team, who finished the season with 9 wins, 4 losses, and one tie. The team had the same record in 1962.
In 1963, the Patriots shacked up with the Red Sox at historic Fenway Park. The Patriots ended up winning the AFL Eastern Division while posting a modest 7-6-1. They made the franchises first playoff appearance by defeating the Buffalo Bills 26-8. They went on to the next round but got throttled by the San Diego Chargers 51-10.
Holovak's success continued in 1964 and 1966, where Holovak won coach of the year in both seasons. The team regressed during the later part of the decade, though, and Holovak was replaced by Clive Rush in 1969, who didn't fare much better for the Patriots.
As the 1960s ended, so did the AFL, as it became a part of the NFL at the end of the decade. New England became a part of the AFC, and has found its home there ever since. The 1960s can be seen as one of mild success for the Pats, though a relatively inconsistent one.
The team was fortunate enough to produce some great players during the decade, including two (Gino Cappelletti and Jim Nance) who made it to the hall of fame, not to mention Nick Buoniconti and Babe Parilli. Boston fans took a liking to these players and developed a rapport between the fans and their team base. This laid the groundwork for the 70s: a new decade with some new stories to tell. - 16887
In late 1959, the Boston Patriots came to life. The franchise was founded by Billy Sullivan Jr., who decided that it'd be fun to let the media select the team's name. It was decided that the team would be called the Patriots, and with a name and logo in hand, it was time to find a coach and a stadium.
The team decided to go with Lou Saban as its first ever coach, and hired him for the 1960 football season. As far as a stadium goes, it was Boston University's Nickerson Field, and the team played its first game in franchise history against the Denver Broncos in 1960. The Pats lost this game 13-10, and finished last in their division that season.
The next season didn't have a great start, as the team lost 3 of its first 5 games. Management decided to fire Saban and Mike Holovak came in. This was a great move for the team, who finished the season with 9 wins, 4 losses, and one tie. The team had the same record in 1962.
In 1963, the Patriots shacked up with the Red Sox at historic Fenway Park. The Patriots ended up winning the AFL Eastern Division while posting a modest 7-6-1. They made the franchises first playoff appearance by defeating the Buffalo Bills 26-8. They went on to the next round but got throttled by the San Diego Chargers 51-10.
Holovak's success continued in 1964 and 1966, where Holovak won coach of the year in both seasons. The team regressed during the later part of the decade, though, and Holovak was replaced by Clive Rush in 1969, who didn't fare much better for the Patriots.
As the 1960s ended, so did the AFL, as it became a part of the NFL at the end of the decade. New England became a part of the AFC, and has found its home there ever since. The 1960s can be seen as one of mild success for the Pats, though a relatively inconsistent one.
The team was fortunate enough to produce some great players during the decade, including two (Gino Cappelletti and Jim Nance) who made it to the hall of fame, not to mention Nick Buoniconti and Babe Parilli. Boston fans took a liking to these players and developed a rapport between the fans and their team base. This laid the groundwork for the 70s: a new decade with some new stories to tell. - 16887
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