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The New England Patriots

When people think of sports in Boston the automatically think of the Red Sox, but just a short drive away in Foxborough, Massachusetts lies Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. This popular football team is a source of pride for the people of Boston and the New England region.

Gillette Stadium

Gillette Stadium, which opened in 2002, is home to the New England Patriots, as well as the New England Revolution soccer team. This modern stadium seats over 68,000 fans at sporting events, and is 30 miles away from downtown Boston.

Adjacent to the main venue is Patriot Place. This mall features some of the area's best shopping as well as dozens of restaurants and eateries.

If you are driving to the Gillette Stadium be sure to check parking information before you go. It can be expensive to park there, but you might just come across a fun tailgate in the parking lot. You can also take public transit to the stadium on game days.

Team History

The New England Patriots have always had a close relationship with the colleges in Boston. When they were still known as the Boston Patriots, the team hired a coach from Boston College and played their first practice at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The team had their first game in 1960 on the campus of Boston College.

In the 1970s, the team moved to its new home in Foxborough and was renamed the New England Patriots. The late 1990s and 2000s saw a positive change for the team. The New England Patriots won three super bowl championships in one decade, 2002, 2004, and 2005. The team is now known as one of the best teams in NFL history.

Patriots Fans

New England Patriot fans might not be as raucous as their Red Sox counterparts, but they are strong and visible fan base. Over 86,000 seats are sold for every home game. Fan clubs can be found on the Patriots website from all over the county and even places as far away as Africa.

Patriots Cheerleaders

The New England Patriots are also host to a well-trained team of cheerleaders. During their down time, the cheerleaders spend their time doing charity work for organizations like Make A Wish and the MSCPA. Pat the Patriot, a minuteman from the revolutionary days, is the team’s mascot.

Rivalries

Perhaps no rivalry in sports runs as deep as the one between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, but the New England Patriots have a few rivalries of their own. Their rivalry is against another New York team, the Jets. These two football teams have clashed since the 1970s.

More recently, there has been a feud between the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. Much of this rivalry surrounds both teams’ quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Volunteerism

As an organization, the New England Patriots are committed to charity work and honoring those in their community who volunteer. A lot of the foundation's efforts are meant to help local kids, such as providing youth football programs and working with a food bank geared specifically towards children. They also give out college scholarships to high risk youth.

The team also honors community members who volunteer. An award is presented at Gillette Stadium to a special person who dedicates their time to helping their community.

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The New England Patriots