Where did the New England Patriots name come from?Origin and significance

New England is one of the most famous and well-known teams in the NFL thanks to a generational talent like Tom Brady. However, they don’t always carry this name. In fact, they were known as the Boston Patriots until 1971, but after an identity crisis, they became the team we know today. Learn here the entire history of a team that dominated the NFL with an iron fist early in the decade and now wants to do it again.

From Boston to New England

After a hiatus of over ten years, in which the AFL did not represent the North East, it was announced on 16 November 1959 that professional football would be returning. The AFL awarded its final franchise to Boston businessman Billy Sullivan. Sullivan is savvy enough to understand that brand is the most important thing to a franchise.

Therefore, it became clear to the new owner that he wanted an attractive name for the team, so he began a campaign to find the best name while promoting the new team.

Origin of the Patriots’ name

Needless to say, it didn’t take long for a combination of fan contests and children’s essays to rename the original: Boston Patriots. According to Bob Hildeberg at the time, Seventy-four people who received free tickets to one of the team’s home games submitted their name ideas. Of the final 74 names, 3 names were shortlisted as finalists with the help of children’s essays: militia, bulls Obviously, patriots. Then, on February 20, 1960, the AFL officially announced its newest team: boston patriots.

The team was originally based in Boston and was named the “Patriots” (or “Patriotas” in Spanish) for The heritage of the area, one of the birthplaces of the American Revolution in 1765

. Another of the city’s most famous teams, new england revolution MLS also takes its name from the 18th century revolution that led to American independence.

Why New England?

In the early 1970s, the AFL and NFL merged to create the modern NFL, with the Boston Patriots entering the Eastern Conference. Considering the Boston Patriots don’t have a stadium or regular headquarters, they become a nomadic team, playing games from one stadium to another. Boston-area general lack of interest in professional football (Until the 2000s, baseball and basketball were the most consumed sports, thanks to the historic Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics, respectively)Afterwards, the team made the decision to relocate to Foxborough.

“They were originally going to play in the old AFL, and when they moved to Foxborough they really wanted to expand their presence and become a regional team,” NFL historian Joe Horrigan said. “At that time , the majority of fans in the area support the NFL’s New York Giants.” Of course, it was obvious that a name change was necessary, so the New England brand was the obvious choice. Interestingly, another name was considered and that was the Bay State Patriots.

Starting with Massachusetts’ official nickname, “The Bay State,” which the club owner almost chose, But eventually concerns that rival fans would call them the BS Patriots, the “BS” Patriots, caused the idea to be scrapped. With that prologue, the story of the team that would eventually build a dynasty was born: Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots.