Boston Globe Article

[Tim Nault <rnault@ptialaska.net>]

This was taken from the Boston Globe's coverage
(http://www.globe.com/globe/sports/celtics)

It's a banner day for Patriots and their fans 

                       By Lee Jenkins, Globe Staff, 06/08/97 

                       On the day 5-year-old Chris Mayer and 4-year-old
Gregory Stuart saw Foxboro Stadium for
                       the first time, Patriots fans saw their first AFC
title flag raised in 11 years. 

                       It was actually 11 years and 5 minutes. Bob Kraft
signaled at 1:51, then watched pensively as
                       the flag sputtered up the pole. At 1:56, the
whole thing was official. 

                       The Patriots' conference championship drought
lasted longer than Mayer and Stuart's lives
                       combined. But the flood of children who filled
the stadium for Fan Appreciation Day yesterday
                       signaled the Patriots' growing fan base. In all,
a team spokesman estimated, 25,000 fans
                       turned out yesterday. 

                       ``It's disappointing when you go to a Celtics
game and spend $200 and get a lousy return,''
                       said fan Jeff Mayer of Laconia, N.H. 

                       ``It shocks me that the Pats have become so
popular,'' said Jim Stuart from North Oxford.
                       ``I've been a big fan since 1975, and not even in
1986 did this team catch people like this.''

                       That's because the Celtics, Bruins, and Red Sox
were all crowding each other in the
                       penthouse. But now Kraft owns the Patriots. And
new coach Pete Carroll was lauded by fans
                       for the same reason Bill Parcells used to be. 

                       ``He's a great defensive coach,'' said Marianne
MacNair from Medford, who hoped to get
                       pictures of Ted Johnson and Tedy Bruschi. ``If
Carroll stayed with the Jets, they would have
                       been a lot better.''

                       Speaking of the Jets, you'd think New York was
coming to town today. 

                       ``We look forward to seeing you Aug. 31 against
San Diego,'' linebacker Chris Slade said to
                       the crowd. ``But if you can't make it, we'll see
you Sept. 14 against the Jets.''

                       Though MacNair insisted that Patriots fans will
treat their former coach like a man who brought
                       them an AFC title, that's highly unlikely. During
a video presentation highlighting the '96
                       season, a shot of Parcells brought raucous boos. 

                       ``When Parcells comes out, I'm gonna yell, `boo!
boo!''' said 6-year-old Michael MacDonald.

                       ``There's nothing to cheer him about,'' said
Steve Boyajian, who brought his son Matt. ``I'm
                       going to be so happy when the Pats whip him.''

                       You'd have thought a Pop Warner game had broken
out in the stands with the amount of kids
                       in football jerseys. The Stuart clan included
four children and father Jim, who came in Patriot
                       home blues with different numbers. 

                       But some of the most high-profile digits didn't
make appearances on the field, though. Bruce
                       Armstrong, Willie Clay, Willie McGinest, Ty Law,
Terry Glenn, Curtis Martin, Sam Gash,
                       and Zefross Moss were all no-shows. 

                       ``They have lives to live,'' said Steve Amico of
Hanson. ``They have to spend time with their
                       families, too.''

                       Which was a theme of the love-fest at Foxboro
Stadium between a team that has just started
                       writing its own success story, and a fan base
that believes it's a significant chapter. 

                       ``I've been following the Patriots a long time,''
said David Morgan from Medford. ``The last
                       three years.''

                       Many fans participated in football-related
challenges put on by NFL Experience in the parking
                       lot. The others got autographs, took pictures. 

                       ``I came to see the new guys like Chris Canty,''
said Steven Wasylow, who brought sons
                       Jared and Heath. 

                       ``New guys'' include Carroll. ``You worry if
players will work as hard as they did last year,''
                       Wasylow said. 

                       Carroll will carry great expectations into
training camp next month. And when he sees these
                       season ticket-holders again, Aug. 8 against
Dallas, he will feel the pressure of another super
                       season. 

                       ``We will not rest until we bring a championship
to New England,'' Kraft said. 

                       Indeed, the words ``Super Bowl'' were thrown
around as often as Nerf balls yesterday. 

                       ``We start with San Diego here. Isn't it fitting
that it ends in San Diego too?'' Carroll said of
                       next year's Super Bowl site. 

                       This year the Patriots will carry the the
football. In New England sports, they carry the flag. 

Tim