To start, banner night at Gillette
FOXBORO — There’s only so much pageantry one can display to match the type of accomplishment the Patriots achieved by winning Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons in historic comeback fashion.
That did not stop the organization from trying.
Dorchester-bred actor Mark Wahlberg took the microphone at one point to give introductions last night at Gillette Stadium. Flo Rida, wearing a No. 1 Patriots jersey with his name on the back, performed his songs “Good Feeling,” “Wild One,” “Get Low” and “My House.” Former players like Matt Light, Kevin Faulk and Deion Branch also took part. Five giant Lombardi Trophy-shaped statues dotted the field. The fireworks display left a fog over the field during the coin toss. The team also trotted out injured star receiver Julian Edelman.
Oh, of course, there was the business of unfurling the new championship banner to hang on the closed end of Gillette, which was revealed as soon as one was shown on the field.
On 98.5 The Sports Hub’s pregame show, team president Jonathan Kraft spoke about the need to go the extra mile.
“It is very special and we don’t take that for granted. A lot goes into it,” he said. “It will culminate obviously going back to what happened in 2017. We tried to make it a little different than some of the other ceremonies that we’ve had and the things we’ve been able to do after the other championships. Just hopefully people enjoy it.”
To commemorate the comeback (or twist the knife even more for Falcons fans, depending on your perspective), the team flashed the score and time of the game in the third quarter when the Pats trailed, 28-3, before their improbable rally.
All the pomp and circumstance before the regularseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs was welcomed with open arms by the ravenous Patriots fans, worked up both by the ceremony and the fact commissioner Roger Goodell was in attendance.
You know that the fans’ froth emanates from Goodell levying major penalties on both the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady over Deflategate. Those sanctions included the loss of a first-round draft pick, a fine of $1 million and a fourgame suspension for Brady at the start of last year.
The shots at Goodell were everywhere. There was a billboard on Route1 displaying a popular image from Barstool Sports of the commissioner wearing a red clown nose. In droves, fans wore T-shirts and waved towels that bore the same image.
Fans booed Goodell when he came out of the visitors’ tunnel before the game. He spent several minutes near the end zone and went back in as Brady came out for warmups.