Pats pride swells for Mexico City matchup
New England Patriots fans in Mexico City are fired up for today’s marquee matchup against the Oakland Raiders at Azteca stadium.
As revelers decked out in Pats and Raiders gear flooded the streets of Mexico’s capital city yesterday, Alexis Uribe, 30, a member of a Mexico City Patriots fan club, said the opportunity to see his favorite team play in his home country was “a dream.”
“The atmosphere in Mexico is incredible, the city is decorated in NFL everywhere and that’s amazing, considering Mexico is a country of soccer fans,” Uribe told the Herald in his native Spanish. “This weekend, the popular sport is football.”
And though Uribe noted many Mexicans aren’t familiar enough with American football to break down the matchup, the die-hard Pats fan said he knows enough about both teams to expect a close, hard-fought game.
“It will be an entertaining and very complicated game for both teams,” said Uribe, who is going to the game with four friends. “Despite this, we are confident that the Patriots will continue their winning streak.”
The Pats are the third most popular NFL team in Mexico behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys, according to a study by Primero y Diez, a Mexican website that covers the league. Uribe said his fan club, which launched six years ago, now has 80,000 members.
“We love the Patriots for their mentality on and off the field,” Uribe said. “Also, it’s clear they are the most-winning team for the last 20 years in the NFL and there is no forgetting that they have the best head coach and quarterback.”
Also excited for the game was Alan Fabela, 28, who has been a Patriots fan since 1997 and will get to see them play live for the first time.
“It will be an unparalleled experience,” Fabela said. “The Patriots inspired a lot in my life. They have helped me overcome any obstacle. ... They are a winning franchise thanks to Tom Brady’s ‘Do Your Job’ philosophy.”
Fabela said he has embraced Brady’s belief that “the heart of a person cannot be measured.”
“That changed my life and is one of my philosophies,” Fabela said. “It will be a difficult game, but the victory will go to the Patriots.”