Ready to welcome the champs
Before the Patriots and Packers engage in tonight’s primetime showdown, the Red Sox will be honored for their recent World Series achievement
FOXBORO — Given the recent developments of a certain Boston baseball team, one could not help but be drawn to the hat Chris Hogan was wearing inside the Patriots locker room on Friday.
Hogan’s headwear choice was a Red Sox cap. He wasn’t the only New England wide receiver to sport a hat that featured a recognizable logo. Josh Gordon was also donning a hat in tribute to the 2018 World Series champions.
“First and foremost, congrats to them. They had a great season and were able to finish strong,” said Hogan.
Red Sox fever is clearly aplenty within a pro football landscape where tunnel vision is preached and it’s all about this week’s opponent, which for the Patriots happens to be Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The quarterback matchup between Rodgers and Tom Brady is being hailed as the headline attraction heading into Sunday’s 8:20 p.m. kickoff from Gillette Stadium.
Before two signal callers with similar taste in numbers take the field – in case you’re unaware, Brady and Rogers both wear the number 12 – they’ll be an on-field pregame appetizer that you could say perfectly dovetails with the evening’s primetime affair. The Red Sox guest list has yet to be confirmed, though count on the presence of the World Series trophy that was presented to Boston in Los Angeles.
In Boston pro sports circles, what the Red Sox are in the midst of is what’s commonly known as the victory lap. First comes the parade through the streets of Boston, then comes additional cheers and adulation before appreciative and tuned-in crowds at one of Boston’s pro sports venues. The Red Sox can cross off the duckboat rally and stopping by a Celtics game. Now, it’s the Patriots’ turn to stage a warm welcome to the team that is the region’s newest member of the ever-expanding championship club.
“It’s going to be an honor for them to come in after they’ve won. Real- ly excited for them. I know how big this is not only for Boston but for the entire state of Massachusetts and the New England area,” said Patriots defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. “I like how all the sports teams around here support each other. When you’re at a Celtics or a Bruins game, they’ll show your picture on the Jumbotron. The success of all the teams feeds off each other. It’s one of those expectations that is largely unspoken about.”
In other words, the Patriots want to follow in the Red Sox’ footsteps, knowing what awaits after title status is achieved. In the three pre-2018 instances when the Red Sox have won the World Series in the Bill Belichick era, the Patriots followed up with a Super Bowl win in the same season just once.
The feat was achieved in 2004 when the Red Sox extinguished a certain curse and the Pats made it backto-back NFL crowns.
“That’s what we work hard for throughout the year to get to … where the (Red Sox) are at right now,” said Hogan. ““For them, this moment is special and I hope they enjoy it.”
For New England cornerback Ste- phon Gilmore, the hope is that Sunday’s Red Sox fete at Gillette Stadium will include the presence of fellow University of South Carolina product Jackie Bradley Jr.
“I congratulated Jackie on the win. He’s happy and I’m happy for him,” said Gilmore.
Told that Bradley now has two championship rings and that he needs to catchup, Gilmore smiled and said, “I know, right? The World Series trophy coming here is big. It’s coming to a big game against a great team. We appreciate their support just like we support them. Sports is big here.”
For the anticipated sellout crowd of 65,878 for Patriots-Packers, to the victor belongs the spoils.
“Mostly likely, all the fans who follow the Patriots are also Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins fans. They’re all interconnected. The baseball fans who love the Sox and the Patriots, they’ll be able to see two in one,” said Wise. “We know what it’s like to celebrate our success, but it’s great to celebrate other team’s success, too.”