Rewind: Jets at Pats... and Beyond
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by FIOMattyH
It was ugly in Foxboro, Mass. during the Patriots/Jets game on Sunday, Dec. 16, and I am not just talking about the weather. After a weekend snowstorm left fans walking to their seats up and down staircases more fit for sledding, some good snow-throwing fun quickly got out of hand at Gillette Stadium.
After the first New England touchdown, an interception of Jets QB Kellen Clemens returned five yards by Pats safety Eugene Wilson, snow erupted into the air around the stadium, mixing with the still-falling precipitation to sparkle like crystalline fireworks. The atmosphere was surreal, exciting and enchanting - until the precipitation got a little wetter and the snow at the feet of the fans got a little icier and the fans themselves got a little rowdier.
The snow escapades continued with every big play from the Patriots, however the fans eventually stopped launching the powdery fireworks in exchange for chunks of ice that landed on the field, the Jets players and staff and the heads of other fans. After a request over the loudspeaker for the fans to stop throwing snow, the New England faithful only booed and threw more.
Repeated requests for the ceasing of snow throwing were to no avail, even generating more furious snow attacks after the voice warned that the game would be stopped if the assault continued. The victims of these icy lobs expanded to include the officials, the event staff, security, and even the sideline cameramen and photographers. One security guard was so fed up, he sprinted up the mountain of snow pushed against the walls around the seats, leapt into the stands and disappeared into the fray in pursuit of his assailant.
Finally, officials were forced to stop the game until the fans calmed down, and, as if it were some huge surprise that the game was delayed, the crowd went wild. Snow throwing tapered gradually during the chorus of boos until it was deemed safe to continue play, but ice continued to rain on the fans, with the occasional chunk making it onto the field.
New England will become the first team in NFL history to finish a 16-game regular season unbeaten if they defeat the New York Giants Saturday night, but this behavior by the fans only further tarnished the once-sterling reputation of the organization.
It wasn't too long ago that the "Cinderella Pats" were a fan-favorite. Tom Brady was the Golden Boy, Bill Belichick was the savior, Robert Kraft was the proud owner, and the fans just watched in amazed appreciation as New England claimed three Super Bowl titles in four seasons. New England was viewed by the rest of the NFL as the model organization. Then, the 2007 season arrived... (Read the full article here: Rewind: Jets at Pats... and Beyond)
