This fall marks the beginning of two of the best seasons of the year, the American football and ice hockey seasons of course! The two teams representing Boston and the Boston area in these sports are the New England Patriots (American football) and the Boston Bruins (ice hockey). The Patriots season has already begun (although none too well) while the Bruins will be holding their season opener on October 8th at the TD Garden rink here in Boston. The fan base for both these teams is a strong part of Boston culture. Seeing fans with sporting Patriots and Bruins shirts is unavoidable while walking through Boston. Sunday football games and evening hockey matches are spent in front of the television with classic game-day snacks like nachos, chicken wings, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, salads, and pizza for many American families. Gathering friends and family together for these games is especially common here in Boston because both of these teams are widely respected and have strong histories in championship winning. To get you in to the fall and winter sport spirit, check out these fun facts about both these teams!
The New England Patriots
- The name “Patriots” was selected by a panel of sportswriters in 1959, the year the team was established, but the name was originally the “Boston Patriots” until the team moved the stadium outside of Boston in 1971 and was renamed the “New England Patriots”
- The Patriots have appeared in the Superbowl (the American football world championship) seven times, which is the third most in the nation
- The Patriots have a record of the most Superbowl wins in one decade, and are one of only two teams to have won 3 Superbowl titles in 4 years
- But all of their victories have only be won by 3 points
- The image above is what the original Patriots logo (on the left) used to look like, until it was streamlined in 1993 to the logo of today (on the right)
- Similar to the Boston/ New York rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, the Patriots rivalry is with a New York team- the New York Jets
- The Patriots are the sixth most valuable sports franchise in the world
The Boston Bruins
- The Boston Bruins are the oldest American ice hockey team in existence, first established in 1924
- They are a member of the Original Six franchise: They are one of the six teams that first established the National Hockey League
- The above photo shows the evolution of the Bruins jersey from their first establishment through to the present
- They have won six Stanley Cup titles (the ice hockey championships) and have won the most titles of any American hockey league
- Arguably the most famous hockey player of all time, Bobby Orr played for the Bruins during the 1970’s assisting them in winning two Stanley Cups in three years and breaking multiple player records leading to the Bruins of the time to be dubbed “The Big Bad Bruins”
- The Bruins main rivalry is with the Montreal Canadiens, the winningest team in all of NHL history and another member of the Original Six
So with those facts in mind, are you ready to watch the seasons of these historical sports teams unfold? Watching games is a fun and simple way to engage your student and to learn about American and Boston culture. Most games are aired at restaurants and areas with public televisions, so don’t miss out! Check out the Patriots season schedule here and the Bruins season schedule here.
Do you think we left out any important facts? Who’s your favorite fall/ winter sport team? What sports do you watch in your home country? We want to know!
