We heard from Kevin Faulk’s people about his annual celebrity softball game, and want to pass along the details.
It will be held at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, MA on May 15, 2010. The game will start at 7:05 PM. There are two types of tickets available for the game; V.I.P. and general admission. V.I.P. tickets will be $150 and general admission are $10. Tickets can be bought here.
The proceeds for this event will benefit the United Way, Kevin’s charity of choice. It is a great event and it is a good opportunity to see your favorite Patriots players play Softball.
When I recently visited my friends Tim and Mary, I saw Tim sporting a t-shirt reading, “Wicked big Celts fan.” Being from the Bay State myself and knowing Tim is from there too, I asked him where he got it. It turns out he knows who makes them. Being the consummate networker he is, Tim put me in touch with them.
Boston Accents has a number of t-shirts and caps that, as you can guess, have sayings with a Boston accent. They sent me some samples at no cost, including a cap reading, “wicked big Pats fan” and t-shirts reading the same as the cap and “Best quartahback evah™ - 12,” which is trademarked, who knew? All the t-shirts have a unique color dying that gives them an earthen look, and fit very well. They did not ask me to promote them here on Out In The Loop, but I offered as they are fellow entrepreneurs, not to mention Boston sports fans.
By wearing Boston Accents, you can not only show your colors, but say them with the proper accent, which is wicked pissa!
It’s been a while, but there’s no time like the present. Ralph Ingrassia returns with a new edition of Staying Patriotic. You can read his latest article here or it follows below. Also catch the Staying Patriotic archive for all his past articles. As always, feedback and comments are welcome!
For 9/19/2009
Tom Brady needs to take a ride on the Nutrisystem train with Dan Marino
So, I took last year off from writing “Staying Patriotic.” There was a lot going on and it was my busiest year ever. That being said, I missed writing it and would find myself taking notes during games for articles that were never written. To all the people that called and emailed asking for articles, I’d like to say “Thanks for your support, and I’m back for the season.” This year, football is even more woven into my life. I’m the head coach of my son’s team, The Iron Men, and that should introduce a new level sarcasm into my articles. This year, even my wife has a team in my fantasy league, and I don’t know, but that just seems to make her even “Hotter.”
So, with that, let’s get started.
Before I even get into the game, let’s just spend a little time talking about Tom Brady. I get it, right? The guy hasn’t played a regular season game in a year, and it just happens to be the same year that he marries a supermodel. He’s working his way back from knee surgery, which I know is tough having had it twice myself. But c’mon, eat a salad every once in a while, stop having Giselle always on top and try to remember what you looked like the last time you were in shape. Now, when I say “the last time you were in shape” I don’t mean the first game of last season. Who could possibly be in shape when you put in almost zero minutes during last year’s pre-season games?
For the first 55 minutes of Week 1, I watched a Tom Brady that just looked like his heart wasn’t in the game anymore. I was actually ready to stop watching in order to take care of a few things around the house and get ready for the Chargers-Raiders. Instead, I just spent a little time wondering how I could reclaim the just recently lost minutes of my life and thinking that we weren’t off to a great start at all. Damn, was it really going to start off like this?
Then I saw it. Tom gets a little pissed off on the sidelines. The looks of complacency turn to looks of determination. We’ve all seen that look before. That’s the looks that says, “Tom’s gonna try and win this one.” What followed was 5 minutes of “Patriots” football. Now, if you look up the definition for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on WebMD, you’ll see that one of the symptoms is listed as “Always leaving things to the last minute.” So, let’s pump up Tom with a little Adderall and let him go for it in Week 2.
That being said there was still a lot of things that looked good. Wes Welker continues to perform despite the knee injury, and Randy Moss was looking in top shape. Then there’s Ben Watson, who was not only sure handed against the Bills, but has a great history against the Jets.
So, on to the Jets. For those of you that don’t know, I live the next town over from Florham Park, NJ which is the home of the Jets Practice facility. I see enough Jets fans on a daily basis to drive a man crazy. Nothing would be better than another Patriots win over the Jets. Not only that, I’ve had it up to my ears with the whole Mark Sanchez is the second coming of Nameth nonsense that’s being broadcast all over the place down here.
It’s time for the defense to get down to business. With Mayo questionable and Bruschi, Vrabel, Seymour and Harrison all gone, can the Patriots Defense get the job done? Definitely. The Pats have enough size, skill and experience to do what the Texans couldn’t do last week: Shake up Sanchez, get him off his count and get him on the ground.
With Tom Brady hopefully having shaken the dust off, Welker and Moss looking good, Watson’s record against the Jets and the award winning “Running Back by Committee” that Belichick employs, I think we’ll pull it off.
As a final note, it was great to see Tedy Bruschi on the field and behind the ESPN desk. Tedy was a great player, a class act and a role model that I could count on when I bought my kids their first jerseys and inducted them into the Patriot Nation. I wish Tedy continued success with this new avenue of his career and look forward to his continued presence off the field.
The folks at the Celebrities for Charity Foundation contacted about a raffle they’re holding for 2 tickets to see the Patriots play the Bucs in London on October 25, including roundtrip airfare from Boston Logan to London as well as four nights stay at the 4-Star Hilton Kensington Hotel.
It always seems to be the last thing I do to prepare for an upcoming Patriots season - adding the game dates to my personal calendar. Every year when I do it, it is a manual task. As I was toggling between the GoPats.com Schedule page and Outlook, it came to me there is a better way to do this.
At the top of the schedule page is a “beta” announcement stating, ”Click on the date link to add the game to your calendar (e.g. Outlook)” and all schedule dates for this season (and previous seasons) have an active link on the dates. When you click it, a file in the iCal format is generated. Depending on how your browser is configured, it will ask you what you want to do with the file, or go ahead and try to process it. If the former, you can try to open it with your preferred calendar program and it will try to add it as a new event.
I put the “beta” tag on it as I am inviting people to try it out, and give us feedback if it works for you or not. I have tested it myself with Outlook 2003 and all worked well. The events list the opponent, whether it is a home or away game, the season and part of the season (preseason, regular season, playoffs). Any and all comments, errors - even compliments - are appreciated!
We heard from the folks at Celebrities for Charities and Vince Wilfork is offering an “ultimate Patriots fan experience” complete with a BBQ with him catered by Redbones and 2 tickets to each preseason and regular season game for the 2009 season. Now that’s a party!
The deadline to buy raffle tickets is June 30, and tickets are only US$2.00 with a minimum purchase of 5 tickets. Visit the Vince Wilfork raffle Web site for more information, including the charities benefiting from the raffle, and to buy tickets.
We heard from Kevin Faulk’s people about a celebrity softball game he is hosting on May 16, and want to pass along the details.
Who: Kevin Faulk and his New England Patriots teammates
What: Kevin Faulk and his current and past New England Patriots teammates will play a 5-inning game of softball to benefit the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and the United Way of Acadiana.
Where: Campanelli Stadium (Home of the Brockton Rox), 1 Feinberg Way, Brockton, MA 02301
When: May 16, 2009, Doors Open: 6:00 pm, First Pitch: 7:05 pm
Why: The United Way of Massachusetts Bay brings the community together to help improve people’s lives and strengthen the neighborhoods in our region. The United Way of Acadiana will build a stronger community and advance the common good by mobilizing our communities to improve people’s lives. United Ways bring people together to focus the most important needs in the community- building partnerships, forgoing consensus and leveraging resources to make a measurable difference.
No matter the season or the reason, nothing says you care for a Patriots fan than something with the Pats logo on it. Whether it is Pat Patriot or the Flying Elvis, they will be proud to wear it.
We heard from the folks at Cufflinks.com a while back about their variety of cufflinks with Patriots logos. The accompanying photo to this post is my favorite of them. Check out the variety of Pats cufflinks, as well as other designs. If you must wear a tux, why not add a flare to it?
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We heard from the folks from the Matt Light Football Camp. He will be holding his football camp this summer from June 28 to July 1, 2009 at Wheaton College in Norton, MA. The camp is for children ages 7 to 18. Along with Matt, there will be around 3 other New England Patriots players that attend the camp to give instruction and speak to the kids. There will also be an entire staff of high school and college coaches to make for a 10 to 1 player to coach ratio.
For more information, visit the camp Web site or click on the banner ad in this post.
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Another great opportunity to support Dana-Farber, and this time with a pint!
The New England Patriots continue their efforts to increase awareness of the importance of blood donation with a fall kick-off blood drive. The blood drive will be held Sunday, Nov. 2, at the Dana-Farber Field House at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Donors will be entered into a raffle to win Patriots prizes. Appointments will be scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To be eligible to donate you must be at least 17 years old and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds. Blood donations collected will benefit patients treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. For details and appointments, call 617-732-6286.
WHEN: Sunday, November 2, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: Dana-Farber Field House, Gillette Stadium, 1 Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA 02035
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If you are going to tonight’s Monday Night Football Game, here’s your chance to get on TV.
Fans are invited to stop by the NFL Super Ad mobile studio at Gillette Stadium to tell their story of pregame rituals, family traditions surrounding the NFL or defining moments while watching football. Selected stories will be posted on nfl.com/superad where fans can vote on their favorites Nov. 20, 2008 – Jan. 4, 2009.
WHEN: Oct. 20, 2008
WHERE: Gillette Stadium (Back area of Lots 12/13), One Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA 02035, 4 - 7 p.m.
WHY: Samsung and the NFL are giving fans the opportunity to share their passion and stories surrounding America’s favorite sport as part of this year’s “Super Ad: That’s How I See It” campaign. The NFL Super Ad mobile studio will be making up to 20 stops in various NFL markets at stadiums and at Samsung’s retail partner Best Buy now through Oct. 26. For a full schedule, please visit nfl.com/superad.
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We get many emails in at GoPats.com from people asking about tailgating in and around Gillette Stadium, even from those who do not have gameday tickets but want to be part of the energy and merriment. Here’s an opportunity to do just that, and support a charities at the same time.
On October 26th, The “To The Max” Charitable Foundation will host its first ever, Tailgating to the Max. To be held at the Rodman Ford Parking Lot in Foxboro, MA, Tailgating to the Max will include BBQ, beer and beverages, live music, and classic “tailgating” games for prizes, all while enjoying Past Patriot greats. If you don’t have a tickets, hang and watch the Patriots game with Max in the Mobile Lounge from 1pm - 4pm. Attendees will be joined by Former Patriots Max Lane, Scott Zolak, Steve Nelson, Ted Johnson, Joe Andruzzi, ESPN’s Steve Levy, and WAAF’s Greg Hill.
The funds raised by this event will go to selected charities, which Max has supported for over a decade. The mission of the “To The Max” Charitable Foundation is to seek and employ creative fund-raising opportunities, which allows donors, of every level, the opportunity to give and feel the rewards of giving, while helping some of the charitable organizations Max enjoys supporting. The New England Patriots Alumni Club (NEPAC) is taking new steps to fulfill its mission of supporting and funding youth and high school sports programs throughout New England The Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care, The Neely House, and The Neely Cancer Fund exist for one reason - to help cancer patients and their families during their treatment. The SeatSwap is a non-profit organization, which allows ticket holders to donate tickets for sporting events to children and their and families who might otherwise not be able to attend. “To The Max” Charitable Foundation has applied and is awaiting final approval for 501-c3 status.
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If you are planning on going to the Patriots/Colts game in Indianapolis on Sunday, November 2, why not take in the Celtics/Pacers game the night before on Saturday, November 1?
The Pacers are offering discounted tickets to Patriots fans. To take advantage of the offer, go to this particular page Pacers Web site and enter the code “Pats” to save a few bucks on tickets. This flyer has more information on the discount ticket program.
Here’s a great opportunity to see both the Pats and Celtics win in the same city on the same weekend!
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We got this from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and of course we are passing it along.
Cheer on the Patriots while supporting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Patriots holiday cards, ornaments, candles and apparel on sale now
BOSTON – The football season is underway! Support the Patriots and one of its favorite charities – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute holiday card, candle, ornament and apparel collection is on sale now to benefit adult and pediatric cancer care and research.
Highlights include holiday cards sporting a snowman in Patriots gear. Each box costs $25 and includes 20 cards and 21 envelopes. You can also score an Aunt Sadie’s bayberry scented Patriots touchdown candle, an ornament of Gillette Stadium and a neck tie designed by a Jimmy Fund Clinic patient with footballs and baseballs. All of these items are $20 each.
Visit www.jimmyfund.org/holidaygreetings to view the entire collection and to make a purchase online. The cards will also be sold in Crate & Barrel retail stores in Massachusetts and in the Dana-Farber lobby at 44 Binney Street, Boston.
Imprinting of company logos and customized messages are available for inside the cards and on envelopes for an additional fee. Delivery takes three to four weeks. Call Monica Zurlinden at 617-582-7724 to place an order.
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In the September 21, 2008 edition of the Boston Sunday Globe Magazine there is an article on Ace Tickets, a Boston-area sports and entertainment ticket broker. Towards the end of the story is a quote by me! I was contacted by the writer of the story, Dan McGinn, and asked questions about myself and my thoughts on ticket brokers. You can read the full article here.
In my very own paragraph, GoPats.com gets a link and my work and hobby are identified. I talked with McGinn for probably 15-20 minutes. The reference to paying a premium for Sox tickets was when my friend AJ visited from Australia and I wanted to take him to a game. The game I was shut out of was Super Bowl XXXVIII - I went to Houston, but the price of over US$2,000.00 per ticket was way out of our range. The ellipsis between the 2 lines in the end was my explanation to the author about how I, as an entrepreneur, understand the ticket broker business, but at the same time can’t swallow the high ticket prices.
This “love and hate” relationship comes out throughout the article. Where brokers buy up tickets that may go unsold, teams don’t reap the premiums themselves for the tickets. Many years ago I asked a question to the former president of the Boston Garden, Larry Moulter, about his thoughts on ticket scalpers on Garden property selling tickets. Needless to say, he did not directly answer my question. Though the business has come a long way with the likes of StubHub and Ace themselves being a Red Sox sponsor, there isn’t even a consensus among Boston team owners.
McGinn’s article is a good piece on the state of the tickets today, and it will be interesting to reread it a year or more in the future to see how it has evolved.
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We heard from Kevin Faulk’s people about his annual celebrity softball game, and want to pass along the details.
No matter the season or the reason, nothing says you care for a Patriots fan than something with the Pats logo on it. Whether it is Pat Patriot or the Flying Elvis, they will be proud to wear it.
