FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots will be celebrating their 50th season in 2009 and are already preparing for another exciting year. Today, the team unveiled an anniversary logo that will be used throughout the year to brand all of the team's anniversary activities, publications and press announcements in 2009. The anniversary logo will be utilized throughout the year on the Patriots' many media platforms and will commemorate each of the season tickets issued in 2009.
The red, white and blue logo contains the text "New England Patriots" and "50 seasons." It features both the original "Pat Patriot" logo as well as the current "stylized minuteman" trademark that was introduced in 1993. The words "50 seasons" and the "Pat Patriot" logo are centered and rest atop the Patriots' current logo. Six stars in the design represent the six New England states.
On Nov. 16, 1959, the Boston Patriots became the eighth and final original AFL franchise. During the 1960s, the Patriots played home games at stadiums throughout Boston, including Boston University Field, Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium and B.C. Alumni Stadium. A year after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the franchise moved to the newly-constructed Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. and the team was renamed the New England Patriots.
The franchise enjoyed only moderate success in its first 34 seasons (1960-1993), appearing in one AFL title game in 1963 and one Super Bowl in 1985, both losses. In the last 15 seasons, coinciding with Robert Kraft's purchase of the team in 1994, the Patriots have claimed three Super Bowl victories, five conference titles and eight division championships. Their 173 victories in the last 15 years are the most in the NFL.
New England is currently in the midst of a remarkable run of sustained success as the only NFL team to have a winning record in each of the last eight seasons. The Patriots are one of just two teams in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span, and in 2007 became the only team in NFL history to complete a regular season with a 16-0 record. The team now plays its home games at state-of-the-art Gillette Stadium, a 68,756-seat facility that opened in 2002. Patriots fans are among the most loyal and passionate fans in the country, selling out each home game since 1994. In 2008, the team unveiled The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon, a cutting-edge, 36,000-square-foot experience showcasing the tradition of the New England Patriots, providing a home for the team's hall of fame and exploring the history of football in New England.
The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon will host a number of alumni events that will allow fans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the franchise with Patriots past and present. Fans will also have an opportunity to help the organization select a number of the most memorable moments and events in franchise history through a series of online voting initiatives that are planned in 2009.
