The Most Memorable Games in Patriots History: The Oral History of a Legendary Team

by Jim Baker, Bernard M. Corbett

Overview

Tom Brady marching the team upfield in the final minute of the 2001 Super Bowl. Troy Brown playing offense, defense, and special teams. The Tuck Rule. A rogue groundskeeper plowing a path for kicker John Smith at the end of a scoreless, snowy game. Gino Cappelletti setting the AFL record for points in a game against the Houston Oilers. These are the moments Patriots fans love to remember, now retold by the players who lived them.

Once a top team in the AFL in the 1960s, the Patriots have returned to glory as one of the NFL's best franchises during the past decade, and enthusiasm for them has never been higher. Sportswriters Jim Baker and Bernard M. Corbett relive the evolution of the team, getting war stories from players like Cappelletti, John Hannah, and Steve Grogan. Moving through the team's biggest games, they put a fresh spin on the stories all Pats fans love, with detail and color from the players who were there, on the field, making history.

The Most Memorable Games in Patriots History is a perfect gift for the serious fan-not just a collectible, but the kind of book you can hunker down and enjoy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608190676
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	08/07/2012
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Jim Baker is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's "Page 2," which receives more than 100,000 hits daily. He is the coauthor of The Most Memorable Games in Giants History, as well as Change Up: An Oral History of 8 Key Events That Shaped Baseball (Rodale, 2008) and has contributed to such popular books as The Bill James Abstract (a New York Times best-seller); The Bill James Historical Abstract (named one of the best baseball books of all-time by Time Magazine); Mind Game: How the Boston Red Sox Got Smart, Won a World Series, and Created a New Blueprint for Winning; and Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders. He was also a regular contributor to the Baseball Prospectus website as well as its annuals. He resides in Austin, Texas, and has spent a lifetime rooting for the football Cardinals. Bernard M. Corbett is the radio voice of Harvard University football and Boston University hockey. He is the author and coauthor of fifteen books, including The Most Memorable Games in Giants History; The Only Game That Matters: The Harvard/Yale Rivalry (Crown/Random House, 2004), as well as The Beanpot: Fifty Years of Thrills, Spills and Chills; On the Ice (with Wayne Gretzky); and On the Court (with Grant Hill). He lives in Stoneham, Massachusetts, and is a lifelong New York Football Giants fan and season-ticket holder.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Denver Broncos at Boston Patriots: American Football League Inaugural September 9, 1960 1

Boston Patriots at Buffalo Bills: AFL Eastern Division Title Game December 28, 1963 33

Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots October 30, 1966 57

Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots September 19, 1971 82

New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders: Divisional Playoffs December 18, 1976 107

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots December 12, 1982 139

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins: American Football Conference Championship January 12, 1986 160

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots: Divisional Playoffs Januarys 5, 1997 191

Oakland Raiders at New England Patriots: Divisional Playoffs January 19, 2002 224

St. Louis Rams vs. New England Patriots: Super Bowl XXXVI February 3, 2002 224

New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers: Super Bowl XXXVIII February 1, 2004 272

New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Super Bowl XXXIX February 6, 2005 301

New England Patriots at New York Giants: December 29, 2007 326

Acknowledgments 345

The Voices 347

Index 353

Editorial Reviews

Focused on a bakers' dozen of top Patriots games, this lively volume (delayed from publication during last year's lockout) essentially covers the history of the franchise, combining oral history, text narrative, and statistical analysis. All but one game here, from the very first Boston Patriots AFL game in 1960 to the 2007 Patriots win over the Giants to complete their 16-0 season, were Patriot victories. In each chapter, Baker (The Most Memorable Games in Giants History) and sports broadcaster Corbett cover the basic background of the game, the opponent, the game itself and the consequences. At the end of each chapter are sidebars and tables with interesting and quirky information related to the game. At times, these can drift pretty far afield, but they're also fun and enlightening. VERDICT Very well researched, written and edited, this entertaining book will be of interest to all football fans, whether or not they love the Pats.

Library Journal