It had only been 97 days since I attended the victory parade when the Boston Red Sox won the World Series and yet, when the New England Patriots won Superbowl LIII last Sunday, one of my first thoughts was “when is the parade?” A lifelong Patriots fan, I had somehow never been to a victory parade, and I was determined to get to this one, regardless of which classes or commitments I would miss (I ended up not even missing a class).
The Super Bowl this year was considered by many to be a bore. Admittedly, a 13-3 final score with no touchdowns until the fourth quarter hardly made the game a thriller. The end result, however, was just as exciting as any other victory.
It’s no secret that many people do not like the Patriots. With polarizing figures Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Robert Kraft, and a dominant winning streak the past twenty years, it’s not hard to see where they’re coming from. The haters, the controversy, and the doubters, however, make the unity among Patriots fans unlike any other fanbase, and the pride for our team made the energy at this parade unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
Thousands and thousands of people lined the streets from Boylston Ave to City Hall, all there with one purpose: to see and celebrate our favorite players and our favorite team. My friends and I staked out a spot along the Boston Commons, and waited patiently for almost an hour until slowly the cheers and clapping grew louder and louder. The Duck Boats were out in full force, and for the next thirty minutes the crowd went wild, screaming for fan favorites like Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski and taking snapchat videos to document the ordeal.
After what felt like no time at all, it was over. Energized, happy and prideful, the fans started to trickle away and eventually the confetti and beer bottles lining the street were the only physical indications that anything had happened at all. While the parade itself may be over, the feeling of being in that crowd shared by so many Patriots fans will linger for quite some time.
Love them or hate the Patriots, it’s hard to deny their success. A real problem would arise if fans stopped caring about their success or became numb to the excitement of a victory. I can confidently say, however, based on the attendance and energy at the parade on Tuesday this is not the case. The amazing thing about being a Patriots fan is each Superbowl is just as exciting, if not more, than the last one. And as long as Tom Brady is still playing, Patriots fans will be rooting just as hard for a seventh championship. If we are privileged enough to witness another victory, the fans will once again come out in droves to see the players ride the Duck Boats with the same excitement that I experienced at this years’ parade.