New England Patriots Report

Some Patriotic history for Fourth

July, 4, 2012

7/04/12

12:00

PM ET

By Mike Rodak | ESPNBoston.com

NFL Kickoff weekend (hey, it's only nine weeks away!) and Super Bowl Sunday may be the highest of holidays for Patriots fans, but is there really any national holiday more appropriate for New England's football team than the Fourth of July?

On Tuesday, NFL Films explored some Patriots history (with an American Revolution twist) in their latest "Tales from the Vault" piece:

The Patriots’ beginnings were as humble as those of the Continental Army, an outfit whose ranks were comprised largely of farmers, boot makers, inn keepers, village smithees, and village idiots. The rewards for joining the Continental Army were meager — in some states, volunteers received 500 dollars for signing up. Their bonus: a tankard of ale. In most cases, it was a small tankard of ale.

In 1960, it was up to Head Coach Lou Saban – the George Washington of these Patriots – to whip beefy bricklayers, flabby bartenders and gimpy ex-college players into fighting trim. Although, the football Patriots were paid in the 5 figures, they received no ale bonus.

On a more serious note, the Boston Globe on Wednesday has the obituary for Mary Malone Sullivan, who died on Sunday at 92. She was the widow of Billy Sullivan, the owner of the Patriots from their inception in 1960 as the AFL's Boston Patriots until their sale in 1988.

Mike Rodak

Patriots reporter, ESPNBoston.com

Mike Rodak began covering the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com in July 2010.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Mike Reiss

Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter (@MikeReiss).

Mike Rodak

Mike Rodak began covering the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com in July 2010. A native of Grafton, Mass., Mike attends Providence College, where he assists the athletic department in game management, facilities, and logistics. Follow him on Twitter (@mikerodak)

Field Yates

Field Yates begins his contributions to ESPNBoston.com in 2012 after having written for a number of football-related sites around the web. Field began his professional career after college with the Kansas City Chiefs, working in both the scouting and coaching departments of the franchise before redirecting his focus to a career in media. He also interned for four summers in the coaching and scouting departments with the Patriots. Follow him on Twitter (@FieldYates).