If you're anxiously awaiting the downfall of the Patriots dynasty, Robert Kraft would like to leave you a message.
The Patriots owner stopped by Boston Sports Tonight on Tuesday to discuss an assortment of topics, including how far the organization has come over the last 20 years. Kraft mentioned how surreal it was for him and his son and President of the Patriots, Jonathan, to witness the turnout for Sunday's send-off rally after attending games as fans decades ago.
"Jonathan came with me, and we sat in the stands with his brothers as fans," Robert Kraft said. "We dreamt about owning the team, and last Sunday having 35,000 people come to the stadium, really they started lining up at 2:30 a.m. And when you think about it, they really saw the players and coaches for 20 minutes. The gates didn't open until 8, and we saw this sense of community and commitment. We just pinch ourselves. It's so special, the kind of support we've gotten from the fans. We're passionate about trying to do our part and setting the organization up with the ability to win, and we're lucky to have the people we have in place."
When the Patriots won their first Super Bowl in 2002, they were the beloved underdogs of the NFL. Needless to say, that is no longer the case. NBC Sports Boston's own Tom E. Curran asked Kraft what it's been like to see the team go from being Cinderella to having so many waiting for their incredible run to come to an end. That's when Kraft sent a message to all the Patriots haters out there.
"We were just talking about that," Kraft said. "Seventeen years ago, we were Cinderella -- and I understand it, and if I wasn't a fan of the Patriots, I'd feel the same way. And you know what? To all those people, we hope we're going to make you keep feeling that way for quite a while."
With five Super Bowl titles in hand, and Tom Brady showing no signs of slowing down, Patriot haters might have to wait awhile to start dancing on the team's grave.
New England Patriots
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