Even though the Patriots are among the most well-known NFL teams, very few people are aware that the New England squad was formerly known as the Boston Patriots.
On November 16, 1959, it was announced that professional football will return to the northeast after an 11-year absence from the AFL. Having said that, Boston businessman Billy Sullivan received the AFL’s final franchise prize.
Being the savvy businessman that he was, Sullivan recognized that the franchise’s branding was its most crucial component, so he searched for a memorable name that he could market effectively.
As a result, Sullivan launched a campaign to choose the greatest name while also marketing the Boston squad, demonstrating his tremendous marketing expertise.
The team held a fan poll and asked kids to write essays expressing their thoughts on possible names. In order to receive complimentary tickets to one of the team’s home games, 74 people reportedly submitted their name suggestions, according to Bob Hyldburg.
With the aid of the kids’ writings, three names Minuteman, Bulls, and, obviously, Patriots were chosen as the top three candidates from among the 74 submitted. The Boston Patriots, the AFL’s final club, were officially announced on February 20, 1960, by the league.
What were the New England Patriots originally called?
The New England Patriots were originally called the Boston Patriots. After playing as the Boston Patriots for the previous decade, the team changed its name to the New England Patriots for the 1971 season.