Over the course of the week leading up to Super Bowl LII between the Patriots and Eagles, providencejournal.com will each day highlight the defining moments of the Patriots franchise over the last 25 years. Coming Sunday: Patriots overcome Deflategate with another Super Bowl title.
Story published: September 10, 2002
Headline: Season of fun and games off to stylish start: The Patriots open their new, flashy, $325-million [...]
Over the course of the week leading up to Super Bowl LII between the Patriots and Eagles, providencejournal.com will each day highlight the defining moments of the Patriots franchise over the last 25 years. Coming Sunday: Patriots overcome Deflategate with another Super Bowl title.
Story published: September 10, 2002
Headline: Season of fun and games off to stylish start: The Patriots open their new, flashy, $325-million Gillette Stadium, and the fans are treated to light shows, music videos and a warm welcome from owner Bob Kraft
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots have promised a true entertainment experience for their fans in return for the payment of exorbitant ticket prices. Last night, they delivered.
The Pats opened their new, flashy, $325-million Gillette Stadium before the first of what will be a season filled with sellout crowds. The 68,000 fans were treated to light shows and music videos, and enjoyed the many other bells and whistles a beautiful football palace can provide.
Then a football game kicked off.
The pregame festivities were dominated by Robert Kraft, the owner who once threatened to move the team to Hartford after running into a brick wall trying to build a stadium in Boston. Kraft eventually backed off that idea and instead worked on a deal to build a privately financed stadium on the land he owned in Foxboro.
Standing in the edifice that surely will be his legacy, an overjoyed Kraft told the crowd, "We've been waiting together for this night for 42 years. Tonight, on behalf of (son) Jonathan and the entire Kraft family, I want to welcome you to your new home, Gillette Stadium."
The pregame ceremonies began with a moment of silence in remembrance of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Then the fun began.
As the stadium's lights dimmed, a four-minute video of the team's history flashed on the giant end-zone TV screens. Former greats Gino Cappelletti, Mike Haynes, Steve Grogan and Steve Nelson all spoke on the film, and the fans held one of their biggest cheers ("Droooo") for the traded Drew Bledsoe.
Once that film ended, Kraft and his son Jonathan were introduced as they strode onto a small platform set up at midfield. The fans gave a long and loud ovation to the Krafts, long-time season-ticket holders at Foxboro Stadium.
"All the men you saw on that video were responsible for building professional football in New England," Bob Kraft told the crowd. "But the rest of the foundation is you, the fans."
Kraft thanked the fans who already have purchased every ticket for this season, a certainty that he said allowed him to secure loans for the stadium and also prevented him from charging fans for personal seat licenses.
Then Kraft thanked those who built the stadium, some of whom were on the field and waved to the crowd. Kraft then exclaimed, "Ladies and gentlemen, Gillette Stadium belongs to you," and a wild green-and-white laser light show began. After a few minutes, the lighthouse in the North end zone was lit, with a tower of light reaching into the sky.
The fans' focus then shifted again to the video screens as a Patriots' playoff highlights video began to the strains of U2's hit song, "Beautiful Day." As Adam Vinatieri's winning field goal sailed through the uprights, fireworks began and the Patriots' world-championship banner was unveiled.
The pregame festivities closed with the crowd chanting, 'USA, USA,' as former President George H.W. Bush came to midfield for the coin toss. Pittsburgh won the toss, and the first regular-season football game ever at Gillette Stadium finally kicked off.