Boston Sports Then and Now

Connecticut governor John Rowland and Patriots owner Bob Kraft agreed on a deal.

Bob Kraft and crew were on the lookout for a new stadium deal in the late 90s.

Foxboro Stadium, the 60,292 person facility that opened in 1971 was on the outs. With new stadiums popping up all over the nation, Kraft was ready to roll with the times.

Looking for ways to expand the franchise and its potential revenues, a new stadium was key for the growth of the team. New amenities, along with a need for corporate luxury boxes (something Foxboro Stadium never had), were a must.

After peddling around Massachusetts unsuccessfully, Kraft was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. His mind was made up; he wanted a new stadium and he would move if he had to.

He explored opportunities in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and reportedly had preliminary discussions with cities on the west coast.

In November of 1998, Hartford, Connecticut came in with an offer Kraft could not refuse. The chance to keep the team in New England, coupled with the favorable finances lured Kraft in.

A 100% public financed waterfront stadium.

The $375 million, 68,000 person structure was part of a $1 billion redevelopment plan for the city.

The city was trying to build up the area and wanted to do so around a stadium that would host the NFL’s Patriots, as well as the UConn Huskies who were making the leap from division I-AA to I-A.

Kraft would have to sign on for 30 years, and despite not having to put down a penny, he would collect 90% of the stadium’s revenues from tickets, parking, and concessions during Patriots games.

Also, Kraft would be able to build a $50 million hotel on the land, rent and property tax free.

Kraft accepted the offer to move the team 100 miles southwest of the area they had called home for over a quarter of a century.

The sketch of the Patriots' stadium in Hartford.

A press conference was held, a handshake deal completed. So what went wrong?

Did the NFL really want to lose the Boston area market? At the time, the Boston area was the sixth largest television market in the country. Compare that to Hartford’s 27th largest market rating. Without a team in Los Angeles already, the NFL could ill afford to lose the huge market share.

Environmental concerns were also brought into the fold. It was brought to the attention of Kraft, the NFL, and Connecticut state officials that the riverfront area where the stadium would be located was contaminated with a plethora of chemicals.

Bob Kraft exercised an out clause in the Hartford contract two days before he would have been tied in and he escaped the agreement without financial penalty.

Eventually Kraft was able to get $72 million from the state of Massachusetts while he financed the rest.

The Krafts have 25 years to pay back that money to the state. This agreement kept the Pats in Foxboro at their current location off of Route 1.

Kraft was able to stay on the land he owned, he did not have to relocate the team’s front office, and in the back of his mind he had plans for Patriots Place. The $350 million “lifestyle and entertainment center” has become a destination spot.

Gillette Stadium (originally named CMGI Field) opened up in 2002 right after the team’s first Super Bowl victory. The stadium has been home to two more Super Bowl runs and two monumental streaks: the team’s 21 straight wins between 2003-04 and the team’s 16-0 season in 2007.

Hartford is still without a professional sports franchise, although they will be home to the upstart UFL Colonials this year.

Gillette opened its doors in 2002 and was financed personally for the most part by Bob Kraft.

The Boston area kept the greatest NFL franchise of the decade.

How things could have been different. Would the team have had the success they’ve endured over the past several year? We will never know.

What we do know is that Bob Kraft left an offer on the table that would have been tough for anyone to pass up.

Give the man credit for pulling out at the eleventh hour and sticking to the team’s roots.