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Post by timholycross on Aug 10, 2020 19:02:34 GMT -5
In their inaugural season, 1960, the Pats played the Bills in an exhibition game at Fitton. August 21, 1960.
Never knew that.
They also played a practice game that year at some place in Providence called Mt.Pleasant Stadium (attendance, 4780), plus one each at Harvard and Umass (pre McGuirk, hard to imagine Umass not playing in that mausoleum)
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Post by bfoley82 on Aug 10, 2020 21:41:13 GMT -5
In their inaugural season, 1960, the Pats played the Bills at Fitton. August 21, 1960. Never knew that. They also played a practice game that year at some place in Providence called Mt.Pleasant Stadium (attendance, 4780), Harvard and Umass (pre McGuirk, hard to imagine Umass not playing in that mausoleum) Probably this stadium at Mount Pleasant High School in Providence www.footballfridaynight.com/StadiumDetail.php?qCollectionID=9367#.XzIFIy2z124Here is a video of the facility which also hosted the Providence Steam Rollers |
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Aug 10, 2020 22:38:39 GMT -5
I remember the Steam Rollers well as they played my home town team the Portland Seahawks--lots of ex-college players on these semi pro teams and some ex pros as well. I also recall the Hartford Charter Oaks and Springfield Acorns. Jack Moynihan of HC was the Seahawks QB one season
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 10, 2020 22:57:50 GMT -5
In their inaugural season, 1960, the Pats played the Bills at Fitton. August 21, 1960. Never knew that. They also played a practice game that year at some place in Providence called Mt.Pleasant Stadium (attendance, 4780), Harvard and Umass (pre McGuirk, hard to imagine Umass not playing in that mausoleum) Patriots founder Billy Sullivan must have been very familiar with Fitton Field as the former Publicity Director for Boston College. August 21 sounds like a preseason game. Coincidentally I just noted in another thread that WBZ-TV (CBS Boston) reporter Paul Burton who filed a story from HC today and interviewed Father B. on camera, is the son of the Patriots first ever draft choice, All American running back Ron Burton from Northwestern. I wonder if Paul knew that his father played on campus? The Pats game on August 21, 1960 was twenty-one years after Ted Williams hit a home run on the Fitton Field baseball diamond in 1939 and just a month or so before he hit his last home run down the road at Fenway Park on Sept. 28, 1960. |
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Post by bfoley82 on Aug 11, 2020 0:23:26 GMT -5
I remember the Steam Rollers well as they played my home town team the Portland Seahawks--lots of ex-college players on these semi pro teams and some ex pros as well. I also recall the Hartford Charter Oaks and Springfield Acorns. Jack Moynihan of HC was the Seahawks QB one season The Cyclodrome in Providence the home of the original Steam Roller in the 1920's (the first NFL championship for a team from New England) is an interesting stadium artinruins.com/property/cyclodrome/#top5 |
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Post by timholycross on Aug 11, 2020 9:30:52 GMT -5
I remember the Steam Rollers well as they played my home town team the Portland Seahawks--lots of ex-college players on these semi pro teams and some ex pros as well. I also recall the Hartford Charter Oaks and Springfield Acorns. Jack Moynihan of HC was the Seahawks QB one season My father was very briefly a Steam Roller! Probably 1941. He got some letters in the 80s and 90s inviting him to some reunions, but never went to any. |
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Post by hchoops on Aug 11, 2020 9:33:06 GMT -5
I remember the Steam Rollers well as they played my home town team the Portland Seahawks--lots of ex-college players on these semi pro teams and some ex pros as well. I also recall the Hartford Charter Oaks and Springfield Acorns. Jack Moynihan of HC was the Seahawks QB one season My father was very briefly a Steam Roller! Sounds like the first line of a Children’s book |
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Post by timholycross on Aug 11, 2020 9:37:43 GMT -5
My father was very briefly a Steam Roller! Sounds like the first line of a Children’s book He was also a (Hopkinton) Stone Thrower, another classic semi pro nickname, no idea what "Stone Thrower" has to do w/Hopkinton. |
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Post by timholycross on Aug 11, 2020 9:40:47 GMT -5
In their inaugural season, 1960, the Pats played the Bills at Fitton. August 21, 1960. Never knew that. They also played a practice game that year at some place in Providence called Mt.Pleasant Stadium (attendance, 4780), Harvard and Umass (pre McGuirk, hard to imagine Umass not playing in that mausoleum) Patriots founder Billy Sullivan must have been very familiar with Fitton Field as the former Publicity Director for Boston College. August 21 sounds like a preseason game. Coincidentally I just noted in another thread that WBZ-TV (CBS Boston) reporter Paul Burton who filed a story from HC today and interviewed Father B. on camera, is the son of the Patriots first ever draft choice, All American running back Ron Burton from Northwestern. I wonder if Paul knew that his father played on campus? The Pats game on August 21, 1960 was twenty-one years after Ted Williams hit a home run on the Fitton Field baseball diamond in 1939 and just a month or so before he hit his last home run down the road at Fenway Park on Sept. 28, 1960. I edited the post to make it clear all the games mentioned were exhibitions. Oddly enough even though BU (Braves) Field did not have a summer tenant at the time, they didn't play a game there until the regular season. |
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Post by longsuffering on Aug 11, 2020 11:24:55 GMT -5
Patriots founder Billy Sullivan must have been very familiar with Fitton Field as the former Publicity Director for Boston College. August 21 sounds like a preseason game. Coincidentally I just noted in another thread that WBZ-TV (CBS Boston) reporter Paul Burton who filed a story from HC today and interviewed Father B. on camera, is the son of the Patriots first ever draft choice, All American running back Ron Burton from Northwestern. I wonder if Paul knew that his father played on campus? The Pats game on August 21, 1960 was twenty-one years after Ted Williams hit a home run on the Fitton Field baseball diamond in 1939 and just a month or so before he hit his last home run down the road at Fenway Park on Sept. 28, 1960. I edited the post to make it clear all the games mentioned were exhibitions. Oddly enough even though BU (Braves) Field did not have a summer tenant at the time, they didn't play a game there until the regular season. Father Swords probably gave Billy a better deal, or Sullivan being a PR pro chose Worcester and Amherst to get free media exposure in the Worcester and Springfield markets he couldn't afford to pay for. |
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Post by timholycross on Aug 11, 2020 14:18:20 GMT -5
Must've been hottern' hell for at least one of those 3 games (Harvard, HC, Amherst). All day games in August.
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