Sports Trivia (5 Down)

The history of the NFL franchise we know as the New England Patriots officially began in November 1959 when Billy Sullivan was awarded a franchise in the AFL (American Football League). Fans chose the name and the Boston Patriots were born.

The Patriots played for their first league title, (prior to the beginning of the Super Bowl), in the 1963 AFL championship game, suffering defeat at the hands of the San Diego Chargers.

In 1970, when the AFL merged with the NFL, the Patriots became part of the AFC East division. The next season, the team moved to a new home, (Foxboro, Massachusetts), and changed their name to "New England Patriots".

Their next appearance in the championship game would not come until Super Bowl XX, following the 1985 season. They lost the game to the Chicago Bears. They returned to the the trophy game for Super Bowl XXXI, but lost to the Green Bay Packers.

The Patriots "Dynasty" began with the hiring of Bill Belichick as coach in 2000. The team, since then has won three Super Bowls and posted an undefeated regular season, in 2007. The Belichick era, is of course, still underway.

Sports Themed Crossword #003
Edited by V A Benge

NOTE: This puzzle was created in November 2005. "Current" team members were relevant at that time. See the listing at the bottom of this page for theme words used in this puzzle.

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