Patriots "Fan of the Year" ready for another snow game in Foxboro
NEWBURY - Snow and Super Bowls, that's what Patriots Nation does, and that's what fans spent decades getting to know. With a snowstorm expected for this Sunday's game against the New York Jets, fans will feel right at home.
One fan attending the game has made the stadium his home away from home for 40 years. He is the Patriots "Fan of the Year," and he has some advice.
"If you go into that wet and cold, it will be a long game for you," laughs Tim Fowler, before taking us down memory lane. "I started going in 1979."
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His journey began when he unknowingly started dating a Patriots cheerleader. The two remain close friends to this day.
"We went to every game from there on out because we were having so much fun with the cheerleaders," said Fowler.
Through 40 years, he's missed just four games, and that counts the title, the heartbreaks, and the weather.
"We bring a tent with us. We bring an outdoor fire pit just to keep warm," says Fowler.
During a past clash with Jacksonville, he says the windchill hit 20-below-zero. Needless to say, Fowler layered up.
"I went to sit down, and I didn't know if I was sitting down or if my legs were still standing. I could barely bend," said Fowler, adding that he was also at the Patriots infamous Tuck Rule or Snow Bowl Game. "We owed them payback."
When he heads to the game this Sunday, he will have a new layer with a new number. It's part of his "Fan of the Year" win. Recently, the team offered him a tour of the stadium, but left out a few details. It was all just a ruse.
"He goes, I got one more thing to show you, and he opened [these doors] up, and I looked inside, and there was [Robert Kraft] with the 'Fan of the Year' jersey saying you won!" said Fowler.
The team gave him the "Fan of the Year" jersey and two tickets to the game. In case you're wondering, he invited the cheerleader.