Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Invites Fan to Foxboro: ‘Class and Composure’
FOXBORO — If you are a Patriots fan, you have heard them all.
Some use the term ‘obnoxious.’ Others prefer the moniker ‘fair-weather.’ There is even the dreaded label of ‘bandwagon.’ (And those are just the ‘family-friendly’ terms for Pats fans).
Though the stereotype surrounding them paints a largely-underserved negative picture of the entire New England fan base, Patriots fan Jerry Edmond recently personified the best of what it means to be a sports fan, under the worst of circumstances.
Edmond attended his first NFL game on Sunday, as his beloved Patriots took on the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Unfortunately, his experience was not exactly fan-friendly.
In addition to witnessing his team fall in shocking fashion, on a final play which will appropriately be maligned for many years to come, Edmond was also subjected to the ire of a disorderly Raiders' fan who felt entitled to aggressively and obnoxiously emphasize the Pats’ loss.
Fortunately, a video of the exchange was captured and quickly went viral, earning over 7.4 million views.
As fans and media alike expressed their admiration for Edmond’s self-control, he remained anonymous. Until Tuesday, when he he responded to a Twitter post, revealing himself as the fan wearing the Patriots dynasty-era jersey adorned with the No. 12.
"I'd like to thank everyone for all the kind words," he wrote in a follow-up Tweet. "I'm the Patriots fan in the video. My name is Jerry Edmond and that was my first ever NFL game. I didn't want to ruin my experience by retaliating towards that woman so I kept my cool."
As Edmond’s story continued to resonate throughout Patriots Nation, it caught the eye of team chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. According to Patriots.com, Kraft personally called Edmond on Wednesday to commend him on his ‘class and composure’ in representing the fan base.
Kraft also was intent on making sure that Edmond’s next visit to an NFL stadium would be a positive one.
The Pats’ owner invited him to attend Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium. Not only did Edmond accept the invitation, but he will also receive a customized jersey and enjoy pre-game field passes to take part in warm-ups.
Raiders team president Sandra Douglass Morgan has also reached out to Edmond to make restitution for his negative experience.
Now, all the Patriots need to do to make Edmond’s Christmas Eve visit to Foxboro most enjoyable is to earn a win over the Bengals in Week 16.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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