Colts Fans Boo 15yr Old Girl. Next up, Santa Claus

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:45 pm

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs0 ... id=3198479

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft sat behind his wide desk and marveled at how his team's jersey could be the target of so many boos -- even when it's worn by a 14-year-old girl.

This wasn't Randy Moss or Rodney Harrison hearing the catcalls. They're used to it.

This was Anna Grant, a high school freshman who had worked hard to win the Punt, Pass & Kick competition in her age group as the team's representative.

When she was introduced along with the other winners before the fourth quarter of San Diego's playoff win last Sunday, she was the only one booed by the crowd in Indianapolis, home of New England's fiercest rival.

"Why should a champion be booed?" the boss of the three-time Super Bowl winners said Tuesday. "She won an intensive competition. She's supposed to be honored."

His team is getting the same reaction -- not because of the spying incident in the season opener but because fans like to see teams at the top get knocked off, he said. If the Chargers can't do it Sunday, New England will be headed to its fourth Super Bowl in seven seasons.

But first comes the coin flip before the AFC championship and Grant will be out on the field for that, invited by Kraft, who felt badly that she had been booed.

"What I decided is that we would honor her here before this game," Kraft said in an interview in his office filled with photos, footballs and other memorabilia. "We will recognize her as the winner on the field. Our fans will know."

Grant returned from school Tuesday and heard a phone message from Andre Tippett, the Patriots' executive director of community affairs and a former star linebacker.

She called back and was ecstatic when Tippett extended the invitation -- plus tickets for her, her parents and two brothers -- to take part.

"I was just in shock," she said.

Kraft knows the hoots were not directed at the high school freshman from Stratham, N.H., about 20 miles north of the Massachusetts border. It's just that the jersey provokes an instant response, usually a negative one.

Grant also understands, and even smiled when she heard the boos.

"Before I went down there, my friends said, 'You know, you'll probably get booed,'" she said in a telephone interview. "I was kind of waiting for it.

"It really didn't bother me at all," she added. "People at the game came up to me afterward and said, 'It's not you. It's your jersey.'"

It wasn't always that way.

When Adam Vinatieri's last-play field goal gave the Patriots their first championship as huge underdogs to the St. Louis Rams after the 2001 season, red, white and blue confetti -- not boos -- poured down in the Louisiana Superdome.

It came less than five months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"I remember saying when I hoisted the [championship] trophy, 'We are all Patriots and tonight the Patriots are world champions,'" Kraft said. "We were the underdogs. No one expected [it]. Now what's happened is, we've had a modicum of success.

"I noticed it with the second title that we went after. Already people had switched and I think people outside of New England want to see different [winners]. It's sort of like the Yankees. There was a resentment, but a respect for the Yankees."

The Yankees have declined since their dominance of the late 90s. The Patriots are better than ever, perhaps the best team in NFL history.

"Jealousy and envy comes in the more you win and people say, 'Give someone else a chance and let someone else do it,'" Kraft said. "I understand that."

It's better than the alternative.

Before he bought the team in January 1994, the Patriots had missed the playoffs for the previous seven seasons. In just his third year, they were in the Super Bowl -- losing to Green Bay in the same building where they would win their first title five years later.

At least fans care now, even if they boo.

"I see it as sort of respect in a way," Kraft said. "I think 15 years ago, 18 years ago, someone could have worn our jersey and I just think there would have been no reaction."

Grant plans to wear some Patriots apparel again Sunday, probably a hat. The reaction will be much warmer.

"In a way, the fact that this young lady was booed is a compliment to the New England Patriots fans because we're relevant," Kraft said. "And, we're good."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Pirates · Post by **Pirates** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:50 pm

please dont even start if it was a colts fan in NE they would've booed if it was a redsox fan in yankee stadium they would've booed if it was a yankee fan in fenway they would've booed so please dont even give me this crap.

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 11:57 pm

A 14 yr old girl? I think not. That would surprise me even from the Yankees.
Eagles fans, maybe...

Pirates · Post by **Pirates** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:02 am

you have never been to a game before in your life clearly if it was a 14 year old girl in the stands thats one thing but it was someone they announced on the field. Its completely different and I would be willing to be my house and all my money that if they announced a yankee fan on the field at fenway they would get booed no matter what the age.

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:28 am

Well, if "clearly I haven't been to a game in my life" when in fact, I clearly have, then clearly your argument holds no water. Clearly. Which isn't surprising since you've clearly proven you don't know what you're talking talking about in the past.

I feel quite confident that a little girl would not get booed at Fenway, or Yankee stadium, no matter what jersey they wore on the field.

Pirates · Post by **Pirates** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:18 am

whatever you need to tell yourself

Mets · Post by **Mets** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:57 am

Did you just compare a baseball game to a football game?

Apples and Oranges buddy.

Football was never meant to be a family sport, and is still not promoted as so.

The fans were booing the team, not the girl. Everyone knows that. I don't see the big deal. If they didn't boo their rival, I'd think something is wrong.

RedSox wrote:Well, if "clearly I haven't been to a game in my life" when in fact, I clearly have, then clearly your argument holds no water. Clearly. Which isn't surprising since you've clearly proven you don't know what you're talking talking about in the past.

I feel quite confident that a little girl would not get booed at Fenway, or Yankee stadium, no matter what jersey they wore on the field.

Brewers · Post by **Brewers** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:04 am

Two things just for the record here;

1) She was completely unfazed by it and didn't really care about the booing

2) Bob Kraft decided it would be nice to have her (and her family - mom, dad & 2 brothers) at the Pats game this weekend...she's apparently taking part in the coin toss for some reason and then gets to enjoy the rest of the game at Gillette...

Dodgers · Post by **Dodgers** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:27 am

RedSox wrote:A 14 yr old girl? I think not. That would surprise me even from the Yankees.
Eagles fans, maybe...

Oh my god Bren, you can be so blinded when it's your team. The Patriots would boo the fuck out of a 5 year old wearing a Colts jersey. I was watching PTI the other day and they absolutely ridiculed a suggestion that it wouldn't be exactly the same in Gillette.

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 9:37 am

Agreed - the fans were booing the jersey - I actually thought it was pretty funny. The greatest thing going in sports is rivalries - I would have expected nothing less.

Astros · Post by **Astros** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:22 am

They were booing the jersey, not the girl. You beat all, you know that Bren? Like Jake said, it wasn't a 14 year old girl in the stands, because nothing would've happened, because here in Indiana, the things we value, being nice and polite to everyone, are different than what is valued elsehwere and I'm sure in Gillette, a 14 year old would be yelled at in the stands too

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:40 am

Oh, well, if it was on PTI then it MUST be true!

Aaron, you calling anyone smug is hilarious in light of that post. is there some fine print in there after it says 'everyone'? Maybe your post should read more like this:

Cardinals wrote:They were booing the jersey, not the girl. You beat all, you know that Bren? Like Jake said, it wasn't a 14 year old girl in the stands, because nothing would've happened, because here in Indiana, the things we value, being nice and polite to everyone*, are different than what is valued elsehwere and I'm sure in Gillette, a 14 year old would be yelled at in the stands too

*excludes, minorities, gays, liberals, hippies and anyone else who might try to upset our white, christian, gun-totin, patriarchal social structure

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:40 am

WhiteSox wrote:2) Bob Kraft decided it would be nice to have her (and her family - mom, dad & 2 brothers) at the Pats game this weekend...she's apparently taking part in the coin toss for some reason and then gets to enjoy the rest of the game at Gillette...

Brett, I'm quite aware of that. I DID post the story after all.

Dodgers · Post by **Dodgers** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:55 am

I wasn't saying if it's on PTI it's true, I was just saying you're not getting any support from the media in your stance. You're not really getting any support from anyone really.

Brewers · Post by **Brewers** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:07 pm

RedSox wrote:
WhiteSox wrote:2) Bob Kraft decided it would be nice to have her (and her family - mom, dad & 2 brothers) at the Pats game this weekend...she's apparently taking part in the coin toss for some reason and then gets to enjoy the rest of the game at Gillette...
Brett, I'm quite aware of that. I DID post the story after all.

Shows how well I skimmed the original post...lol...guess I was out of it this morning

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:40 pm

Meh, I've done the same thing. Sometimes it's boring to read through all the posts when all you want to do is make a point.

Having no support in the media isn't going to make me think I'm not right. More to the contrary. The more I see of ESPN (and Fox etc.) and the vast majority of their 'analysts' the more convinced I am that they're hired specifically to know less than the average fan to make the average fan feel smart. Talking heads aren't hired for intelligence, they're hired for entertainment. Listen to the vast amount of talk radio, the hosts are either a. really stupid or b. tremendous a-holes who are moderately smart. Insisting that type of behavior would happen anywhere validates Colts fans and pumps up the rivalry more. Chiding fans isn't going to get you ratings!

DBacks · Post by **DBacks** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:08 am

It was fucked up. She's a teenage girl standing nervously in front of thousands of people and millions on TV and you boo her? Fucked up. Thats Philly-esque.

Athletics · Post by **Athletics** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:24 am

It would have been so funny to watch her throw up the middle finger to those Indy pricks.

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:53 am

Holy crap, can we have some sense of humor. The girl has admitted she knew it wasn't at her - it was funny, let it die.

Athletics · Post by **Athletics** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:25 pm

I thought I was funny, I guess not...

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:43 pm

Angels wrote:I thought I was funny, I guess not...

Only to Pats fans.

Has anyone else heard about TO nose-scratching/flipping off the Fox cameras at the end of the game? I've always liked that move since there are enough people out there that point and such with their middle fingers (I have a professor that does it all the time) that you can get away with it, yet still have your own private "Eff you" moment.

Yankees · Post by **Yankees** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:49 pm

I go with the middle finger ear pick - it's even more subtle then the nose...

Royals · Post by **Royals** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:20 pm

I like that....