Patriots to honor young fan booed in Indianapolis
By HOWARD ULMAN, AP Sports Writer, January 15, 2008FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- 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."'
Well, good news for the Hill yesterday -- we avoided our second-straight clean sweep! Yes, we lost to Buffumville 11-1, but we went down swinging at least.
It's time for our monthly NEFA Team Challenge and this Sunday we play the stacked group from Buffumville out at the fairly new Tully Dam course in Royalston, MA.
No, they aren't a law firm, just a handful of generous golfers that appreciate what we are doing up on the Hill. All together, they recently donated $80 to the course and $25 to our Ice Bowl charity. Thanks a lot guys!
Here's hoping Santa brings you all types of shiny new plastic, a bunch of birdies, and a handful of aces tonight! Merry Christmas from Devens Disc Golf!
Looks like our anonymous worker bee has struck again. Rumor has it that someone built some steps leading up to tee 17 and flattened out the tee area the day before Thanksgiving.
Dave's Septic Service of Manchester, NH has donated $100 to the course! Thanks Dave!
Congrats to Chris Piaseczny on his ace on Hole 2 Nov. 8. (Sorry about the delay Chris.) He nailed it with a Wizard which he later lost on 16 (d'oh!). Luckily, he found his lucky disc a few days later during our Challenge against Borderland.
Ha ha, get it? A hardware store nails a birdie sponsorship. Who-boy, that's a funny one...
Just a reminder that our Sunday Social is still on for every Sunday at 9:30 AM. I should be there, barring any last minute work-related dog factory stuff this week.
This Sunday at 9:30, the boys from Borderland are coming to Devens for our next NEFA Challenge. For the past few years during the off-season, courses from MA and CT have formed teams and challenged each other each month to a day of disc golf. An overall league winner is declared in the Spring.
I ended up thinning out some smaller trees on the right slope of 16 and getting rid of the pine that blocked the view of the pin from the tee. Then I dragged all the crap down the hill and across the road and forced myself to call it a day and go play some golf!
