Back in 2002, my parents got me a fantastic gift for my 14th birthday. It was right after the Patriots won their first Super Bowl. The Tom Brady era was just beginning. Gillette Stadium had just opened. There was no better time — or worse, depending on how you look at it — to join the season ticket waiting list in Foxboro.
At the time, the ticket office estimated the wait would be roughly seven years. Here we are 14 years later, and on Thursday night I couldn’t believe my eyes when I received an email with the subject line “The Wait is Over.”
The day had come.
It’s estimated that about 60,000 people are currently on the waitlist for Patriots season tickets. Gillette Stadium holds about 68,000 people, and the renewal rate is 99 percent. You do the math.
At the earliest, I figured I’d get “the call” as soon as Brady retired. That was fine by me. The Patriots would probably suck, but they’d be good again someday. Being able to go to any game I want for the rest of my life, including home playoff games? Gimme that. Gimme all that.
Hopefully all that avocado ice cream Brady eats will allow me to enjoy a few more good years. And if not, what can you do? You don’t pass up something you waited 14 years for.
Never give up, fellow waitlisters. Your time will come.
