From Dan Shaughnessy in the Boston Sunday Globe
The Patriots hadn’t been this cold since the original patriots, coached by George Washington, bunked at Valley Forge in the wicked winter of 1777-78….
Patriot Nation was not deterred. Fans — remember, the word is an abbreviation for “fanatics,” toted blankets and sleeping bags into the stadium. It looked like a winter Woodstock festival with NFL garb instead of tie-dyed T-shirts. Without doing much research, it seemed safe to figure that the outdoor McDonald’s behind the south end zone wasn’t moving many McFlurries. The stouthearted fans couldn’t make much noise with their hands. The sound of 136,000 mittens clapping is actually quite muffled.