The year was 1986 (1985 season) The patriots had just won their first AFC Championship. Your boy StevieDrama was only months old. The city of Boston was buzzing at the chance to see the beloved (and not so beloved at times) Patriots ship off to the Big Easy and play the burly Chicago Bears in Super Bowl 20. 

It was a cold New England January day. My dad woke up bright and early to head to Foxboro, to the then Schaefer Stadium with high hopes of leaving with Super Bowl tickets. 

He stood in line at the box office for over 9 hours. This was decades before the days of waiting in line for Black Friday deals, or the latest iPhone. When it was finally his turn at the window, he walked up and said “Two tickets for the Super Bowl please.”

The ticket teller paused for a moment, gazed at my dad and replied “excuse me?” With his heart beating a million miles a minute, he timidly responded, in his most clear and annunciated voice, “two cheap tickets for the big game please”, carefully stating each word, attempting to hide his thick Boston accent, for understandability. 

The teller smiled and said “you got it!”, turned around and reached for two of the cheapest tickets into the Super Dome. Within the last 10 rows in the top section of the stadium. 

My dad, bursting with excitement reached for his precious tickets like a child would a candy bar and exclaimed “thank you so much!”

$75 each for the biggest event on the planet. Roughy $180 adjusted for inflation. 

The Patriots would go on to be SHALACKED by those burly Bears, 46-10. But my dad and my uncle made memories at that game they still speak about today. 

Fast forward to 2018. If only it were so easy to obtain tickets to the big game. I would have no problem waiting outside for 9 days, nevermind 9 hours!