On Sept. 9, 1960, the Boston Patriots and Denver Broncos played the first game of the American Football League at Boston University Field. The Broncos won 13-10, but the first points were scored by Boston kicker Gino Cappelletti on a 34-yard field goal. The game was played in front of 21,597 fans.
The late Billy Sullivan is responsible for bringing the Patriots to Boston. He was the last to join the eight-team league and purchased the Patriots for $25,000. There were no guarantees the AFL would succeed, and the original eight team owners were known as “The Foolish Club” for trying to challenge the NFL.
But the league gained credibility and survived.
Sullivan played an integral role in the merger between the AFL and NFL in 1970. In 1988, he sold the Patriots to Victor Kiam, the chairman of Remington, for $85 million.
Not so foolish after all.
