PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Anthony Cicolini is thrilled with his 13th birthday present: a trip to Houston to see the Super Bowl with his father, Jeff.
By HAROLD RIVERA
When Saugus Board of Selectmen member Jeff Cicolini considered what to get his son, Anthony, for his 13th birthday, nothing seemed to come to mind. But sometimes the best ideas start out with a little bit of head scratching.
Cicolini’s birthday gift to his son? A trip to Houston to watch their beloved New England Patriots play against the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl.
“I’ve been bringing Anthony to games with me since he was 5 years old,” said Cicolini, a Saugus native and Patriots season ticket holder since 2006. “I started way up in the nosebleed section. He goes to most of the games with me. We went together to the Divisional Round game against Houston and the AFC Championship game against Pittsburgh.”
Now that Anthony has developed a deep understanding of the sport and a devotion to the team, Cicolini felt the timing was right to capitalize on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“We were talking about how this could be one of the last opportunities,” Cicolini said. “We don’t know how much longer (Tom) Brady’s going to play. One of the partners at my firm is bringing his son, so I mentioned that I’d love to bring Anthony with me.”
Anthony, a talented three-sport athlete in football, baseball and basketball, was getting ready for hoops practice when his father shared the big news.
“I was really surprised,” Anthony said. “I was on my way to basketball practice and he was on his computer looking for tickets. He called me and asked ‘Anthony how old are you?’ I told him ‘12’ and he said, ‘You’re going to the Super Bowl before you turn 13.’ It was the most amazing feeling ever. I couldn’t even speak.”
As a Pats season ticket holder, Cicolini has the opportunity to bring Anthony to six games each season. The six games are usually chosen by Anthony when the ticket book arrives in the mail, prior to the start of the season.
“I think it’s awesome,” Anthony said. “I know a lot of kids that have never been to a Patriots game. It’s insane to think that I get to go to six games every year.”
https://newitemlive.wpengine.com/news/patriots-fans-share-game-day-superstitions/
Sunday’s game will the first time either has attended a Super Bowl. Cicolini began rooting for the Patriots at a time when Super Bowl appearances weren’t a norm in New England. When Robert Kraft bought the team, that began to change.
“I was on the waiting list for season tickets the year they lost the Super Bowl to Green Bay (1996 season),” Cicolini recalled. “Even though they weren’t very good, I was a fan. When Kraft bought the team it became easier to stay focused because they began doing special things.”
He added, “We’ve been very fortunate with the Patriots. They’ve been to six Super Bowls. I have partners that have been to several, but I’ve never been. We’re not the norm in the NFL. There are teams that have never been.”
Anthony, who attends Belmonte Middle School in Saugus, said it took some effort on his part to convince his friends that he’d be going to the Super Bowl.
“They didn’t believe me at first,” he said. “After a while they started to believe me.”
Both Anthony and his father shared predictions for Sunday’s game.
“I think it’s going to be a high-scoring game,” Anthony predicted. “The key for the Patriots is going to be stopping Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones. If we can lock down those two, we should have no problem winning. I think the Patriots will win, 38-35.”
His father predicted a low-scoring game, with LeGarrette Blount and the Patriots running backs making the difference.
“I think the X-factor will be establishing the running game with Blount,” Cicolini said. “I think James White will have a big game. If I had to guess a score, I’d say 21-17 Patriots.”