Following the New England Patriots and their fans for the entire 2002 season after their surprising victory in the Super Bowl the year before, Glennon hitches his cart to the Pats' bandwagon to find out what makes the team's fans tick. Glennon, who based this volume on a series of essays in the Boston Phoenix
, is knowledgeable and understands the ins-and-outs of the NFL and its fans ("Jets fans embody the worst characteristics of New Yorkers"). Though a native New Englander, he is not exactly a Patriots fan, which means that he has little invested in the team. The book's strengths lie in Glennon's explorations of the thoughts and emotions of the general football fan. For instance, following through on the novel idea of watching a Pats' game in a gay bar, he gains an intriguing perspective on how homosexual football fans deal with the homophobic tendencies of many other fans and players. He also takes a look at the fans' and football's connections to superstitions, Thanksgiving and alcohol. Since Glennon admits to becoming a Raiders fan as a youngster because the Patriots were "aggressively awful," his passion for the team is fleeting and his understanding of Patriots fans appears skin-deep at times. (Sept.)
