Jay Sullivan isn't taking any chances with the Super Bowl this time around. Right after the New England Patriots won the conference championship game last month, he set up his shrine to the home team in his living room.
Sullivan's shrine was in place for the 2001, 2003 and 2004 Super Bowls, and the Patriots won all three games. But the Salisbury resident wasn't able to get the shrine up for the 2007 Super Bowl, and everyone knows what happened — the Patriots' undefeated season came to a crushing end at the hands of the New York Giants.
"In 2007, I couldn't get Super Bowl Sunday off from work, so the shrine never went up, due to (my) depression," he said. "The Patriots ended up losing, and in a way, I feel somewhat responsible."
A diehard Patriots fan, Sullivan has been collecting memorabilia from his favorite team for about 25 years. He has amassed scores of items, including an old chair from the former Sullivan stadium autographed by former players Mosi Tatupu, Steve Grogan, Gino Cappelletti, and Andre Tippett; an autographed game ball given to a Patriots special teams coach; footballs, shirts and helmets signed by Tom Brady; and signed team photos from the past five years. He's got items from every Super Bowl the team has played in, as well as signed memorabilia from every coach going back to Chuck Fairbanks in 1970.
His signed helmet collection totals 36, including ones from quarterbacks Brady, Grogan. Jim Plunkett, Drew Bledsoe and even Babe Parilli, who led the team when it was known as the Boston Patriots, which was his dad's favorite team.
"We grew up in Lawrence, and my father went to law school with (former Patriot) Nick Buoniconti," Sullivan said. "My dad and my mom loved the Boston Patriots."
Sullivan said he is lucky, because 20 years ago he married a woman just as enamored as he is with the sport and the home team.
"My wife, Karen, is a football fanatic," Sullivan said. "She watches all the games, even when I'm not home. She loves football."
For years, the couple and their son, Connor, have headed to Foxborough for a couple games a year. They would also pick at least one away game to attend. They've already started making arrangements to attend next season's game in England.
"The family's traveled all over the country, to Miami, New York, Denver, New Orleans and to England to see the Patriots play," Sullivan said. "I turn 50 in 2014 when the Super Bowl will be played in New York, (with the game played) outside for the first time in years. God willing, that is when I'll see my first Super Bowl and see Brady win another championship."
Sullivan's shrine in the living room is where his wife's passion for the game may perhaps wane a bit.
"When I first started with the shrine, we almost ended up in divorce court," Sullivan said, laughing. "This year, she'll probably make me take the shrine down about a week after the Super Bowl. If I had my way, I'd leave it up all year."
The shrine doesn't move far, however. For the rest of the year, it lives in Sullivan's sports room upstairs, which also features memorabilia from the Boston Celtics and Red Sox.
On Sunday, Jay and Karen Sullivan will leave the shrine at home as they head with six other devoted football couples to the Marriott by Gillette Stadium in Foxborough for a party at a sports bar there.
But in true Sullivan tradition, he'll bring a piece of his shrine with him.
"We're taking a full-size cutout of Tom Brady with us," Sullivan said. "We're going to be carrying him around with us."
Attending the party isn't the real reason the Sullivans are heading to Foxborough to watch the game. They have an ulterior motive.
"We'll be down there, so the next morning, when the Patriots bring the Super Bowl trophy home, we'll see the team come back with it," Sullivan said. "Oh, yeah, they're bringing it back."
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