Murphy's Patriots II 

From: The Murphy's Patriots Primer (An upcoming regular column by Scott Mcandless)

On Becoming a Murphy’s Regular

October 2008

Welcome to Murphy's, home of the best Patriots fans on the planet!

Now that you're here (and telling your friends about it), it's important to know a few things about the Murphy's Patriots Experience.

First, pay homage to Charlie. Our dear Founder has passed away, may he rest in peace, but it is because of Charlie that Murphy's became a Patriots bar (in the mid-1990s). For a few stories about Charlie and his loyalty to the Patriots and their fans, seek out a Regular at the bar.

Second, a word of thanks to Dugan. He turned Charlie's hard work into a gift that keeps on giving, cementing the great relationship we enjoy with Murphy's management and their great wait staff, and creating the environment that makes it so enjoyable. Dugan has moved and is not been able to attend as often as he used to, but hopefully he will make a few appearances during the season.

Third, the upstairs floor where the Patriots fans gather is divided into two main sections. The tables near the fireplace and the huge screen TV in the main room occupy what is known as "The 50 Yard Line." This is for people who want to avoid the smokier parts of the bar and relax on more comfy chairs. The bar area, especially closer to the windows, is known as "The End Zone." This is the slightly crazier area, whence most of the ridiculous cheers (see below) originate.

And while it is crazier in the End Zone, whichever section you're in, one of the things that makes Murphy's great is that everyone is there to have fun and is very respectful of each other and their guests. We often have fans of the opposition join us and it's pretty rare that we don't get them laughing along with us. Let them be jerks if they want to and not lower ourselves -- we're there to have fun!

OK, fourth -- the cheers. The Murphy's Patriots cheers have evolved over the years and several are absolute standards that come up just about every time. Here is a list of the key cheers and we welcome new ones, so bring your wits with you and add to the list.

Kickoffs -- When the Patriots kick off to the other team (at the beginning of a half or after a TD), we chant, "Fumble on the kickoff!" It has become so ingrained a chant that we actually have shirts that read F.O.T.K. It's pretty rare that the opposition actually does fumble a kickoff, but the bar explodes when it happens, because after all we caused it.

First Downs -- One of the Regulars in the End Zone starts this off by shouting, "That's another Patriots ... " and the rest of the bar shouts back, "FIRST DOWN!!" This is an homage to the Patriots P.A. announcer at Gillette, who used to do this same shout but was ordered not to "incite the crowd" anymore by the NFL police. So, we took up the mantle around the 2002 season or so and we've been doing it ever since. (Side note: the author of this Murphy's Primer is usually the one who leads this shout, by the way.)

Touchdowns -- This one's the best, of course. We love scoring. But we also hate the Jets. Can't help it, just born that way. So, no matter which team we are playing that day, we always end the touchdown cheer by shouting, "Jets suck!!" The cheer goes like this: "Na na na na na naaaah -- hey! Na na na na na naaaah -- hey! Na na na na na naaaah -- hey! Jets suck" You'll get it as soon as you hear it once.

Various Penalties -- When a flag is thrown and we are pretty sure the opposing team's defense has jumped offsides, we chant "Hands on hips!" because the refs will indicate the call by putting their hands on their hips and calling, "Offsides." It's a dumb one, but fun, so roll with it or please help us come up with something better. Here's an even dumber one: when the opposing team's offense commits a false start, we shout, "Do the Hustle!" because the refs spin their fists around like they are about to break into a disco dance move. Yeah, it needs work.

Enjoy the cheers, wear your jerseys, show off your love for all things Patriots. We have had raffles and t-shirt sales and the like in the past and we hope to do that again this season as well.

One more thing: as noted above, the management and staff at Murphy's are second to none. They are *great* to us, so please take good care of them and tip heavily. Murphy's graciousness has paid off handsomely especially when it comes to playoff games and making arrangements to be able to watch the games there even when it's on a busy Saturday night and Murphy's has other things going on. Let's keep the good karma and warm welcomes going!

We are lucky to have a place like Murphy's and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have over the years. Find some of the old timers and Regulars and get caught up on some of our stories and Murphy's Patriots road trips (there are lots of pictures on this web site from years of road trips!).

Go Patriots!