FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Brady wants loud fans cheering for his team in Sunday's home opener. He even had a suggestion for their pregame activities.
"Yeah, start drinking early," the New England Patriots quarterback said Wednesday with a grin, drawing laughter from reporters at his locker. "It's a 4:15 (p.m.) game. They have a lot of time to get lubed up, come out here and cheer for the home team."
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Less than an hour later, Patriots spokesman Stacey James said Brady wanted to clarify his remarks. The quarterback, James said, "wants everyone to drink a lot of water, stay hydrated. Drink responsibly."
The Patriots, coming off a 38-24 road victory over the Miami Dolphins in the season opener, face the San Diego Chargers, themselves 24-17 winners over the Minnesota Vikings.
Last September, Brady said he wasn't happy that fans left Gillette Stadium early in a season-opening 38-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Perhaps they just expect the three-time Super Bowl champions to do well.
"We've spoiled our fans, is that what you're saying?" Brady said Wednesday. "If we make good plays, they're going to scream. If we don't make good plays, they're going to probably boo us. So we're going to focus on trying to make good plays.
"The crowd, it always helps when they're loud, but we have to give them reasons to be loud. We have to give them reasons to cheer for us."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
