In the three years that Chad Frost has worked at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Augusta, the New England Patriots have won the Super Bowl twice. Once was two years ago.
But something was different about the enthusiasm of customers who came to Dick’s Monday after the Patriots’ dramatic comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. According to Frost, the store manager, about a dozen people were there when it opened at 9 a.m. Monday, hoping to purchase specially made apparel: hats, T-shirts, pint glasses.
Many of the specially made items — ones that touted a Super Bowl win — were sold out by mid-morning.
“We didn’t have the craze (two years ago),” Frost said. “It was definitely busier this morning, maybe because it was such a great game.”
Louis Shorey of Whitefield was one of the lucky customers, finding what seemed to be the last extra-large t-shirt featuring the Pats logo and, in big white letters on a navy blue background, “LI Super Bowl Champions.” He also got a commemorative banner and a shirt for his wife.
He was still in awe of the team’s performance Sunday night.
“At halftime, I honestly didn’t think they could come back,” Shorey said. “I felt so bad for the Falcons, because they led the whole game and to lose it in the end, but I guess good for us.”
Christine O’Rourke of Vassalboro and her family are going on a trip to Florida soon, and she was buying four commemorative shirts for them to wear on their trip to the south — to the Falcons’ backyard, no less.
“We wanted to show off the Patriots spirit,” she said.
Charles Eichacker — 621-5642
Twitter: @ceichacker
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