Hello, my name is Kes Baker, and I am a New England Patriots fan. Now, there is only one little problem with that: I go to school in the middle of Pennsylvania. This is Steelers/Eagles territory, which is not too friendly to Patsnation. So, here is what it's really like to be a Patriots fan when you don't live in Patsnation.

Firstly, you are one of the few people in the area that supports your team. It seems that almost everyone dislikes Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots, and being outside of New England really emphasizes that. I feel like I am one of the only Patriots fans on the campus. However, I am definitely not alone. Usually on the weekends, I will see at least 10 people wearing some sort of Patriots gear. I always get oddly excited when I see a Patriots fan; I am truly not alone in my opinion that the Patriots are awesome.

Secondly, my friends who actually follow football always give me crap for liking the Patriots. Well, I grew up in New England, what do you expect? So to those of you who are Eagles/Steelers/any other team fan, if you don't like my team, I'm not upset. You are entitled to your opinion, just like I am entitled to mine. So don't give me crap for liking my local team when I don't give you crap for yours. I like the Patriots, and frankly, they are a good team. Just because they beat your team doesn't mean they are all terrible...

Anyway...

Lastly, not being in New England means that I don't get to see every Patriots game. This is obviously a bummer, but there are other ways to enjoy the game. If I can't watch the game, I will follow it on Twitter and listen to a local Boston station that broadcasts every game. A dedicated Patriots fan will always find a way to support their team.

I love being a Patriots fan. I love my team. I hate that I'm not always able to watch the games, but that doesn't stop me from supporting them.

Once a Patriot, always a Patriot.