Patriots, explained: Why are they called ‘Patriots’?

Photo by Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesThe New England Patriots are one of the NFL’s most storied and successful franchises. Their more than six-decade history, however, is one of many ups and downs and stories worth taking a closer look at.

So, to get a better idea of this franchise’s identity our new offseason series explores the very foundation of this team. The idea is to explain how the Patriots became who they are today — one of the NFL’s model franchises.

Today, the series kicks off with a pretty basic question:

Why are they called “Patriots”?

On November 16, 1959, after an 11-year hiatus, professional football finally returned to the Northeast. Boston businessman Billy…