Patriot Games Media

For most people, a heavy snowstorm is a sign to stay indoors, brew up a cup of hot cocoa, and watch I Love Lucy re-runs until they fall asleep. Or is that just me? Anyway, Massachusetts football fans aren’t most people, and they weren’t going to cancel a game over a little flurry. Little did they know that what began as a friendly competition would become a tale of intrigue and accusations.The date in question was December 12, 1982, and the New England Patriots were matched up against the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots had started out with a 2-3 losing season, and knew a win was their only hope for remaining playoff contenders. However, circumstances combined to keep the game tied at 0-0 for three full quarters and most of the fourth. With less than five minutes left in the game, Patriots coach Ron Meyer called a time-out and put in Mark Smith, hoping that he would be able to manage a field goal. The sight of Smith trying to dig a clear-enough spot to kick from was a pitiful sightand one which gave Meyer an idea.Meyer approached Mark Henderson, a convicted burglar on work-release who was snowplowing the yard lines during the game. Henderson knew what he had to do. Nonchalantly clearing off the 20 yard line, Henderson made a hard turn at Meyer’s signal and cleared off a space for Smith to kick from. When Smith made the goal, Henderson and his snowplow took center-stage on the stadium’s screens.While Dolphins coach Don Shula harshly (and angrily) criticized the goal, there were no explicit rules against it, and the Patriots ended up with the win. Henderson was honored with a game ball, and was brought back ceremonially during a 2001 Pats-Dolphins game at the same stadium. As for the snowplow, it hangs proudly in Gillette Stadiuma sly reminder of the day the Patriots plowed their way to victory.