Maine

LIII for LIII: Maine Man Continues Super Bowl Streak

When Don Crisman suffered a serious illness last summer, he didn't think he'd make it to Super Bowl LIII, but the Patriots pulled through, and so did he

Don Crisman of Maine has been to every single Super Bowl, and as a lifelong Patriots fan, these games have become more and more special for the 82-year-old.

Crisman remembers the $12 ticket for Super Bowl I.

"They had two college bands at halftime," he said.

It was at the game in Los Angeles that he told his buddies, "this could turn into the World Series of football."

The retired sales manager of a telecommunication company's sweetest Super Bowl memory is from just two years ago.

"The Patriots' overtime win, that's probably the best game of all," Crisman said of Super Bowl LI, in which the Patriots came back from being down 28-3 to beat the Atlanta Falcons.

The coldest, he said, was Super Bowl VI in New Orleans. He said the worst one was "the Patriots first Super Bowl, Super Bowl XX. They lost 46-10. It was over at the half."

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After the first 20 games, his group thought of milestones they'd hit so they could stop.

"I kind of made a plan to drop out after number 30 but the Patriots got into 31, and I gotta go," Crisman said. "Then at Super Bowl L, I said, 'I'm going to go then, that's it,' and the Patriots get in again and again and again."

His Kennebunk home is now a treasure trove of football paraphernalia and his mind an encyclopedia. And when Crisman suffered a serious illness last summer, he didn't think he'd make it to Super Bowl LIII, but the Patriots pulled through, and so did he. Now, he's ready to continue boxing away more memories.

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