Hey, I thought Gov. Patrick was dealing with the electricity crisis in Fitchburg...
Yes, Pats fans, that was Governor Deval Patrick you spotted in the warm owners' box at Gillette Stadium during Sunday's broadcast of New England's drubbing of the Arizona Cardinals, the same governor who often has to be updated by his aides on the names of key players.Although it may seem like a treat to sit with Robert Kraft and others in the cozy, exclusive environs of the box, particularly on a day when the snow was a lot more furious than the Cardinals defense, the governor's staff says that Patrick was there only because he was working.
Patrick was visiting Gillette on official business, spokesman Joseph Landolfi said, and it was within his rights to take in the game as a guest of Kraft.
"His involvement at the game was formal," Landolfi said. "He was there in his official capacity to reenlist National Guard members during halftime. This is done annually."
Landolfi discounted any thought that Patrick was accepting an improper freebie from a team owner who is on the potential receiving end of significant state assistance.
Just a few weeks ago, the Patrick administration designated 500 acres near the stadium as a growth district, meaning it would be eligible for fast-track approvals and state infrastructure money.
The Krafts have been considering the property for a 1.5-million-square-foot office development and biotech research park.
And last year, the governor signed legislation that makes a dozen liquor licenses available for the huge new Patriot Place development next to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
UPDATE: More from Michael Graham and Jon Keller.
SECOND UPDATE: More from the Globe and Herald.
