Massachusetts senator congratulated the ‘Boston Patriots’ for their Super Bowl LI win

The Patriots haven’t played in Massachusetts’ capital since 1970. That didn’t stop U.S. Senator Ed Markey from congratulating the “Boston Patriots” in front of the legislature on Monday.

“American history was made last night,” Markey told his fellow Senators. “The Boston Patriots won the Super Bowl, and this triumvirate of Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady continue this historic journey to being recognized as the greatest single football team in the history of the United States.”

Markey would later correct himself, potentially because the franchise made a sole postseason appearance in 11 years of playing at Fenway Park and the college stadiums of Boston College and Harvard. The team moved to Foxborough, Mass. in 1971, a small town approximately 45 minutes from both Boston and Providence, R.I. Since then, New England’s team has slowly developed into one of the NFL’s biggest juggernauts.

The Patriots pulled off the most improbable comeback in Super Bowl history Sunday, rallying from a 28-3 deficit to stun the Falcons. The win was the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl win, tying them for second all time with the Cowboys and 49ers. Only the Steelers, who have won the big game six times, have more.

Markey’s love of the Patriots gives him at least one thing in common with President Donald Trump. Like Markey, Trump has been effusive in his praise of the team, especially his “friends,” Robert Kraft, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick. The Democratic senator openly campaigned against the newly elected president and has been openly critical about Trump’s energy policies.

Given that another prominent Massachusetts senator once called former President Barack Obama “Osama Bin Laden,” maybe these Bay State slip-ups are just a proud political tradition.