Dan travels Mansfield, meets Julian Edelman

Wow, what a busy day for Dan the Banner. To start out the morning, Dan the Banner the tour of towns began in Mansfield. Considering it is the hometown and where we grew up, I found it only fitting to start here in the travels of the banner. We visited all kinds of places, and Danny had a ball. Unfortunately, it was a little early in the morning and a Saturday, so we didn't get to meet anybody around town, but got some great pics. Being the hometown and all, there may be a Day 2 of travels and pics, still a couple of places around town I need to hit up and get a picture. But it was off a great day in the good ol town of Mansfield.

Dan down at the Little League Complex, where many a nights were spent growing up.

Dan at the Old Country Store

Dan on the Town Common

Dan outside of Jordan/Jackson

Dan in front of QMS

As if that wasn't enough, later in the day I hit up Training Camp for the first time in 2011. It was a little slow, not too many people signing autographs in my section (and to be honest, it usually takes me a couple days to get warmed up and start calling people over), but fortunately Day 1 was not a shutout. Dan met Pats WR/Returner Julian Edelman. He seemed really nice, was very talkative with the fans, which was cool. Not the greatest of pictures, Dan's slouching pretty significantly, but Edelman is still rocking the caveman look so that made the picture look great.


Dan with Patriots WR Julian Edelman

 Probably won't be able to get back to a camp for a couple of days, but definitely excited to be back in this time of year. The Ocho-watch is officially on, as he has become my #1 Dan the Banner goal for this year.

Dan the Banner meets Devin McCourty!

Patriots Pro Bowl CB Devin McCourty

Oh what a day, what a day, what a day. Welcome in 2011 for the Banner! Tonight Dan made his first friend of the year, and oh was it a good one! The one and only Pro Bowl Selection, 2nd Team All-Pro, Should've Been Defensive Rookie of the Year, absolute stud in the making, Patriots CB Devin McCourty. And while I feel like I say this a lot, this truly was one of my favorite experiences because 1) I LOVE Devin McCourty and cannot wait to see him dominating in the Patriots secondary for years to come (what can I say, I have a soft spot for defensive backs), and 2) he said, and I quote, that Dan the Banner "might be the coolest thing I've ever seen."
???!?!?!??!!!?!?
Come on! I loved McCourty already, love him even more now, I think he may have just jumped up to my favorite Patriot because of that quote.
Devin made a Speaker Series appearance tonight at the Patriots Hall of Fame, I was fortunate enough to go, had the Banner in tow (obviously), and was able to get my pic with Devin, which I was so excited about because he was one of my targets at Training Camp this summer and I unfortunately never got the chance to get his pic. The event was really cool, basically a simple Q&A session with McCourty, and he was really good; very interesting, funny, informative, and it was really cool to listen to him talk in such an intimate setting.
First adventure for Dan the Banner in 2011 after coming out of winter hibernation, and it's certainly kicking off an a high note. So excited for this one, I think Dan the Banner has a new fan, a  new friend, and a new favorite Patriot! This guy is a stud in the making, one of the very bright spots on the Patriots young defense, and he's going to be a GREAT player in this league for years to come, so this is a huge addition to the Banner collection.