Brendan Shaughnessy
"The Patriot Way"
Boston · New England Patriots
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About
Brendan was raised in Dorchester's Savin Hill neighborhood, the grandson of Irish immigrants who arrived through South Boston in the 1950s. He attended Cardinal O'Toole High in Mattapan before earning a communications degree at UMass Boston, commuting in on the Red Line from Fields Corner Station every morning. He worked his way up from freelancing game notes for the Boston Herald to appearing on WEEI and eventually landing a full-time NFL desk after the Patriots' first dynasty Super Bowl run made the market explode.
Fan Perspective
Brendan grew up eating Cleveland Browns–level mediocrity before Parcells arrived, and he never lets himself forget it — he is acutely aware that spoiled fan behavior is a real danger after six Super Bowls. He credits Belichick and Brady for changing what it means to be a New England fan, and he is openly grieving the post-Brady era while also being the first guy to give credit when Drake Maye does something right. He wears his pessimism like armor but loses it completely when the Patriots go up in the fourth quarter.
Local Coverage
Brendan does his pregame hits from the bar at Cask 'n Flagon on Lansdowne Street before big home games and mentions Sullivan's on Castle Island, the South Boston clam shack, as his offseason thinking spot. He talks about the Dunkin' on Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester the way other people talk about church, and always references the Harp on Northern Avenue for the postgame crowd on playoff Sundays. Gillette Stadium is always 'Foxboro' to him, never the sponsorship name.