GBH

Photo Essay: Hope, hype then heartbreak for Patriots fans

GBH | By Arthur Mansavage

Published February 9, 2026 at 10:11 AM EST

Alex Vangurp holds his hands over his mouth in shock during a Super Bowl watch party at Banners Kitchen & Taproom at TD Garden in Boston on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.

The energy started out high at Banners Kitchen & Taproom — just steps away from TD Garden — where crowds of Patriots fans were hoping to celebrate what would have been a historic 7th Lombardi Trophy for the football team.

The main floor of the Banners Kitchen & Taproom in TD Garden was partially empty as the Super Bowl LX post-game show began. Fans started to leave through the fourth quarter as hope for a Patriots win dwindled.

But as the clock bled out on Super Bowl LX, the massive 40-foot diagonal LED screen known as the "Dream Screen" instead mirrored a grim reality: a 29–13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Joe Ford from Springfield, Massachusetts sits back in his chair and takes his hat off as the Seahawks keep their lead with just minutes left in Super Bowl LX.

As the Patriots struggled to find their rhythm against the Seahawks, the room got quieter. There were blank stares and crossed arms.

A Patriots fan crosses his arms and stares at the TV during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LX at Banner Kitchen & Taproom on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.

The bar's massive screens showed a game that felt increasingly out of reach, and the tension in the room was visible.

A Patriots fan is cheering and tensing up as the Patriots attempt a fourth-quarter comeback.

At the top of the 4th quarter, some fans flipped their hats into rally caps in a desperate attempt to change the energy.

A Patriots fan wearing a flipped rally cap cheering during the fourth quarter of the game.

When the Pats finally got on the scoreboard, the room surged with hope. But as the clock ran down, that optimism dwindled.

A patriots fan sitting alone staring up at the 40-foot diagonal LED 'Dream Screen' at Banners Kitchen & Taproom as the Super Bowl LX during the Super Bowl LX post-game show.

And by the final whistle, the room had thinned out. Some fans couldn't stay to watch the end, and those who remained stared at the screens as the post-game Seahawks celebration began.