Through the first six weeks of the regular season, the New England Patriots are an abysmal 1-5. Their season is already over and they are, quite frankly, difficult to watch.
You would have to go back to 1995, Robert Kraft’s second year of owning the franchise, to find the last time that the Pats were 1-5 to start a season. It’s fair to say that a look of time has passed between now and then; Bill Belichick was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and wouldn’t become New England’s head coach for four more years, while a little-known player named Tom Brady was yet to begin his stint with the Michigan Wolverines.
So, yes, it’s been a minute since the Patriots were last in the position that they find themselves in now. While it’s been utter jubilation from fans who grew tired of the Patriots’ dynasty always finding ways to win in the 2000-2010s, the fall from grace has been a hard one for fans of the team. On the bright side, it’s hard to imagine what life was like the last time New England was this bad. In what other ways was our world different in the glorious year 1995?
Legendary UConn head coach Geno Auriemma was prepping for his 11th season at the helm of the Huskies
Auriemma was fresh off of his first NCAA Championship the year prior on a team highlighted by Rebecca Lobo, Jen Rizzotti and Kara Wolters. Since 1995, Coach Auriemma has led UConn for 28 seasons. This upcoming season will be his 39th at the helm for Connecticut.
Toy Story was yet to be released
Aside from being a pleasant film to watch, “Toy Story” revolutionized the way that films could be produced when it became the first fully computer-animated feature film ever released. The film came out in late November of 1995, so it had yet to hit theaters the last time the Pats were 1-5 to start a season. Since then, “Toy Story” has simply become one of Disney’s top-grossing franchises. Just to think that iconic characters like Woody, Buzz and Jessie were a figment of imagination at that point is kind of astounding.
O.J. had just been found not guilty
In one of the most publicized public trials in human history, former NFL star O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. It was a monumental decision given the evidence that seemingly stacked against Simpson, and with the trial’s massive publicity, it feels odd this decision was made way back in October 1995. At the time, the only Kardashian worth caring for was Robert Kardashian, Simpson’s lawyer. His oldest daughter, Kourtney Kardashian, was just 16 years old when the case was decided.
The record for the world’s oldest person was set
On Oct. 17, 1995, French woman Jeanne Calment became the oldest person in history when she reached the ripe age of 120 years and 238 days old. In her life, Calment would live to be 122 years and 164 days old. She was born in France in 1875 (!).
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers played in their first seasons with the NFL
1995 was an important year in the NFL; it wasn’t just the last time the Patriots were this awful, it was the first season that the Jags and Panthers played as NFL franchises. In addition, legendary quarterback Joe Montana retired early in the year and all-time head coach wins leader Don Shula stepped away from the game after the season ended. Only Belichick (330) has come close to sniffing Shula’s mark of 347 NFL wins.
