Now both Patriots’ Day and New England Patriots Day are officially recognized in the state of Massachusetts.

In a sensationally-worded proclamation Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Baker declared the latter shall be observed Tuesday — February 7, 2017 — in the state of Massachusetts (Patriots’ Day, a state holiday, of course, is celebrated on the third Monday in April).

But while the official recognition of a local sports team’s success is hardly novel, the combination of resolution-style format and recalling the accomplishments results in some entertaining lines. For example:

Whereas Under the tutelage of Coach Belichick and his magnificent staff, Tom Brady and his teammates orchestrated the most miraculous comeback win in Super Bowl history;

Baker, a diehard Patriots fan, seemed to enjoy it, as he acknowledged in tweet: “Kinda wrote itself!”


It’s also possibly the first time the acronym GOAT was used in an official government decree.

Read the full proclamation below:

A Proclamation

Whereas February 5th, 2017, marks parade day once again in Boston to honor an amazing win in Super Bowl LI and the historic run over the past 16 years by the New England Patriots; and

Whereas No team playing in the Super Bowl had ever overcome a deficit greater than 10 points, the New England Patriots scored 31 unanswered points to erase Atlanta’s 25-point advantage; and

Whereas Under the tutelage of Coach Belichick and his magnificent staff, Tom Brady and his teammates orchestrated the most miraculous comeback win in Super Bowl history; and

Whereas Tom Brady threw for a Super Bowl record 466 yards, cementing his legacy as the GOAT; and

Whereas Bill Belichick, having taken the Patriots to 11 conference championships in 16 years, eclipsed former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll as the winningest Super Bowl coach, running his record to 5-2 on sport’s biggest stage; and

Whereas Dont’a Hightower’s forced fumble, Trey Flower’s sack, Julian Edelman’s gravity defying catch, and James White’s stand out performance, coupled with the offensive line’s resilient protection and a host of other key player contributions, are a hallmark of the New England Patriots concept of a “team win”; and


Whereas Under the Kraft Family’s leadership, “doing your job” is not only a saying but a way of life – the New England Patriots have collectively become the region’s greatest role model for fans watching from Maine to Connecticut and everywhere in between; and

Whereas New England and Boston sports have a rich and fasting history punctuated by an unprecedented run over the past 16 years across all the region’s professional sports, and the New England Patriots are known as the architects of this historic run; and

Whereas Since the founding of this nation, Boston has been the birthplace of patriots and game changers, the New England Patriots have proudly carried on this tradition, heralding in a new generation of Patriots and Patriots fans,

Now, Therefore, I, Charles D. Baker, Governor of the Commonwelalth fo Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim February 7th, 2017, to be,

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS DAY

And urge all the citizens of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.