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There's something special about New England Patriots fans. We share a unique bond. We weren't all there to witness the earliest days of the franchise, but we were there to experience the critical turning point, when Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady changed everything forever.

We don't need to dig up archival footage to experience what it was like when the Patriots won three Super Bowls in four years, because we saw it with our own eyes. We were there. Even the youngest Patriots fans among us can speak with authority about seeing Brady hoist trophies, smash records and win MVP awards.

How many fanbases can say that? How many fanbases can point to three banners and feel a personal connection with each one?

Amazingly, despite all the greatness we've seen, we're still seeing more of it. We're watching this team grow. And, in many ways, we've grown along with the team over the years. We've been evolving with Kraft, with Belichick and with Brady. It's a unifying factor that has linked Patriots fans together on an emotional level, turning this fanbase into an extraordinarily passionate community.

Here are six ways you know you're a Patriots fan.