Patriots QB Named After “Party of Five” Character: Suddenly a Bunch of Scott Wolf Super Fans are Interested in Football
Our Patriots QB was named after a “Party of Five” Character!
Yes, Patriot QB Bailey Zappe’s mom named him after “Party of Five” character Bailey Salinger.
For those born after, say, 1985, “Party of Five” was the go-to tear-jerker FOX TV show we Gen-Xers all watched with our crying moms before we went out with our friends to do whip-its in the Cumberland Farms’ parking lot.
Tell me I’m lying.
ANYWAY.
I first heard this on Sunday from my sister, who actually watches sports.
This is what the Patriots QB said:
“Her and my dad were together, so I don’t think she’ll publicly say that she had a crush on him. She liked that he was the main character, and she was pregnant with me at the time, so I guess it was Bailey, Bailey. I guess that’s how I got the name.”
Well, all of a sudden I’m an expert on both Zappe and ’90s prime time dramas, because my sister’s text launched a deep dive into both Zappe’s upbringing and my favorite moments from “Party of Five.”
Here’s his mom:
Words just can't say enough of how proud I am of my #4. He loves the game of football and I love watching him play. 🏉🏉 Lets Go Titans pic.twitter.com/b2jXsL76yS
— Sammie Zappe (@SammieZappe) November 4, 2016
Can we talk about how DARK “Party of Five” was?
Here’s the premise of the family show, according to Wikipedia:
“The show, set in San Francisco, centered on the five Salinger siblings (the “party of five” of the show’s title), who become orphans after their parents are killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. The family is composed of 24-year-old Charlie (Matthew Fox), the eldest, a womanizing, immature manual laborer who struggles with the responsibility of being the new head of the family; 16-year-old Bailey (Scott Wolf), the once-rebellious teen forced into a role of responsible caretaker and later veering into alcoholism; 15-year-old Julia (Neve Campbell), a sensitive teen; 11-year-old Claudia (Lacey Chabert), a precocious child prodigy musician; and baby Owen, age one.
“The siblings take over the running of their family’s restaurant, Salinger’s. Charlie initially serves as bartender and manager, and later Bailey takes over. Over the years, the Salingers face various struggles: the long-term effects of parental loss; in season 3, Bailey’s attempt to recover from alcoholism; in season 4, Charlie’s diagnosis with cancer; and in season 5, Julia’s dealing with domestic violence in a relationship.”
Looks like Zappe’s mom was into it. The Patriots QB was born in 1999. “Party of Five” aired from 1994 to 2000.
Fun fact: it launched the career of “I Know What You Did Last Summer’s” Jennifer Love Hewitt. She played Bailey’s long-suffering girlfriend.
If you want a taste on how SAD this show was, watch this clip from “The Intervention” where Claudia confronts Bailey, who is an alcoholic.