The Conversation: Curran and Jonathan Kraft

[MoLewisrocks]

Excellent sit down interview that touches on contracts and spending and getting a fair deal for both sides done with Brady under the current constrictions (despite what Felger may contend...) and that the team is 8th in the league in cash spending over the last decade and the fact that neither Robert or Jonathan EVER talked contract with Mankins leading Jonathan to conclude the player may be getting BS whispered in his ear (and it's clear if he were here they got some fence mending to do because of what was contended) and the delicious little tidbit that while another team placed a higher value on him than we did at the time, Asante was on the trading block in Philly this off season...

The Conversation with Tom E. Curran | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com

 

[Rob0729]

Unless Jonathan is misinformed by his father or lying, I am beginning to belive Mankins could have said what he said because his agent feels that the only way to get to the Pats is over-the-top hardline tactics.

 

[upstater1]

So, after lauding our management yesterday for not talking and playing the media game, one of the honchos comes out and says that, one, Mankins' agent is lying to him, and two, he reveals for the world to hear that another NFL team was trying to trade one of its biggest players.

Thanks Jonathan for making BB's job harder.

 

[Reckedtrek]

Mankins for Samuel??????

I wanna get paid Vs. "get paid".

Talk about a rock and a hard place.

 

[cloud34]

Excellent sit down interview that touches on contracts and spending and getting a fair deal for both sides done with Brady under the current constrictions (despite what Felger may contend...) and that the team is 8th in the league in cash spending over the last decade and the fact that neither Robert or Jonathan EVER talked contract with Mankins leading Jonathan to conclude the player may be getting BS whispered in his ear (and it's clear if he were here they got some fence mending to do because of what was contended) and the delicious little tidbit that while another team placed a higher value on him than we did at the time, Asante was on the trading block in Philly this off season...

The Conversation with Tom E. Curran | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com

Great segment...somebody needs to send this to Felger.....And, when it comes down to believing what the Krafts say or what a sleezy agent says, or has told his client, I'm gonna have to believe the Krafts are a little more credible than the sleezy agent.

 

[mgcolby]

Mankins for Samuel??????

Samuel sucks! He sucked when he was here and he sucks in Philly. The only people that seem think he is good are the people that judge CB's by Int's. Give me the two young guys, at least we can find out what they are, because we already know what Asante is and that is a degenerate gambler that costs his team far more than he helps.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

So, after lauding our management yesterday for not talking and playing the media game, one of the honchos comes out and says that, one, Mankins' agent is lying to him, and two, he reveals for the world to hear that another NFL team was trying to trade one of its biggest players.

Thanks Jonathan for making BB's job harder.

You are quite right. One should never clarify or express one's well-thought-out opinion in a professional manner. I'm sure BB is fuming over that one.

 

[mgcolby]

So, after lauding our management yesterday for not talking and playing the media game, one of the honchos comes out and says that, one, Mankins' agent is lying to him, and two, he reveals for the world to hear that another NFL team was trying to trade one of its biggest players.

Thanks Jonathan for making BB's job harder.

How is that making BB's job harder?

He was making a point about value, and I don't think it was a secret that Asante was on the trade block. Andy Reid was pretty public about his dissapointment in him.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

So, after lauding our management yesterday for not talking and playing the media game, one of the honchos comes out and says that, one, Mankins' agent is lying to him, and two, he reveals for the world to hear that another NFL team was trying to trade one of its biggest players.

Thanks Jonathan for making BB's job harder.

We don't play the media game, but at the same time we have to cooperate with the media as an organization on some level. It's part of the price of being relevant, which was the Kraft's goal when they acquired the team - making it relevant. Jonathan does a pre game segment every week and he's pretty open and up front and answers questions tactfully (as tactfully as he can given the morons he's often dealing with like Felger don't want to hear or acknowledge the truth because it isn't controversial enough). This has nothing to do with Bill and I doubt he'd take issue with anything Jonathan said. Pioli used to be more forthcoming than Bill in exactly these settings, that's part of the deal. Coach ain't giving you much day to day because he's wearing his coaches hat. Ownership will set the record straight from time to time as needed. Mankins either mis spoke or was lied to. Fans and media covering this team have a right to know that is ownerships stand since it was ownership who was called out publicly by this player. Nothing Jonathan said made Bill's job any harder. In fact it might have made it easier. I've heard the disconnect characterized in the past as the player has no issues with Bill, talks to him (or did over the off season). Perhaps he's convinced himself that the organization that set a value on him wasn't doing so under Bill's direction...that Bill would love to overpay him but the dispicable Krafts won't hear of it... That's never been the way it works here. The organization sets a budget, as they all do (even including the Redskins according to their former cap guru) based on operating revenue projections. Then the FO which Bill heads here decides how it wants to divide that budget among units and individual players. Bill could have extended him any time he wanted to. Apparently he didn't want to for whatever reason in 2008 and 2009.

Mankins playing the coach loves me, I love playing for coach, everyone knows how significant a player I am so the owner must be a liar card was BS. I think it's generous of the Kraft family via Jonathan to make it clear at this juncture that they liked the player and feel bad about what has transpired and are assuming he was somehow misled. Gives him his public way out unless he's too stupid to grasp that even now.

 

[crowell33]

Great Post. Thanks for the link.

 

[SVN]

seems felger has really got to the patriots organization

 

[upstater1]

I'm only pointing out that the sentiment in this thread so far is entirely the opposite of the sentiment in the Brandt thread, with MoLewisRocks being the only consistent one (though I disagreed with him in both cases ).

 

[shmessy]

Great segment...somebody needs to send this to Felger......

Why?

Felger doesn't care if he's right or wrong. He'll be thrilled that Kraft mentioned his name twice.

You don't understand how it works?

 

[vyrago]

So, after lauding our management yesterday for not talking and playing the media game, one of the honchos comes out and says that, one, Mankins' agent is lying to him, and two, he reveals for the world to hear that another NFL team was trying to trade one of its biggest players.

Thanks Jonathan for making BB's job harder.

Harder in what way? Please explain.

 

[AQPE]

We don't play the media game, but at the same time we have to cooperate with the media as an organization on some level. It's part of the price of being relevant, which was the Kraft's goal when they acquired the team - making it relevant. Jonathan does a pre game segment every week and he's pretty open and up front and answers questions tactfully (as tactfully as he can given the morons he's often dealing with like Felger don't want to hear or acknowledge the truth because it isn't controversial enough). This has nothing to do with Bill and I doubt he'd take issue with anything Jonathan said. Pioli used to be more forthcoming than Bill in exactly these settings, that's part of the deal. Coach ain't giving you much day to day because he's wearing his coaches hat. Ownership will set the record straight from time to time as needed. Mankins either mis spoke or was lied to. Fans and media covering this team have a right to know that is ownerships stand since it was ownership who was called out publicly by this player. Nothing Jonathan said made Bill's job any harder. In fact it might have made it easier. I've heard the disconnect characterized in the past as the player has no issues with Bill, talks to him (or did over the off season). Perhaps he's convinced himself that the organization that set a value on him wasn't doing so under Bill's direction...that Bill would love to overpay him but the dispicable Krafts won't hear of it... That's never been the way it works here. The organization sets a budget, as they all do (even including the Redskins according to their former cap guru) based on operating revenue projections. Then the FO which Bill heads here decides how it wants to divide that budget among units and individual players. Bill could have extended him any time he wanted to. Apparently he didn't want to for whatever reason in 2008 and 2009.

Mankins playing the coach loves me, I love playing for coach, everyone knows how significant a player I am so the owner must be a liar card was BS. I think it's generous of the Kraft family via Jonathan to make it clear at this juncture that they liked the player and feel bad about what has transpired and are assuming he was somehow misled. Gives him his public way out unless he's too stupid to grasp that even now.

You nailed it again, as usual Mo, great post.

A couple of my own thoughts on this:

1. I have a lot of respect for Jonathan's business acumen, and I think he is more deserving of credit than he gets for the Kraft's successes, but he doesn't always come across to me as highly believable. He's "too cute by half" too many times. I also feel there's been a long pattern with him and his Dad to settle scores with people who have taken them on, that agents are aware of this, and from time to time they will use that tactic in their negotiations. I reference in particular the Branch negotiations.

2. I don't think Mankins is a stupid guy, and when contract squabbles come up I usually tend to think we blame the agent more than we should. I think this is a lot more about him than his agent. I think Mankins is a guy that lets his emotions get away from him more often than he should. We've seen that on occasion on the field. It's the other side of the coin from the nastiness and intensity he brings to the field that make him (in my opinion) such a good player.

At this point I'm just hoping Mankins shows up to get his service year in. I've been OK with Connolly but Mankins is still definitely an upgrade in my mind.

 

[vyrago]

One of JK's comments made me feel sorry for today's kids. In my day too we were able to go outside after school or on the weekend, pick up 5-6 other kids, go to the ball field or court and play a pickup baseball, basketball, or touch football game. Kraft maintained it isn't done today. Is that true? And if so why isn't it? I think, to a large extent, self-organized sports shaped us as adults.

 

[shmessy]

One of JK's comments made me feel sorry for today's kids. In my day too we were able to go outside after school or on the weekend, pick up 5-6 other kids, go to the ball field or court and play a pickup baseball, basketball, or touch football game. Kraft maintained it isn't done today. Is that true? And if so why isn't it? I think, to a large extent, self-organized sports shaped us as adults.

Two income families, video games, cable TV, lawsuits, more media coverage of dangers to children, etc. Society has changed. It is what it is for better or for worse. We used to whip around the neighborhood on our bikes with no helmets, kneepads, etc. My dad used to let me steer the family car while he drove the gas pedal when I was 8 (on country roads).

I'm sure kids in the 18th century had far more imagination also. It's just a natural progression due to technology, etc. I know kids today have far more sophisticated skill sets in other areas.

 

[vyrago]

I'm sure kids in the 18th century had far more imagination also. It's just a natural progression due to technology, etc. I know kids today have far more sophisticated skill sets in other areas.

And they feel sorry for me when I tell them what my childhood was like--and I'm not even doing the walk-two-miles-to-school-uphill-both-ways routine. I'm bragging about the good old days..

 

[shmessy]

And they feel sorry for me when I tell them what my childhood was like--and I'm not even doing the walk-two-miles-to-school-uphill-both-ways routine. I'm bragging about the good old days..

You had school???????

 

[upstater1]

Harder in what way? Please explain.

It's just an offhand comment, but yeah I can't imagine Belichick commenting that an opposing player is on the trading block (as a way of diminishing that player's value). How would BB feel if the same was done to the Patriots? Say someone said, you know the Patriots offered us Maroney for a 7th rounder, but we laughed at them!!