Why doesn't Kraft step up?

[sieglo]

For all practical purposes Bob Kraft has got to be one of the most powerful men in the NFL. He's completely revitalized a major market team with is a perennial force in the NFL. He's built his own stadium. His franchise drives major money for the league. He even is on buddy-buddy terms with the Donald!

What I want to know is why doesn't he step up and apply leverage to lobby and manipulate the league to the Pats advantage the way Polian does? In theory, he should have more clout than anyone in Indy. At the every least, he ought to be using that clout to shut Polian down. What gives?

Come on Bob -- step up!

 

[mtbykr]

We don't know what goes on behind the scenes (which is generally where the pats operate) Napolian likes to be in the public spotlight, whereas the pats generally like to have their team in the spotlight and not the front office!

 

[ajmitch81]

For all practical purposes Bob Kraft has got to be one of the most powerful men in the NFL. He's completely revitalized a major market team with is a perennial force in the NFL. He's built his own stadium. His franchise drives major money for the league. He even is on buddy-buddy terms with the Donald!

What I want to know is why doesn't he step up and apply leverage to lobby and manipulate the league to the Pats advantage the way Polian does? In theory, he should have more clout than anyone in Indy. At the every least, he ought to be using that clout to shut Polian down. What gives?

Come on Bob -- step up!

Well the Pats have been winning Super Bowls so there hasn't really been a need to lobby -- now that they've lost two successive years, will that change? I suspect not.

Every rule has been maniuplated in order to assure the Patriots style of play would be weakened when matched up with the Colts style of play - and the Patriots still held a 21-3 lead in the Colts stadium. If not for excessively high temperatures, injuries/fatigue (due to sickness that was exacerbated by the high temps), and some highly questionable calls (the "face guarding" and lack of PI when it was a blatant PI on the Colts) -- the Pats would most likely be back in the Super Bowl.

I've said it before that the Colts winning may be what the Pats need to get them back to the top -- because perhaps the NFL will stop catering their officiating to the Colts every need... And get back to officiating the way they're supposed to. You know, to ensure that the better team wins. If the Colts were mad that the Pats players abused them -- get tougher. That's the way the NFL should work, instead they just penalized the Pats for being tough.

I'm quite tired of the NFL trying to feed Peyton Manning down our throats - maybe him winning will prompt the NFL to make the decision to allow the NFL to get back to normal.

Of course - I'd still rather the Bears win... And I hope they beat the heck out of the soft as yogurt Colts....

 

[patsgo]

your really reaching on this one i suggest you be happy with 3 bowls and 4 out of 5 afc championship games, kraft cant play defense, the bottom line they couldnt stop Manning end of story!

 

[pkb]

I think it's worth more to be a good soldier publically and raise your issues privately for the most part.

Also, I'd think the most relevant thing to target would be the competition committee...insuring a Pat ends up on it and Polian, in particular, is not on it going forward.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I'm not sure what Kraft needs to do. I think he and a lot of owners find it tasteless and unfair for Polian to seek to tweak the rules of the league whenever he thinks it benefits his team.

Kraft has supported what some call the Pioli rule - which strikes me as a franchise player arrangement for one designated person in the front office, prohibiting teams from going after Pioli.

That seems to be an area where Kraft wants to target - not turning the NFL into a flag football league

 

[Michael]

For all practical purposes Bob Kraft has got to be one of the most powerful men in the NFL. He's completely revitalized a major market team with is a perennial force in the NFL. He's built his own stadium. His franchise drives major money for the league. He even is on buddy-buddy terms with the Donald!

What I want to know is why doesn't he step up and apply leverage to lobby and manipulate the league to the Pats advantage the way Polian does? In theory, he should have more clout than anyone in Indy. At the every least, he ought to be using that clout to shut Polian down. What gives?

Come on Bob -- step up!

Probably for the same reason he wouldn't stand and yell "Break his leg" while watching a game. Unlike Polian he has class. But, I do think they need to stop accepting the lop sided officiating.

We saw it when we played Chicago
We saw it when we played Denver
We saw it when we played Indy. (Video to come)

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Probably for the same reason he wouldn't stand and yell "Break his leg" while watching a game. Unlike Polian he has class. But, I do think they need to stop accepting the lop sided officiating.

We saw it when we played Chicago
We saw it when we played Denver
We saw it when we played Indy. (Video to come)

Polian is riff-raff. He's an embarassment to the Colts and more importantly, to the league.

I do wonder how much Kraft will try to even the playing field in the off-season.

I'm not aware of who is on the competition committee from the Patriots, if anyone, though I think it's clear Polian excercises what could only be considered as influence that goes above and beyond his place on the food chain.

My guess is that his personality, which is that of a domineering, mouth breathing, brute probably has something to do with votes on rules changes.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I find it interesting that Kraft is putting his energy into a "Pioli rule" (never heard about this before, though it makes sense.) That would be the equivalent of Polian wanting a fish, and Kraft wanting to be able to fish. Pioli will pay dividends (to somebody) well past the day that Brady and Manning have both hung up the cleats.

In terms of Polian going to the league for rule changes, I take it the Pats' stance is that they will win any style of football, as long as it's still recognizably football. And let's face it, a point of emphasis on receiver contact does not make it flag football. Neither do rules protecting the quarterback.

From their request that the league put a restraining order on Polian not to shove Pats team employees (as he had earlier done to [I think] some Jets employee,) I believe they have a good sense of humor about the whole "whine to the league" concept.

I think they basically consider the rule tweaking to be small potatoes, and they just rise above it. It gets in the way of building the team that will win the next one, to dwell on how the officials, or the rules, or something other than the play of two teams on a given day are (wahhhhh) unfair.

PFnV

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Polian is riff-raff. He's an embarassment to the Colts and more importantly, to the league.

I do wonder how much Kraft will try to even the playing field in the off-season.

I'm not aware of who is on the competition committee from the Patriots, if anyone, though I think it's clear Polian excercises what could only be considered as influence that goes above and beyond his place on the food chain.

My guess is that his personality, which is that of a domineering, mouth breathing, brute probably has something to do with votes on rules changes.

Or maybe there is a quid pro quo on some project of Krafts. Bear in mind, owners are not competing except for three hours on Sundays. They are business partners. That's the NFL ownership model: "our competition is any other sport, not each other." That's why there's "NFL Films," not "New England Patriots Films," for instance.

PFnV

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Or maybe there is a quid pro quo on some project of Krafts. Bear in mind, owners are not competing except for three hours on Sundays. They are business partners. That's the NFL ownership model: "our competition is any other sport, not each other." That's why there's "NFL Films," not "New England Patriots Films," for instance.

PFnV

I agree. However, we've seen one GM rise above all others when it comes to influencing rules. I can't see how that helps the Krafts, or the owners of 30 other teams besides Indy.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

That's why I figure all the lobbying works the way it usually works... Polian has to give something to get something... don't know what. For that matter, it might be his vote for the Pioli Rule just mentioned.

PFnV

 

[PatsSteve1]

As of Aug, 2006, the committee was made up of:

Atlanta GM Rich McKay, Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher, Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis, New York Giants co-owner John Mara, Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome, Indianapolis president Bill Polian, Carolina president Mark Richardson and Detroit GM Matt Millen.

Had Millen been canned this year, why he wasn't no one knows, he would have been replaced as he took the place of Charley Casserly when he resigned as general manager of the Houston Texans.

* Not a Patriots in sight in that group.

 

[frankiesfly]

For all practical purposes Bob Kraft has got to be one of the most powerful men in the NFL. He's completely revitalized a major market team with is a perennial force in the NFL. He's built his own stadium. His franchise drives major money for the league. He even is on buddy-buddy terms with the Donald!

What I want to know is why doesn't he step up and apply leverage to lobby and manipulate the league to the Pats advantage the way Polian does? In theory, he should have more clout than anyone in Indy. At the every least, he ought to be using that clout to shut Polian down. What gives?

Come on Bob -- step up!

Polian is desperate. Kraft isnt. We won 3 superbowls recently, to polians none. Polian will do anything to win. I do think Kraft and the Pats will do what it takes to take home the championship next season, especially after losing to the Colts.

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

Polian is basically willing to sacrifice the future for the now,and he is definitely getting more and more desperate as the years go by without a SB.
Kraft on the other hand has his eyes on the future-always. Wasn't he instrumental in the international move? The man is brilliant,one of the most foresighted businessmen in the country. He's changed the Patriots forever,and by doing that he's also changed the NFL.
I honestly don't see him pulling any strings,at least at this point, but that's a really interesting thought,one that never occurred to me.
The Pioli Rule not only sheds some light on Kraft's outlook,but it will be interesting to see if it passes.