The breakfast story is true (Edit: obviously, as indicated above), but the context is important.
This happened in the aftermath of the Parcells fiasco, which really changed the whole relationship between the Krafts and the Globe team. For the Globies it was all about backing up McDonough, and they took no prisoners with the Krafts (for McDonough it was all about carrying water for Joe O'Donnell and Steve Karp).
For the Krafts, they had enough of the Globe's B.S., between the hit price on them by Charlie Sennott, Barnicle's frequent "Thanks Myra" references, and the infamous McDonough fraudulent "inside story" piece. Shank at that point was more than a columnist at El Globo, he had an editorial position. It's a significant point in this story.
Maybe Kraft should have been the bigger man about all that but recall as well he was in the throes of his new stadium odyssey so likely was not in a place to be magnanimous to this jackass who didn't know crap about football to start with and showed up once in a blue moon to glom onto the free food. And it wouldn't have changed a thing, Shank would have kept it up regardless, because moving on with life ain't Dan's strong suit, that requires character and a desire to work at his craft, again not Dan's thing.