Kraft does not deserve your anger.

[Interception]

What has Kraft does for this organization?
Bill Belichick would not be here without Kraft. Considering that fact, Brady would most likely not be here without Kraft either. Without those two, we would not have four Super Bowl championships. Without Kraft, this organization would still be where it was prior to Kraft -- a laughing stock.

How much do you really know about what happened? Imagine this scenario --
Goodell and Kraft had a talk. Kraft had a talk with his lawyers. It was made clear to him that suing the league would not result in any positive outcome for the patriots, much like it never has for any team vs NFL lawsuit in the past. For a team to sue the league and win is unheard of. It is just not possible, considering Kraft is the one who helped make the rules of the CBA. In this case, Kraft had two options:
1. Fight a meaningless fight in which both the organization and the league that he his a part of loses.
2. Surrender, have the same outcome, save the organization from being spited even more by the League.

Imagine if you were the owner. Now imagine you were fighting a war you couldn't win. It doesn't matter if we think you could win, it doesn't matter if the media thinks you could have one. The professionals (lawyers, inner circle) you are paying millions of dollars to you tell you that you cannot win. What do you do?
a) fight against the league despite not being able to win, lose money and tarnish the reputation of the league you are a part of.
b) reluctantly accept the penalties and work to ensure that these standards are changed in the future, thus saving your relationships with your partners and not tarnishing the league further.

As a billionaire running a business, choice B is the logical answer. Choice A is fueled by anger and destruction.
So imagine you went with the logical choice... And then heard this anger and hate towards you from fans who aren't even informed of the entire situation. Pretty hurtful right?

Would Kraft have backed down if he had been told he had a great chance of winning this?
Kraft is a patriots fan who has attended a game every season since the team was formed. He was such a huge fan, in fact, that he bought the team and invested in it to make it was it is. No matter what you've spent on the Patriots, Kraft spent more to make them what they are today.

You have no idea what went on behind closed doors. Sure, he could've fought for his "fans." But maybe this is what was the best of all the crappy options available. Maybe this was the way to do the least damage to the sport.

Let's be honest. We're all NFL fans. Without the NFL, the patriots would be nothing. This is indeed bigger than the patriots. You can't say you hate the NFL but then watch NFL games and love an NFL franchise so much.
Being a Patriots fan makes you a fan of the NFL because the patriots are the NFL.

Kraft has history with the NFL. He has relationships. He has a responsibility to the Patriots and a love for the Patriots, which is why he was initially so angry.
He calmed down, saw his options, and made the choice.

This is the owner who made the Patriots what they are. If he says this is what was best for the Patriots AND the NFL, and asks for trust, then I'll trust him. After all, he's been a Patriots fan longer than me and has way more invested in the team than me.



EDIT:
Please keep personal insults out of your disagreements with me!
I do not mind having a respectful debate. I have lurked for years and know most of you somewhat well, I would like to keep the respect I have for you guys.

Also, please don't reply unless you have a point to make. For example, simply replying "wall of text" does not add to the discussion but just fills the thread and forum with meaningless spam just because of a disagreeing opinion.

Thank you!

 

[RobAllan]

Wall of text.

 

[PATS16N0]

 

[VectorPrime]

Pretty sure I'm just gonna stay mad at him.

 

[Gronkowski123]

still waiting for goodell's apology.

can't believe some are trying to defend the jellyfish

 

[Fixit]

Your whole Gandhi schtick is really getting old.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I knew Felger trolled this board, but I didn't know he had an account at Pats Fans.

 

[Interception]

Please keep personal insults out of your disagreements with me!
I do not mind having a respectful debate. I have lurked for years and know most of you somewhat well, I would like to keep the respect I have for you guys.

Also, please don't reply unless you have a point to make. For example, simply replying "wall of text" does not add to the discussion but just fills the thread and forum with meaningless spam just because of a disagreeing opinion.

Thank you!

 

[Jangles]

Didn't read that wall of BS

Gfy op

Take Kraft with you

 

[Jackson 2]

Some of what you've written is true. However, speaking just for myself, Kraft mislead all of us into thinking it was balls to the wall, all of us in this together, we're gonna fight this, etc. right up through Sunday. Then, without warning, he caved.

 

[Fixit]

There is now no question in my mind that this whole thing is an act.

A pathetic act, but an act nonetheless.

 

[Interception]

Does anyone have any opposing views or something intelligent to add?

Also, I am completely against most of what Gandhi stood for, @Fixit

 

[BradyFTW!]

False dichotomy. Kraft's options weren't limited to :

A) File an unwinnable lawsuit
B) Call a press conference so that he could unconditionally capitulate to Goodell's demands while explaining that the rest of the league is more important to him than the Patriots, their fans, and their quarterback.

There were plenty of other options. He earned every last ounce of the hate that he's getting now. Frankly, I don't think he's getting enough.

Here's a thought. He could have appealed. And when he lost, he should have blasted Goodell for being some combination of incompetent and corrupt. And when he was fined, he should have been happy to write that check, because integrity is supposed to matter.

 

[RobAllan]

Your post didn't warrant a well thought out response or rebuttal. You're welcome to think what you like but given that you've had these exchanges already multiple times with basically everyone, your post is AT BEST just trolling at this point. Given that you chose to express this nonsense, yet again, with a MASSIVE post of nothing, "wall of text" was the absolute nicest thing I could think to reply. If I'd wanted to personally attack you, I would have called you a name directly.

 

[Interception]

Much of what you've written is true. However, speaking just for myself, Kraft mislead all of us into thinking it was balls to the wall, all of us in this together, we're gonna fight this, etc. right up through Sunday. Then, without warning, he caved.

I agree with you. It's like he lead us on and then stood us up.
But I have no idea what happened in between leading us on and standing us up. It was clear how angry he was, something must have made him calm down. I don't doubt his love for the Patriots though, so i'm guessing it was serious.

 

[raduray]

1. He could have appealed
2. Davis sued and won - scorched earth
3. He got his fan base all worked up and then pulled the rug out
4. If he had done his rational analysis up front, he should have 'fessed up right away and minimized the damage
5. Seems like being Goodell's buddy all the time makes him a target as Goodell doesn't want to avoid appearance of favoritism
5b. If he was enemy, Goodell would probably go more easy on him in order to avoid appearance of retaliation.
6. Now he appears totally tone deaf. He should go out and talk to some fans.
7. Lack of Transparency (this is an edit)

 

[Fixit]

There is now no question in my mind that this whole thing is an act.

A pathetic act, but an act nonetheless.

An opposing view? Hmmmm, what could it be?

Oh, yeah ... Kraft does deserve our anger.

Man, that was hard.

 

[Dillon46]

I can't even fathom defending Kraft or this leagues lowsy, gutless, ratty, ****ty, no good, lowsy appeal to the moronic cro-magnan masses

This was the final straw in my book. Kraft got lucky getting BB to come here...and we got very lucky to have Brady who if they knew was going to be so great why did he last till the 6th round??? Kraft has ridden the back of BB and Brady and the billions from us the GODDAMN FANS for 15 freakin years during this successful run.

Brady has been the most selfless HOF QB of all time...tweaking his contract repeatedly for the "Patriot Way". All he's gotten is spare parts and quarter the weaponry that the diva QBs of this league get.....and what has Brady done 4 SB VICTORIES, 3 SB MVPS, 2 LEAGUE MVPS, 6 Overall SB appearances, More Broken Playoff Records and League Records than I can even list.....and this is what you do to him when everyone is trying to run his and YOUR legacy into the ground.

No defense of what Kraft just did.....without BB and Brady plus fan support he's just another JAG Owner period

The Shield, Kraft and Goodell and his henchmen plus a slew of others can kiss my farking ass

 

[The NZ Patriots]

This post is meaningless spam. There's a group of you crones going round with the "we don't know what he knows" argument.

Get ****ed.

 

[Jangles]