PonyExpress
In the Starting Line-Up
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2006
- Messages
- 4,659
- Reaction score
- 78
Alot of the firestorm IMO was drummed up to apply pressure to Mr. Kraft to fire BB. This served the competitive interests of many teams and people around the league and in the media. Those voices combined to create an intolerable environment, using public humiliation to weaken the will of our owner, force the firing of our coach, and in so doing wreck our franchise for years.
Instead, Mr. Kraft responded by announcing BB's contract extension thru 2013, that very week.
Mr. Kraft never buckled. He never lashed out against over the top critics raking the Pats across the coals. He never pointed a finger at other franchises, though he had every right to denounce the commissioner's double standards and various holier than thou hypocrites around the NFL. Instead, throughout the ordeal Mr. Kraft showed the class his critics lacked as they savaged his franchise on a trumped up charge.
Many fans, like myself, wanted the Pats to defend themselves more aggressively in public, not just behind the scenes; but Mr. Kraft played the game according to rules established by the commissioner. He continued to believe in the system, even though the system had done him wrong in this instance. Still, he set an example of league loyalty which I doubt other owners under similar circumstances would imitate. In so doing, despite the commissioner's questionable stewardship, league ownership appears not to have fractured heading into crucial CBA negotiations.
In the end, the enemies of this team failed to land the killing blow. The Pats, the Krafts, and BB are still standing. Maybe we will never receive "vindication" in the eyes of our competitors, but Brady & Co. will have the opportunity to exact vengeance on the field, the only appropriate place for football competition.
IMO Mr. Kraft is the main reason for this team's remarkable success. Leadership starts at the top, and this crisis again demonstrated we have the best owner in the NFL.
Instead, Mr. Kraft responded by announcing BB's contract extension thru 2013, that very week.
Mr. Kraft never buckled. He never lashed out against over the top critics raking the Pats across the coals. He never pointed a finger at other franchises, though he had every right to denounce the commissioner's double standards and various holier than thou hypocrites around the NFL. Instead, throughout the ordeal Mr. Kraft showed the class his critics lacked as they savaged his franchise on a trumped up charge.
Many fans, like myself, wanted the Pats to defend themselves more aggressively in public, not just behind the scenes; but Mr. Kraft played the game according to rules established by the commissioner. He continued to believe in the system, even though the system had done him wrong in this instance. Still, he set an example of league loyalty which I doubt other owners under similar circumstances would imitate. In so doing, despite the commissioner's questionable stewardship, league ownership appears not to have fractured heading into crucial CBA negotiations.
In the end, the enemies of this team failed to land the killing blow. The Pats, the Krafts, and BB are still standing. Maybe we will never receive "vindication" in the eyes of our competitors, but Brady & Co. will have the opportunity to exact vengeance on the field, the only appropriate place for football competition.
IMO Mr. Kraft is the main reason for this team's remarkable success. Leadership starts at the top, and this crisis again demonstrated we have the best owner in the NFL.
