Robert Kraft

Majority owner: Robert Kraft, 73
Minority owners: None
Source of wealth: Rand-Whitney Group, International Forest Products, Family Office and Private Equity
Net worth: $4.3 billion (Forbes)
Residence: Brookline, Massachusetts
Marital status: Widowed
Family: Sons Jonathan, Daniel, Josh, David........... & TOM BRADY lol
Education: Columbia (arts/science); Harvard (MBA)
When purchased team and for how much:1994, for $172 million
Franchise valuation: $2.6 billion (Forbes)
2014 revenue/rank: $428 million (net of stadium revenues used for debt payments)/second (Forbes)
Owns stadium (how much invested): Yes (privately financed at $325 million and opened in 2002)
Ownership philosophy: Continuity, stability and sustained success, with strong management of the salary cap.
Defining moment in ownership tenure: First Super Bowl championship, 2001 season. Hiring Bill Belichick, 2000.
Regular/postseason wins-losses during tenure: 229-107/24-12
General managers during tenure: Bill Parcells (1994-1996), Bobby Grier (1997-1999), Bill Belichick (2000-present)
Coaches during tenure: Bill Parcells (1994-1996), Pete Carroll (1997-1999), Bill Belichick (2000-present)
Playoff appearances: 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Super Bowl appearances/championships: Lost to Packers 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI (1996 season), defeated Rams 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI (2001), defeated Panthers 32-29 in Super Bowl XXXVIII (2003), defeated Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX (2004), lost to Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII (2007), lost to Giants 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI (2011), defeated Seahawks 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX (2014).
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So our Fearless Leader did good for himself.
Most knock him for bein cheap but I think it's just way Cap Number plays into signings, age etc.
But with that said, if there was Luxury Taxes like in baseball (See Yankees) and teams were able to sign players with no limitations of salaries paid,would Kraft splurge and go "All In"?

Again? We're back to this foolish question again??

DaBronxPats14 said:

Most knock him for bein cheap

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Most people are ignorant morons.

Would he splurge to win?

Probably not. The Steinbrenner model is bad for the game. i'm sure he'd be right at the cap every year, maybe over it in some.

And baseball needs a hard(er) cap.

Kraft isn't "cheap," but he's smart. He's also, by every account, a very decent person.

I don't get the cheap thing. Didn't we enter 2015 OVER the cap? It's not possible to spend any more than that.

Plus he funded his own stadium instead of foisting it on the taxpayers. Although I forget what the legal drama was when he was considering moving the team to RI.

50-yard-line said:

Would he splurge to win?

Probably not. The Steinbrenner model is bad for the game. i'm sure he'd be right at the cap every year, maybe over it in some.

And baseball needs a hard(er) cap.

Kraft isn't "cheap," but he's smart. He's also, by every account, a very decent person.

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Spending in baseball is not comparable to spending in football. Money is borderline unlimited to some franchise in baseball. So, in free agency, a player only cost money. It doesn't hurt you much to have a few sunk costs on the bench/released/injured if you have the budget for it. The luxury tax changed this a little, but not enough to change the point.

Baseball can't add a salary cap. It would only limit how much star players make, not even the playing field. The union (rightfully) will never accept that. The owners of the small markets that use the small market excuse to pocket all revenue are the real problem. Baseball needs a hard spending floor.

DaBronxPats14 said:

So our Fearless Leader did good for himself.
Most knock him for bein cheap but I think it's just way Cap Number plays into signings, age etc.
But with that said, if there was Luxury Taxes like in baseball (See Yankees) and teams were able to sign players with no limitations of salaries paid,would Kraft splurge and go "All In"?

Click to expand...

If there was no salary cap it wouldn't frickin matter cuz the sport wouldn't be worth watching. What is the point of watching a competition when the deck is stacked? If you follow the Pats closely and still think Kraft may be cheap, find another hobby cuz you just don't get it. The MLB and NBA need more fans.

Who cares? An owner just owns the team. Root for the players and the coach. Don't make owners into celebrities.

Sticky Caulk said:

Spending in baseball is not comparable to spending in football. Money is borderline unlimited to some franchise in baseball. So, in free agency, a player only cost money. It doesn't hurt you much to have a few sunk costs on the bench/released/injured if you have the budget for it. The luxury tax changed this a little, but not enough to change the point.

Baseball can't add a salary cap. It would only limit how much star players make, not even the playing field. The union (rightfully) will never accept that. The owners of the small markets that use the small market excuse to pocket all revenue are the real problem. Baseball needs a hard spending floor.

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Obviously a harder baseball cap would also have to include more revenue sharing on TV deals.

I'm sorry but when I hear people say Kraft is "cheap" I see that as a euphemism for something a bit uglier.

TomPatriot said:

I'm sorry but when I hear people say Kraft is "cheap" I see that as a euphemism for something a bit uglier.

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There is probably some of this, as well.

letekro said:

Amusing how ruthless (white) businessmen worth billions are never criticized for haggling over every dollar even though they have a lifetime to earn their money while (black) athletes worth millions are routinely criticized for doing the same thing, called whores, sell-outs, and worse, even though their career can end at any moment and will almost certainly end before their 35th birthday.

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The glorification of capital and denigration of the worker and worker's solidarity is nothing new. It's all ideology, man!

letekro said:

Amusing how ruthless (white) businessmen worth billions are never criticized for haggling over every dollar even though they have a lifetime to earn their money while (black) athletes worth millions are routinely criticized for doing the same thing, called whores, sell-outs, and worse, even though their career can end at any moment and will almost certainly end before their 35th birthday.

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I take it you don't read the news and are unaware of the income inequality wealth envy card being played 24/7 politically from the top down.

PatsWickedPissah said:

I take it you don't read the news and are unaware of the income inequality wealth envy card being played 24/7 politically from the top down.

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Oh boy. This is one of those topics that I love to slam the "financially dis-serviced and disadvantaged" soap-boxers but might be best delegated to the political forum.

Bad fans are gonna be bad fans. We've enjoyed 14 years of utter dominance.

nice ROI Bob

TomPatriot said:

I'm sorry but when I hear people say Kraft is "cheap" I see that as a euphemism for something a bit uglier.

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It's something I've always wondered but have been reticent to mention.....

If only Woody Johnson owned the Patriots...............


They would be so awesome........,.,

Ownership philosophy: Find the best coach of all time and let him get on with it. Give a lot of hugs. (Works for me.)

Mike the Brit said:

Ownership philosophy: Find the best coach of all time and let him get on with it. Give a lot of hugs. (Works for me.)

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Don't forget awkward dancing..............