Theory on Kraft and Goodell Collaboration

Let me start by saying I am a seasons tick holder for over a decade, love BB, hate Goodell, hate Ratgini etc etc
I am trying to make some sense out of the deflate-gate storm, and am putting forward an alternative theory here. Feel free to attack me if you want, but I would rather have a reasoned conversation about the theory, which is obviously just one of many:

As a person who works with Boards and CEOs every week, I find it impossible to believe that Goodell would or could just humiliate Kraft and the Pats. Yes, there are 31 other owners, but Kraft is a major player. I would imagine those two are speaking every week, and they need each other to some extent in the long term. Goodell needs Kraft to keep his job secure. Kraft needs Goodell to make more money for the league and do what he is generally told by the owners, which he does.

I could imagine that much of what we are seeing now was negotiated and pre-arranged by the parties involved, as the texts and videos came to light. Originally, I think the events immediately after the AFCCG spun out of control for both Kraft and Goodell, as the aparachniks in the NFL executed their sting operation and leaks without Goodell knowing or being able to control. Then, we saw Kraft and BB take strong stands to stop the spin doctors. And Goodell worked to kill the leaks from happening.

Since then as more damning information has emerged, perhaps there was an ongoing negotiated settlement:
- NFL will appoint Wells and deep six the issue for a long time so that SB LIX can proceed
- NFL will drag this out til after the draft so Pats don't lose picks this year
- NFL sting operation will be excised from report to avoid damaging the shield further, no upside to anyone
- Report will focus on low level ball boys, plus Brady, but exonerate Kraft and BB, hard to believe
- Kraft et al will critique report hard but then say they will accept punishment "in the interest of the league"
- Punishment will come quickly...so Brady won't have to comment until after punishment
- All parties wish this didn't happen and want to get it over and done

A theory. Different from the Goodell is sodomizing the Pats to the max. (which he is too, and is also pretty believable)
I hope some of you find this intellectually interesting, and not treasonous or offensive.

Thoughts?

Why would Kraft agree to guilt for something they are not guilty of?
Why would he throw Brady under the bus?
In what world did Goodell prevent leaks?

At some point early on there might have been some conspiring, but I think when Brady didn't fall on his sword like so many thought he would in that initial press conference it all went to sh!t and Kraft probably feels like he is in between a rock and a hard place and where to place his loyalties. Honestly though, I don't have a phucking clue because I thought this whole thing was behind us and the report was only going to be a formality to protect everyone. Yet...here we are.

I've been thinking since Kraft's quick reply to the Wells report that he and Goodell had already agreed on the discipline and that it will therefore be light. I don't see how Kraft could say that the Pats will accept discipline without knowing what it is.

Let's see what the punishment is. The fine by the rule book starts at $20,000. If this was any other team it would be closer to that than the Spygate penalty. Because it's the Patriots it will be closer to Spygate IMO. The Patriots might not lose a first but I bet it's at least a second. I bet Brady gets at least a game and a fine. If Brady doesn't get any suspension and only a fine and the Pats lose less than a second I'm with you that Goodell and Kraft worked it all out in advance. The way it looks on the surface now is Goodell sent Wells in on a search and destroy mission.

I would lose respect for Kraft if he intentionally allowed this witch hunt against Brady.

GOODELL IS NOT THE PROBLEM. He never has been. The problem is that the entire league, which is 31 other teams and a bunch of ex-Jets cronies, are looking to bring down the Pats. More likely than not, the ball deflation complaint didn't get to Goodell because someone was afraid he would warn Kraft about it.

You guys act like Goodell makes all the decisions... actually, he reports to all of the owners. His "power" is typically whatever is the will of the majority of most powerful owners. He isn't anti-Patriots... what you see is a mandate that he must follow.

Goodell's true flaw isn't that he hates the Patriots, it's that he has no backbone. He gave nothing sentences to the Browns, Jets, and Falcons because the public wasn't salivating for blood. He will give Brady an over-the-top sentence because he wants to please everyone and not be "Kraft's friend." Unfortunately, there are almost no objective influencers around the league office, and the rest of "the league" are all Patriots competitors. Goodell just isn't tough or thick-skinned as he should be as a commissioner who is responsible for discipline. He will bow to the pressure, and I'll be surprised if Brady gets anything less than a four game suspension, and eight wouldn't surprise me at all.

What do you think the penalty would be if this were Matt Ryan, Geno Smith, or Brian Hoyer? A fine? A stern warning? Again, that is Goodell's problem; he is unable to make just decisions- despite that he is the judge- as he believes a just decision is that which satisfies public demand.

40yrpatsfan said:

I've been thinking since Kraft's quick reply to the Wells report that he and Goodell had already agreed on the discipline and that it will therefore be light. I don't see how Kraft could say that the Pats will accept discipline without knowing what it is.

Click to expand...

Watch Brady get hit hard with a 2 game suspension, the equivalent of knocking out your fiance and dragging her around like a caveman.

BlitzFritz said:

Since then as more damning information has emerged, perhaps there was an ongoing negotiated settlement:
-

Click to expand...

You're theory is BS. I've highlighted the reason why above. No damning information has emerged. What has emerged is conjecture without context, and the witholding of information, and a general lack of credibility by the NFL staff involved.

The daming evidence that should have come to light is

1.)The referee is hazy about what happened prior to the game, he doesn't know exact PSI, he doesnt know which guage he used, he doesnt know what happened to the balls after he measured them, he didn't record any measurements.

2.)when testing the balls at half time they used two gauges, neither one appearing to have any sort of consistency, for one ball one guage was high the other was low, for the next ball it might be vice versa, showing that the gauges in question had no sort of calibration, thus the readings are at best a guestimate.

3.)In order to provide an unbaised scientific look into the excuse of the patriots, the report hired a company notorious for being biased towards the person signing the check.

4.)The league knew about this situation before hand yet did nothing.

5.)Walt anderson said that for the first time in his 19 year career the balls went missing for this single game, according to my records that means that walt anderson has confirmed that this is the first time it has happened in his 18 times referreeing a patriots game, so either the patriots are very choosy, Anderson is very forgetful, or this is a one time event. more then likely its an aberration.

6.)The report is littered with references to brady telling the staff "please make sure the balls are 12.5 or 12.6" never once is there any sort of communication that says "after the refs fill the balls, take air out. There is a "give the refs the rule book and tell the refs not to fill the balls after measuring"

Kraft is going to take it because he has no recourse but a vote of no confidence at the next Board meeting. Brady has the union and lawyers, and this is an open and shut case, there is No evidence, and the "circumstantial" evidence people are talking about isn't even in the ball park of good to punish brady.

The league royally ****ed themselves

this thread is to assume that some shady stuff happened -- see texts -- and even tho there were many other shortcomings in the report -- what might have gone on between goodell and kraft