Kraft's response

I love you guys (channeling my inner Edelman) but I think some of you need to learn to parse English better :

it was our intention to accept any discipline levied by the league. Today’s punishment, however

Clearly means it's no longer their intention.

I'm shocked at how oblivious some people are here.

If Robert Kraft is going to fight these excessively punitive and ridiculous punishments, he will need to take legal action. Any kind of scortched earth, f you type statement would hurt, not help his cause.

This short by to the point statement, is exactly what I'd expect out of someone expecting to take legal action. The less said, the better.

screw the money, Its Bradys good name and the draft picks which can not be given back.

Jackson 2 said:

If you read those texts in the report and still, to use your words, assume they were doing nothing wrong, then I can't help you. Hey, I use the saltiest language imaginable at times, but I never even said "hell" or "damn" on my company owned cell phone. Their language alone was stupid.

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Nonsense

BelichickFan said:

I love you guys (channeling my inner Edelman) but I think some of you need to learn to parse English better :

it was our intention to accept any discipline levied by the league. Today’s punishment, however

Clearly means it's no longer their intention.

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That is exactly right....Kraft has told us he is no longer accepting this. What more could ask for two hours after? Jeez.

I think he said enough...now lets see what he does.

Never a dull moment in Patsland

WOrds mean nothing..lets see his actions

DaedalusX said:

I would add: either Goodell's ego has grown entirely out of step with reality, or he has at least one major owner backing him and rallying support behind the scenes.

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Both could be true, but, in terms of the ego thing, Goodell just had his own televised Mother's Day special. That's one of the signs that you may have lost touch with the common man.

The draft picks and money can not be recouped, so if Kraft intends to make good on his statement, it could have to be the long game he plans on playing against Park Avenue...

We shall see...

He's pushing for approval wanted to look human and then rail Americas most hated team. He succeeded I don't know how to get him thrown out.

patsfan06 said:

I'm shocked at how oblivious some people are here.

If Robert Kraft is going to fight these excessively punitive and ridiculous punishments, he will need to take legal action. Any kind of scortched earth, f you type statement would hurt, not help his cause.

This short by to the point statement, is exactly what I'd expect out of someone expecting to take legal action. The less said, the better.

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i disagree. the saints and drew brees stood up to goodell and punched him right in the mouth. no one is talking about bountygate today.

What does this mean when he says
"Despite our conviction that there was no tampering with footballs, it was our intention to accept any discipline levied by the league. Today’s punishment, however, far exceeded any reasonable expectation. It was based completely on circumstantial rather than hard or conclusive evidence."
He wont accept it now ?

Is there anyway to recoup the picks.

DaedalusX said:

The pacing of things suggests there was a lot of backroom chatter the past few months. I'm guessing Kraft told the league office he would make a peace offering in the form of Jastremski and McNally being suspended, as well as the earlier, more contrite statement "accepting punishment". But I'm guessing Kraft wouldn't accept sanctions against Brady - in large part because he probably doesn't believe Brady did anything wrong. And that probably pissed off the league office.

Make no mistake, the fine and draft picks were meant to punish _Kraft_. Not Belichick, not the coaches, not the fans. It wasn't meant to hurt the Patriot's competitively in the coming years - it was to devalue the Patriots as a franchise to harm Kraft as an owner.

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This is where I'm at, too. The knives are out and the Patriots are playing Caesar. I believe there are a lot of owners with **** eating grins on their faces tonight. This feels more like an assassination than a disciplinary action.

If Tagliabue was in charge, the Pats would have gotten a letter when the possibility was first raised to the league. Something along the lines of "if this happening, cut the crap"!
Instead they planned this beheading, and would not let anything stand in the way. Even the truth was put aside for this to happen. The past, the present and possibly the future of this frachise rides on what happens next. Are we to be judged and fined for ever increasing amounts for lower and lower infractions?
Time to send Lawyers, gun and money the shyt has hit the fan. File appeals, file lawsuits, cause so much mayhem the league starts bleeding out their multiple aholes! And be prepared Mr. Kraft, contrition is not an option now. Somethings gonna be broken. You chose, the Pats or the FO.

Jackson 2 said:

If you read those texts in the report and still, to use your words, assume they were doing nothing wrong, then I can't help you. Hey, I use the saltiest language imaginable at times, but I never even said "hell" or "damn" on my company owned cell phone. Their language alone was stupid.

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If their language offends you i can understand that. But this is not about the language being used in the Texts. Its about if two under 30 yr old employees were deflating the PSI in footballs below in game play regulation levels.
Offensive language is sadly the majority of language today in our country. Yet it is unfair to judge guilt or innocence in this matter simply because we do not approve of the language that is used.
Language is a function of culture in the USA in a broad sense which is then greatly influenced by the industry or in this case the sport in which the employee is employed. It is common knowledge that crude language is quite prolific in the NFL. That they would use it in texting is not at all surprising because it is used all around them every day. It is their normal.

Whichever owner that is cannot be a friend of Kraft's. And is likely a bitter rival to support such an out of step penalty.

That owner is worried because he knows the kind of powerful people Kraft is friends with and what it could do to the league.

What he should do is hang it over the owners heads: vote to fire Goodell or lose the antitrust exemption.

Big-T said:

That owner is worried because he knows the kind of powerful people Kraft is friends with and what it could do to the league.

What he should hang it over the owners heads: vote to fire Goodell or lose the antitrust exemption.

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Apologies if this is a novice question, but does Kraft really know people who could cause the NFL to lose the antitrust exemption (assuming this is that is the same one from the 1960's)?

ELI5 please