SOURCES: Robert Kraft is 'strongly considering' suing the NFL

Deus Irae said:

Perhaps 31 owners need to understand that sticking it to the Patriots to the tune of a million bucks and multiple draft picks based upon the clearly hole-riddled Wells report is insignificant compared to the value of 31 teams....

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In the last five years, the other 3 most valuable team have increased in value by over 50%. The value of the patriots has almost doubled. The patriots had net operating revenue in 2014 of $141 MILLION dollars.

Maybe Kraft will risk the value of his $2.6 BILLION team to try to recover $1M by suing the league. As you say, even if he were willing, I can't see the other owners also taking the risk, and certainly not the other three with teams worth over $2B, all with Annual Operating Income more than $85M.
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For league owners, including Kraft, this is, and has to be, a business decision.
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For Brady, the situation is very different. He doesn't own a team. And his personal reputation has been attacked. Brady might sue, whether or not he wins the appeal. Of course, the "deal" is often a compromise with the parties agreeing not to sue.

BOTTOM LINE
$1M is insignificant compared to the value of Kraft's business, the NEP.

PlainOldEd said:

The reason you have to explain it so much is because you're wrong. Wells was very carefull in his phrasing of his findings, and he had nothing directly to do with the punishment that was meted out. Suing him is a waste of time, go after the NFL and Goodell and Kensil specifically.

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To sue Wells a starting point would be a claim that no reasonable person would believe his report was a fair representation of the facts.

Since he claimed independence and acting like a "judge", he WAS claiming it was fair.

Still, it's hard to imagine a suit in which he or his firm is a primary defendant. Co-defendant might be another matter ...

mgteich said:

In the last five years, the other 3 most valuable team have increased in value by over 50%. The value of the patriots has almost doubled. The patriots had net operating revenue in 2014 of $141 MILLION dollars.

Maybe Kraft will risk the value of his $2.6 BILLION team to try to recover $1M by suing the league. As you say, even if he were willing, I can't see the other owners also taking the risk, and certainly not the other three with teams worth over $2B, all with Annual Operating Income more than $85M.
=========
For league owners, including Kraft, this is, and has to be, a business decision.
==========
For Brady, the situation is very different. He doesn't own a team. And his personal reputation has been attacked. Brady might sue, whether or not he wins the appeal. Of course, the "deal" is often a compromise with the parties agreeing not to sue.

BOTTOM LINE
$1M is insignificant compared to the value of Kraft's business, the NEP.

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Kraft risks alienating people in the region.

If he doesn't sue, I want him to sell the Patriots.

upstater1 said:

Kraft risks alienating people in the region.

If he doesn't sue, I want him to sell the Patriots.

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I agree. The NFL is severely broken. This may be the one chance to fix it.

mgteich said:

In the last five years, the other 3 most valuable team have increased in value by over 50%. The value of the patriots has almost doubled. The patriots had net operating revenue in 2014 of $141 MILLION dollars.

Maybe Kraft will risk the value of his $2.6 BILLION team to try to recover $1M by suing the league. As you say, even if he were willing, I can't see the other owners also taking the risk, and certainly not the other three with teams worth over $2B, all with Annual Operating Income more than $85M.
=========
For league owners, including Kraft, this is, and has to be, a business decision.
==========
For Brady, the situation is very different. He doesn't own a team. And his personal reputation has been attacked. Brady might sue, whether or not he wins the appeal. Of course, the "deal" is often a compromise with the parties agreeing not to sue.

BOTTOM LINE
$1M is insignificant compared to the value of Kraft's business, the NEP.

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I think it is the draft picks they would be after not the money. Losing 2 first round picks in an 8 year period is significant.

upstater1 said:

If joe banner is right that this is all were going to get from Kraft, we have to cue up the Kraft is dead to me posts once again.

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I doubt this is all Kraft will do. As others have said, this is the shot across the bow. Surrender now or face the consequences.

mgteich said:

In the last five years, the other 3 most valuable team have increased in value by over 50%. The value of the patriots has almost doubled. The patriots had net operating revenue in 2014 of $141 MILLION dollars.

Maybe Kraft will risk the value of his $2.6 BILLION team to try to recover $1M by suing the league. As you say, even if he were willing, I can't see the other owners also taking the risk, and certainly not the other three with teams worth over $2B, all with Annual Operating Income more than $85M.
=========
For league owners, including Kraft, this is, and has to be, a business decision.
==========
For Brady, the situation is very different. He doesn't own a team. And his personal reputation has been attacked. Brady might sue, whether or not he wins the appeal. Of course, the "deal" is often a compromise with the parties agreeing not to sue.

BOTTOM LINE
$1M is insignificant compared to the value of Kraft's business, the NEP.

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But the bottom feeders are the ones who benefit the most from the current structure of the NFL and the anti trust exemption as it insulates them from real competition. I have no doubt that if the NFL was thrown into a free for all that the Pats would be one of the teams to benefit the most. If anything, the current structure puts a lid on what the value of the team could be

In my opinion, the effect of the rebuttal is aimed at three audiences and does not include the 75% of the public which has already been poisoned by cameragate and this fiasco.
The first audience is the Pats supporters who root for the team and were waiting for Kraft to show he wouldn't cave like he did in 2007.
The second audience is the other 31 owners who thought that Kraft would roll over like in 2007 and may be concerned about him actually litigating or not supervising the TV contracts.
The third audience is the networks and advertisers who certainly don't w ant a season of legal turmoil over shadowing the games.
Goodell thought he could play this cute by not being directly involved in either the investigation or penalty phase. However Kraft saw right through this ruse and the POS is right in the line of fire.

BradyFTW! said:

That's the ideal scenario, sure. Would be even better if the Pats went 19-0, then after SB50 Kraft accepts the trophy from Goodell, then tells him he's fired and has to get the **** off the stage.

Unfortunately, we're kinda restricted to things that could plausibly happen. That takes "Goodell backs down in a rare show of common sense, and neuters himself while trashing his public image in the process" out of the picture.

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**Goodell hands Kraft trophy**
**Kraft: "Roger, there is one thing we tampered with!"**
**Kraft presses button**
**Hole appears beneath Goodell and he falls through the stage**

mgteich said:

In the last five years, the other 3 most valuable team have increased in value by over 50%. The value of the patriots has almost doubled. The patriots had net operating revenue in 2014 of $141 MILLION dollars.

Maybe Kraft will risk the value of his $2.6 BILLION team to try to recover $1M by suing the league. As you say, even if he were willing, I can't see the other owners also taking the risk, and certainly not the other three with teams worth over $2B, all with Annual Operating Income more than $85M.
=========
For league owners, including Kraft, this is, and has to be, a business decision.
==========
For Brady, the situation is very different. He doesn't own a team. And his personal reputation has been attacked. Brady might sue, whether or not he wins the appeal. Of course, the "deal" is often a compromise with the parties agreeing not to sue.

BOTTOM LINE
$1M is insignificant compared to the value of Kraft's business, the NEP.

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Your post is about 180 degrees out of sync from what my point was, unless you're agreeing that we're currently looking at a game of chicken.

Im wondering what's next, maybe a video of JM leaving the room with the balls walking past the officials saying hello, that would shoot a big hole in Wells report of JM sneaking off with the bag of balls.

cmasspatsfan said:

Im wondering what's next, maybe a video of JM leaving the room with the balls walking past the officials saying hello, that would shoot a big hole in Wells report of JM sneaking off with the bag of balls.

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The Patriots do have the video. They gave the video to the Wells investigation to begin with, so it'll be interesting to see how/if the league disputes any of that.

mgteich said:

In the last five years, the other 3 most valuable team have increased in value by over 50%. The value of the patriots has almost doubled. The patriots had net operating revenue in 2014 of $141 MILLION dollars.

Maybe Kraft will risk the value of his $2.6 BILLION team to try to recover $1M by suing the league. As you say, even if he were willing, I can't see the other owners also taking the risk, and certainly not the other three with teams worth over $2B, all with Annual Operating Income more than $85M.
=========
For league owners, including Kraft, this is, and has to be, a business decision.
==========
For Brady, the situation is very different. He doesn't own a team. And his personal reputation has been attacked. Brady might sue, whether or not he wins the appeal. Of course, the "deal" is often a compromise with the parties agreeing not to sue.

BOTTOM LINE
$1M is insignificant compared to the value of Kraft's business, the NEP.

Click to expand...

A few things:
1) The value of franchises increasing 50% is an opinion based upon estimates. I like to think the value of my home increased 50% and could probably write a nice analysis of how it did, but until I sell it I am making up numbers, and if I didn't buy it 5 years ago, I'm making up both the starting and current value in estimating the increase.
2) Why would Kraft be risking the value of his team? They can't revoke his ownership.
3) Business decisions include reputation and fighting slanderous claims, even if there is no tangible financial reward.
4) You are comparing 1 mill to the value of the team as if he is betting his team against the fine. Thats not the case at all.

Canuck said:

The whole report is riddled in cover your ass language. It would be like trying to sue a prosecuter in a court room. That's why he used "more probable then not" and "generally aware". That points to circumstantial evidence. He screwed up in his press conference when he referred to it as "direct evidence"

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1) who said anything about winning? The aim is to provide the NFL (Goodell) cover of saying he (the league, whatever) relied on it for the punishments.
2) We saw Well's press conference. The report is littered with holes. And Wells does himself no favors with PR.

upstater1 said:

Kraft risks alienating people in the region.

If he doesn't sue, I want him to sell the Patriots.

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Whoa, back off from the ledge there. I sure as hell don't want to go back to the Sullivan days.

Trycked said:

Whoa, back off from the ledge there. I sure as hell don't want to go back to the Sullivan days.

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It costs a couple billion to buy a team

no pikers allowed

AndyJohnson said:

A few things:
1) The value of franchises increasing 50% is an opinion based upon estimates. I like to think the value of my home increased 50% and could probably write a nice analysis of how it did, but until I sell it I am making up numbers, and if I didn't buy it 5 years ago, I'm making up both the starting and current value in estimating the increase.
2) Why would Kraft be risking the value of his team? They can't revoke his ownership.
3) Business decisions include reputation and fighting slanderous claims, even if there is no tangible financial reward.
4) You are comparing 1 mill to the value of the team as if he is betting his team against the fine. Thats not the case at all.

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Kraft wouldn't necessarily be putting the value of his team at risk. If anything, the current structure with the emphasis on competitive balance and revenue sharing caps the value of NFL teams (why do you think guys like Snyder and Jerry Jones are always trying to subvert the structure). A well managed, big market team like the Pats would probably do quite well in whatever structure resulted and probably better than now (no hope for the Jets though). Imagine the Pats controlling their own TV contracts.

Sfpat said:

Kraft wouldn't necessarily be putting the value of his team at risk. If anything, the current structure with the emphasis on competitive balance and revenue sharing caps the value of NFL teams (why do you think guys like Snyder and Jerry Jones are always trying to subvert the structure). A well managed, big market team like the Pats would probably do quite well in whatever structure resulted and probably better than now (no hope for the Jets though). Imagine the Pats controlling their own TV contracts.

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I said this yesterday. I can see Snyder and Jerry Jones egging on the controversy. It helps them.

With Kraft sidelined, who is going to conciliate between the big markets and small markets.

If Terry Pegula got a laugh out of this, I bet he won't be laughing when a marginalized Kraft sits out the next big battle.

These people saying Jerry Jones backing Goodell is huge are complete idiots.

Jones' best defensive player is about to have an appeal to try to reduce or overturn his suspension. You really think he is gonna come out and say anything bad about Goodell? Come on.

Get back to me when Harold Henderson upholds the suspension. I'm sure Jerry won't be throwing praise Goodell's way.

I believe Kraft would sue. He just needs to craft it such that he goes after the Goodell and his guys - and not the league. A good lawyer can do that. His lawsuit actually can be really troubling because he doesn't need the money and is just seeking to change the narrative.

I check the national news on google and all. And its still very strongly that the Wells report was the 'proof' the Patriots cheated and there is nothing more to the story. If you win in court - anything - it can change that narrative. Don't listen to the haters - most people don't pay close attention to what happened - something you can point to can really change their minds.

Kraft and the Pats blew it the first time around with the whole 'spygate' nonsense - now they have smartened up a bit. However they are still furious for getting docked for something they didn't do.

I am simply AMAZED that people think that the Pats would have to use a ball boy to lower the pressure. If they wanted to 'deflate' the balls - all they would have to do is pump them up in a hot room at the right time. Evidently the league doesn't understand physics.