Reactions To Kraft 's Presser Dropping the Fight.

conway said:

You people are nuts. Players, coaches, and GMs all want to win. Frequently, they violate rules- both major and minor- to help them win. From the beginning, I strongly suspected Brady was complicit in deflating balls below the league-mandated level. However, I never really thought it was that big of a deal. It's not PED-bad. It's probably not even spitball bad. A little apology, a fine, maybe a one game suspension. Brady could have said that referees had forced him to play with balls over 12.5, and he broke the rules by requiring the equipment guys to deflate them back down to 12.5 after the inspection. But Brady and Kraft both proclaimed their innocence and backed Goodell into a corner. They essentially forced the investigation. And the investigation at least strongly suggested Brady was complicit in violating the rules. Was the Wells report done well? I think not. Was there a preponderance of evidence? Debatable. Was the punishment excessive? Almost certainly. So again, Kraft throws down the gauntlet and challenges the league with a response to the Wells report and subsequent commitment to fight the punishment. Then, suddenly and seemingly inexplicably, he backs down and accepts the punishment. Did he just decide he didn't want to fight it? I seriously doubt it. He either received some secret benefit- which I believe is unlikely- or more likely, became aware of additional evidence or information that would make Brady and the Pats looks worse. So he wisely cut his losses. My prediction is Brady will eventually do the same in one way or another. Maybe accept a 2 game suspension as a resolution. Regardless. to turn against an organization that has constantly put a winning product on the field for all these years, merely because they don't contest a punishment that is probably a bit heavy handed but not without some justification is absolutely ludicrous. If you want to give up your season tickets or jerseys or whatever because you are done with the Pats please contact me. I'll be happy to take them off your hands. But you're all full of it- you'll be regulars on this board agains by the time camp opens.

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Deus Irae said:

I look at it this way. I basically didn't have summers before I quit following MLB. Now, I have a great time doing all sorts of things I'd never have had the time to do.

And, soon, I'll have my fall Sundays for other things, too.

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TheBostonStraggler said:

AJ you are extrapolating way too much. If Brady can get a win (anyone thinking the appeal in front of Goody is that venue for a win???) it will be down the line and in front of a judge/third party. What Kraft did today will have nothing to do with it and only the biggest morons of the en masse morons would even try to make the connection.

Kraft submarined nothing for Brady today. Brady's case has not changed one iota.

I am hoping that the team will tacitly cooperate, behind the scenes, with Brady's fight with the knowledge that a Brady win is by proxy a team win. Even with Kraft being milquetoast, does anyone really believe Kraft wouldn't find it exceptionally gratifying for a judge/third party to say "the evidence does not support guilt"? Kraft was clear in his PC that he does not agree with the findings of the Wells' Report or the League's decision to find them guilty.

Unfortunately the team cooperation with Brady's legal team has the NFL contractual crap involved which may make behind the scenes cooperation extremely dicey (but I still hope).

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Joey007 said:

Not a sucker. I'll admit I'm even thinking about jumping ship eventually. But I'm not going to burn all my Patriots apparel yet like most of you seem so ready to do.

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IcyPatriot said:

I will never turn my back on the team I have supported since the 60's.

I will turn my back on Patriot Place and spending on anything Kraft.

Boycott Patriot Place .... I think it's what we all should do to voice our displeasure.

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AndyJohnson said:

Anyone else notice Brady's name never came up?
Kraft stabbed him in the back. Now when Brady wins his appeal NFL observers will say it was a fix set up by Kraft.
Bob Kraft should not be allowed to set foot on the Gillette stadium turf without being deafeningly booed.
Bob Kraft is a traitor.
Tom Brady should demand a trade and Bill Belichick should resign today.

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NYPatsFan said:

Bob Kraft may be a great businessman, but he sure is a sucker for “the greater good” argument. Kraft would have fit right in in 1940s Germany. He would have been one of the Jewish leaders urging cooperation with Hitler while Heinrich Himmler was busy massacring Jews by the millions.

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ChesBay said:

I'll bite.

I've gotta think that Kraft has no compelling reason to get in front of the cameras today unless a quid pro quo is involved. The chronology of events could be as follows:

Today: Kraft and Goodell make peace and Kraft announces, after careful consideration, he will not sue the League
Today and tomorrow: media swarming all over the subject, offering all sorts of opinions from "guilty as charged" to classy move, but most will gravitate towards classy move.
Later this week: Goodell announces a more lenient punishment for both the Patriots and Brady (doesn't he only have 10 days from the day Brady appealed last week?) whereby he acknowledges the continued leadership of Kraft and showing himself to be a "bigger man"...able to recognize the punishment may not have been fairly applied, or substantiated, and even crediting Kraft's remarks of today in his decision-making process on the appeal.

Note: this doesn't necessarily change Brady's strategy (I'm guessing) unless he is fully exonerated. I don't believe Kraft would guarantee that he could "deliver" Brady's compliance. But he very well could have delivered a message from Brady's camp indicating a possible middle ground. Bottom line: it's in everyone's best interest to put this all behind them.

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