I think you've missed the point. It is not the Patriot fans who care what other fans think it is the owner ship and Goodell who care what the other fans think. I am not convinced that you have read the Wells report because either you did not understand it's implications or you think that 0.3 psi missing from those footballs warrants a 1st, 4th round picks, 1 million dollar fine and suspending Brady for 4 games. Kraft folded. He would have gained so much respect if he had just put up a decent fight and even if he lost in the end he would still walked out with the respect of his fans which by the way would have translated into ticket, merchandise and other sales. He folded. He was weak. I don't respect that. I do respect what he has done for the franchise in the past but he folded during spygate and now this.
This. Most of us get that Kraft would lose in the end. The appeal would be rejected - and heard by Goodell. But to hang his team out to dry when he claims to "believe' they were innocent is simply unacceptable. I'd have more respect for him if he said that he thought Tom did it.
Kraft thought it was okay to punish the coaching staff and players of the Patriots for something he thought they didn't do and they are supposedly his 'team.' I will give you a analogy here.. Imagine your wife gets accused of borrowing your car and crashing into a man on the street. But it turns out that guy was a con-artist and normally throws himself into traffic to make a buck. Nice guy that you are you decide to pay his lawyers anyway, repair the car, and let your wife sit in jail for a month.. Turns out the con artist was friends with one of your buddies.. Better for everyone if your wife just sits in jail right?
That's what Kraft is doing here - taking punishment that hurts everyone else more then him - while claiming to be the nice guy. Its poor BB and Brady who suffer with the lack of picks and play - not Kraft. He gets to feel 'accepted' in a room with rich guys.. swell.