This is the gauntlet

As much as I hate to say it, I loath what Kraft has done. However, I do believe that he actually did put the best interest of the team and it's fans going forward from his most recent conversation with Goodell. I no longer believe it's Kraft V. Goodell, or any of the other owners in a vs. situation with Goodell. I believe that Kraft had no support going forward from the other owners in this battle, and that shows more of where their characters lie than his.
However, I do believe that Kraft has the full support of the two people that he needed all along, and that's BB and Brady. If Brady follows through with his appeal, I hope he wins. However, I don't count on it. He will be gone for the first two games, at least. He can participate in all of the pre-season ****, and Jimmy can take over after that.
As a true Pats fan, when Tom comes back, I want a scorched earth policy from the top to the bottom. I no longer count on any of the Krafts to defend us, speak for us, or even utter our names on the Kraft's behalf. This is the fans turn. We get to scream, yell and bang the drum. If it's about the fans, stay silent from now on. The fans don't need you anymore Robert, this will be our trophy. Brady and Belichick are ours, not yours. There were fans asking why you didn't clean up the spygate mess, and you caved on it. Haven't we had enoungh already?

Would a Brady/NFLPA victory in court make a Kraft/Pats victory in court more likely?

NO. Kraft has no concern for the interests of us fans or his own team when they become in any way inconvenient for him. It is beyond clear that he values "the 32" over the Patriots. He values the expansion of the league into England over the Patriots. He vales union busting over the Patriots. Any illusion that he valued his team more than the giant monstrous behemoth that is the NFL has been shattered. Oh, but he said that he's "doing it in the best interests of the fans." Bull. ****. Just like how his new yuppie lounge in the end zone, taking away hundreds of seats, is clearly in the best interest of the fans. Actions speak louder than words and his actions are screaming in our faces.

And to think for one second that Bill went along with this is laughable. The man has an ego the size of New England itself. He is a football historian who is in tune with his legacy and the perception of his place within the sport years from now. His legacy just got shat upon for the second time. He begrudgingly accepted Spygate but its clear from his Mona Lisa conference that he is beyond pissed off about having to take that lying down. This is even worse. He must be beside himself.

Kraft probably didn't have a chance at winning because as you stated he had little support among his fellow "partners." But why the hell should he care about what they think about him? They constantly crap on him and make fun of his organization and never come to help him when he needs them. And don't think for one second that he or the league would lose one penny of profit if he contested things. All he had to do was appeal and even if it failed then we could rightfully say that we got screwed. But no, Kraft didn't even do that because he didn't want to do that. He is the league's toady.

Al Davis: My balls >>>>>>>>> Kraft's

I don't understand all of this "best interest of the team" crap.

Let's assume the Patriots are innocent and he fought it and lost. What's the "extra" damage that would have been done to the Patriots? Nothing. He spends some money and passes the cost off with a 13 dollar 12 once draft and it's paid for. The Pats reputation is still damaged and the NFL still hates the team. What's being protected for the Patriots? Is it in the Patriots best interest or the NFL to cave?

I want to know what the damage is for the Patriots by fighting it? Don't give me the "discovery" crap either because if they're innocent, then who cares? If the Patriots are guilty, then the best interest of the team is to come out to the fan base with the truth.

FirstAndGoal said:

I want to know what the damage is for the Patriots by fighting it? Don't give me the "discovery" crap either because if they're innocent, then who cares? If the Patriots are guilty, then the best interest of the team is to come out to the fan base with the truth.

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This is exactly right. I can accept the penalties and go back to passionately pulling for the team if they are truly guilty. However, given the information in the Wells Report, I'm being given no choice but to assume the Pats are being targeted by a gutless Commissioner looking to earn cheap points by picking on the Pats and their feeble owner.

As it stands now, I see the NFL as the WWF. There is no commitment to an equal playing field. The Pats have been targeted because other teams, and their fans, are jealous of their success. From this point forward, I'll view any other team that wins a championship as unworthy, the beneficiary of being given an unfair advantage. And unfortunately we have a dormat of an owner who lacks the courage to stand up to the injustice being done to his team and fight the good fight.

I'll take it all back, if the Pats are guilty. But the science in the Wells report says they are not. If we don't have all the facts, Kraft should just come out and say so. We are big boys & we can handle the truth. However, as it stands now, I can no longer view the NFL as a sports league offering legitimate fair play competition.

Didn't have the support of other owners for what? All he had to do was follow through with an appeal, at the least! But he cowered at the thought other owners might not like him anymore and spun it as if he's doing us a favor. Has the rhetoric stopped yet, Bob?