Would it take guts to appease the fans?

AndyJohnson said:

Why didnt we appeal not producing The Deflator fast enough? That was a CRITICAL factor in the findings.

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What?

RayClay said:

Krafts got plenty of money. Do a dog and pony show of an appeal, lose and be a hero.

When he knows it's a waste of time [anyone argue that point?]

And it puts him against all the owners he'll need to vote Goodell out?

Seems to me, that would be the cowards way out. Do something stupid, waste money and time, but be a hero to the fans.

He knew what he did wouldn't be popular, but he did it. Doesn't it take a lot more guts to do the unpopular thing?

Thoughts?

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I think you're missing a couple things.

1. He puts pressure on the NFL by making it look bad.
2. Pathology. This guy really believes Goodell did his best and he really embarrassed himself with his words about how good it feels to be accepted as an owner, about how Goodell really does believe the Patriots are cheaters.

I really think Kraft didn't think this through, that emotions got the best of him. He really did cower. It was kind of plain to see.

This wasnt strategic at all.

AndyJohnson said:

Teams have appealed, it would not be suicide to appeal.
He has 80% of it written. He could have walked in with the Goldberg report, and the Deflator and Dorito Dink to answer whatever questions were left.
No one would belittle him that opportunity.
I believe it he made an overwhelming case he would win, and if he tried he would at least raise doubt and remove some of the lack of cooperation.

More than anything else he would fight for reputation integrity and legacy. Since when does that not matter?
He didn't say he stopped because he couldn't win, he said he stopped because it was going on too long and felt he couldn't put the Patriots agenda ahead of what the other owners wanted him to do.

If the Patriots fall behind and lose and after the game say it had just gone on to long so rather than extend it the decided to end it, how would that go over? How can fans that appreciate players leaving everything on the field, even when the odds are small be happy that the voice of the franchise said its too much work, I quit.

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So, they appeal to Goodell. Do you think they'll win? So they lose their appeal. what was gained? Seems like it would make goodells position stronger since he is totally not on the level and nothing he's gone so far is fair or honest.

We know for sure certain owners set us up, or are favored goody minions. We know this for sure. They would love us to take a dump in the punch bowl to try to isolate us against the league, meaning the owners.

He will punish us for nothing next year too. i want to get rid of him.

upstater1 said:

I think you're missing a couple things.

1. He puts pressure on the NFL by making it look bad.

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So, how do the other owners respond to that pressure? close ranks, I would think. remember the a hole is making them money.

upstater1 said:

I think you're missing a couple things.

1. He puts pressure on the NFL by making it look bad.
2. Pathology. This guy really believes Goodell did his best and he really embarrassed himself with his words about how good it feels to be accepted as an owner, about how Goodell really does believe the Patriots are cheaters.

I really think Kraft didn't think this through, that emotions got the best of him. He really did cower. It was kind of plain to see.

This wasnt strategic at all.

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Do you follow politics or corporate business? "I stand behind so and so 100%", is usually followed by a firing, demoting or something else.

RayClay said:

So, how do the other owners respond to that pressure? close ranks, I would think. remember the a hole is making them money.

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Yes, they would. Still, make the NFL look bad.

Then they take a chunk out of my franchise.

Then it's time to sell.

When I sell, I better get what the franchise was last appraised at.

If not, then I sue the NFL for the difference.

And there is precedence to this. Donald Sterling's LA Clippers. He was coming after the NBA after the fact.

All these would have been options for Kraft. What I can't see is Kraft staying on as the hated owner of the New England Patriots. What's the fun in that? Guy is outright hated now.

RayClay said:

Do you follow politics or corporate business? "I stand behind so and so 100%", is usually followed by a firing, demoting or something else.

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You missed the entire pathos of the Kraft speech.

He really really caved.

RayClay said:

I'm going with the only logical way to unseat a tyrant with unlimited powers hired by the owners and a guy who couldn't buy the patriots so he bought a racetrack that had partial claim to the stadium, then the stadium, which put him into position nine years later to buy the team from someone who had intended to buy out his lease and move the team
to St. louis.

I guess if you want to think he's some dumb yokel who's every move is telegraphed, you can think that too.

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I have no idea what you are saying here.

The only thing that will get rid of Goodell is if he becomes a loser for the owners. That is what could happen when Brady brings the case to court and the shenanigans are exposed or another Rice fiasco pops up. Until then he is golden. I would not be surprised when Goodell screws up again, Old get along Bob is out there with Rooney and Mara covering his butt. A secret plan to get rid of Goodell, you have to be kidding.

RayClay said:

So, they appeal to Goodell. Do you think they'll win?

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What is the point of having a conversation by starting with stacking the deck with the idea that the appeal of course will lose. You do not know that. Lets see how Brady does, are you really telling me he will lose? Krafts appeal would come after Bradys.

So they lose their appeal. what was gained? Seems like it would make goodells position stronger since he is totally not on the level and nothing he's gone so far is fair or honest.

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You really think there is a way to make his position stronger than to say I am scared of you so I won't appeal?

We know for sure certain owners set us up, or are favored goody minions. We know this for sure. They would love us to take a dump in the punch bowl to try to isolate us against the league, meaning the owners.

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No, we don't know that. You are making it up.
What we do know is that Kraft chose the will of 31 owners over what is best for his team.
Kraft doesn't seem set up, he seems to have chosen his side, The Elite over The Help.

He will punish us for nothing next year too. i want to get rid of him.

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You don't get rid of someone by endorsing their authority over you. Goodell became bullet proof this week. We can only hope Brady and Kessler are man enough to stand up to him. Well they already are farther than Kraft, they aren't afraid to try.

RayClay said:

What?

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If the Chargers were ok to appeal not producing the towel, why wouldnt the Patriots appeal the part of the ruling that they didn't produce McNally? Their legal counsel was cooperative but Wells never answered their request for an explanation now. Why not bring McNally in as a show of cooperation and ask, if you accomplish nothing else to reduce the portion of the penalty that hinged upon non cooperation?

upstater1 said:

Yes, they would. Still, make the NFL look bad.

Then they take a chunk out of my franchise.

Then it's time to sell.

When I sell, I better get what the franchise was last appraised at.

If not, then I sue the NFL for the difference.

And there is precedence to this. Donald Sterling's LA Clippers. He was coming after the NBA after the fact.

All these would have been options for Kraft. What I can't see is Kraft staying on as the hated owner of the New England Patriots. What's the fun in that? Guy is outright hated now.

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I guess he figured that was the short term price for doing the long term best thing. He needs to stay out of the way and let th union and Brady fight. If they take the league down, that;s their job, they're labor.

The only thing that will appease me is Goodell's guts, all over the floor.

AndyJohnson said:

What is the point of having a conversation by starting with stacking the deck with the idea that the appeal of course will lose. You do not know that. Lets see how Brady does, are you really telling me he will lose? Krafts appeal would come after Bradys.


You really think there is a way to make his position stronger than to say I am scared of you so I won't appeal?


No, we don't know that. You are making it up.
What we do know is that Kraft chose the will of 31 owners over what is best for his team.
Kraft doesn't seem set up, he seems to have chosen his side, The Elite over The Help.



You don't get rid of someone by endorsing their authority over you. Goodell became bullet proof this week. We can only hope Brady and Kessler are man enough to stand up to him. Well they already are farther than Kraft, they aren't afraid to try.

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The union has been very successful on appeals and they are, after all, representatives of labor, adversaries of management.

Kraft is management. He absolutely should stay out of the way, because he can only do damage to his and the teams position.

Hoodie said:

The only thing that will appease me is Goodell's guts, all over the floor.

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You and me both, brother.

RayClay said:

Krafts got plenty of money. Do a dog and pony show of an appeal, lose and be a hero.

When he knows it's a waste of time [anyone argue that point?]

And it puts him against all the owners he'll need to vote Goodell out?

Seems to me, that would be the cowards way out. Do something stupid, waste money and time, but be a hero to the fans.

He knew what he did wouldn't be popular, but he did it. Doesn't it take a lot more guts to do the unpopular thing?

Thoughts?

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1. It was not a waste of time. Chargers fought and won. The report cleared BB and the team of wrong doing but the NFL went ahead and issued the harshest penalty on record for failing to produce McNally for a 5th time. Oh, and yes for "spygate" which was 7 years ago. So yeah, I think they had a real chance of eliminating or reducing it substantially especially since the vast bulk of damage would have been to the NFL and NFL front office if kraft went all scorched earth.

2. Good god, no one is voting Goodell out. They are cheering him on for sticking it to the Pats. Where is there any indication at all that Goodell is getting voted out any time soon.

3. Kraft already took the cowards way out. His cowardly quotient is through the roof.

4. Simply doing something unpopular does not make it courageous and the reality is he is insulated form the fans and has been for a long time. Yanking those fans out of the endzone so he could put in some sort of club to collect a lot of bucks shows how far removed he is. He is so used to everyone calling him Mr. Kraft he thinks he is something special. I think he genuinely thought the fans would give him a pass. The hard thing would have been to buck his real peers which are his BFFs in the Billionaire Boys Club.

RayClay said:

The union has been very successful on appeals and they are, after all, representatives of labor, adversaries of management.

Kraft is management. He absolutely should stay out of the way, because he can only do damage to his and the teams position.

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That is ridiculous.
Are you honestly saying that when the Patriots were found guilty of cheating, and there is at least equal evidence of innocence, that the right thing to is accept guilt without even responding?
That is crazy to me. It also will stain the image of this franchise for years. League investigates and finds cheating, Kraft says OK.

As TB said before the Superbowl, this game is all about honor. If you don't have honor, you are not deserved to be the owner of the best team in the world - the NE patriots.

RayClay said:

So, how do the other owners respond to that pressure? close ranks, I would think. remember the a hole is making them money.

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You have this backwards. They are not protecting Goodell they are protecting themselves from his incompetence. Everything he has touched has been a nightmare. Rice, Peterson, Hardy, the Cowboys and Redskins ridiculous penalties for breaking a non-existent law, Deflategate.
The NFLPA is embarrassing him in every dispute.
He is the owners mouthpiece.
What are the owners afraid of? The union gaining more power is all 1o of their top 10 worries.
Goodell loses at every turn and the NFLPA smells blood.
The owners came to Kraft and said you cannot challenge this boob because it will set another precedent that his authority is non-existent.
I can see Kraft sharing that concern, but throwing his own franchise under the bus because of it is a putrid, gutless, disloyal move.
The fact that Brady was thrown under the bus as well simply show a lack of character in Robert Kraft.
The worst is yet to come. When Brady sues the NFL, he is suing Kraft. He and Kessler won't stop with overturning the suspension, they will attack Goodells authority, the personal conduct plan, the 'more probably than not' standard, and if they can figure out how, the anti-trust exemption.
Brady vs Kraft et al is right around the corner.

@RayClay So I guess my post wasn't worth responding to?