Patriots fans, welcome to sports reality! We aren't the only fans to dislike our owner

Consider this a learning experience: that as painful as these last few days have been, think about how common it is for fans to disagree vehemently with franchise owners. Jets fans are unhappy with Woody Johnson, Cowboys fans haven't agreed with Jerry Jones' decisions, and even respected owners like the Maras and Synders have had their share of critics over the years.

We Pats fans, on the other hand (especially us millennials who grew up as fans in the 2000s) have had the rare luxury of never having to suffer because of management. Everything that a fan could ever ask for, has been given to us. Our team has enjoyed tremendous success for 14 years, rarely missing the playoffs (whereas other teams struggle to maintain consistency); whereas other teams have gone through MULTIPLE head coaches and QBs, we have had just one legendary head coach and a hall-of-fame quarterback. Bob Kraft, meanwhile, has stayed largely in the background, never taking it upon himself to interfere with on-the-field issues. He has earned an impeccable reputation for his philanthropy, and has spent the better part of 30 years investing in the franchise, providing everything from a privately-funded stadium to vast improvements in franchise branding.

While many disagree with his handling of Spygate, he has never made a financial blunder...never hired a coach who could not display potential or competence. He has spared us, for the most part, of any sort of embarrassment that other fans have had to endure with their owners.

It can be said that as a billionaire, he has lost touch with the fans and players -- and has since accepted a dual-role as a League figure, unwilling to sacrifice his standing for the greater good of the team. But in almost every other regard, he has been a phenomenally successful owner. And I am at least, grateful for that.

Now, where was I? Or yes, back to the Kraft bashing hehehe

Fair points. At this point my rage is focusing back on the real culprits in all this, the league offices led by Goodell. I was listening to Albert on T&R this morning and he was talking about the Patriots persecution complex and how it really exacerbated the whole thing. At the same time he says it wouldn't have been a big deal if this was some other team, but because of their history it was made a bigger deal. The bias that people in the media and the league have against this team is what frustrates me. I still think Kraft's laying down on this issue was the wrong thing but I am back to hating the real culprits of all this mess.

I do not dislike Mr. Kraft at all...

Just disappointed he did not appeal and/or demand a more honest investigation of the facts. Angry that he did not demand an investigation into the facts of the sting and smear that eminated from the NFL offices...the integrity/shield meme.

Unfortunately, I don't know many owners/team presidents that willingly infringed a stain on their company in favor of their rivals. They do it because they are inept. Kraft did it because he was extremely selfish, and cared only for his power/money within the NFL. That I cannot forgive.

Mr. Kraft is still the best owner in sports.

But this entire fiasco is a big slap in the face for how ugly the business of sport is. Especially the in the bag media.

This makes me realize it's stupid to care about the owners. I never really liked the Red Sox ownership and Jacobs until recently was a joke.

So I am done caring about owners and business. It's all about BB, TB, and the other 52.

I am mad as hell at Kraft, but I do not hate him at all. I still am damn glad we have him as an owner over idiots like Daniel Snyder, Mark Davis, Mike Brown, Jim Irsay, and others.

Robert Kraft is a skillful owner. And he did a good job of learning to be one, after some early missteps.

However, it is an owner's duty to put his team's fans' interests first in almost all matters. (Exception -- of course he wants to be paid a profitable price for what he provides, whereas we'd ideally like to get at all for free. ) And in this case, he failed to do so, in a rather extreme way. So notwithstanding his admirable skill, his admirable charitable work, my belief in his sincerity as a family man, etc. -- screw him.

BSR said:

Fair points. At this point my rage is focusing back on the real culprits in all this, the league offices led by Goodell. I was listening to Albert on T&R this morning and he was talking about the Patriots persecution complex and how it really exacerbated the whole thing. At the same time he says it wouldn't have been a big deal if this was some other team, but because of their history it was made a bigger deal. The bias that people in the media and the league have against this team is what frustrates me. I still think Kraft's laying down on this issue was the wrong thing but I am back to hating the real culprits of all this mess.

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If that was f###### Albert from Rhode Island you heard, you need to automatically discount what you heard. He's a raving, lunatic hater who's a Giants fan and hates Bill Belichick with every fiber of his being. Honestly, he's legitimately freaking nuts. One of the things I miss about Andy Gresh (and the more I listen to Porky Bertrand the more I miss Gresh) is the way Gresh would kick the living s### out of Albert the ***hole and make him hang up.

I think teams getting punished with draft choices does hurt the fans... there is nothing in return.. they are gone... and to me I look at it hurting my team which hurts my interest .. you should just have HUGE monetary cash fines... I mean where even a multimillionaire will feel it... but this pick docking and suspending ( for non violent issues) hurts the consumer... WHICH ARE THE FANS WHO LAY THEIR MONEY DOWN!!

Jackson 2 said:

If that was f###### Albert from Rhode Island you heard, you need to automatically discount what you heard. He's a raving, lunatic hater who's a Giants fan and hates Bill Belichick with every fiber of his being. Honestly, he's legitimately freaking nuts. One of the things I miss about Andy Gresh (and the more I listen to Porky Bertrand the more I miss Gresh) is the way Gresh would kick the living s### out of Albert the ***hole and make him hang up.

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I'm referring to Albert Breer. I don't know if he's nuts or not but he is pretty popular national reporter and he can't even see how he contradicts himself.

It's extremely difficult for an owner to tarnish the actual franchise he/she owns. Even Irsay who is a complete embarrassment of a human being doesn't diminish the actual brand itself.

Kraft managed to take action (TWICE) that permanently damaged the reputation of the logo itself.

So we're not alone in the dislike/hate of our owner. But for all the real life awful stuff the other guys do, Kraft did the one thing that would prevent me from ever putting on a jersey again.

BSR said:

I'm referring to Albert Breer. I don't know if he's nuts or not but he is pretty popular national reporter and he can't even see how he contradicts himself.

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LOL, thanks! Yes, Albert Breer is only 2% less nuts than Albert from Rhode Isand. They're both douchenozzles.

at least you guys got an owner that doesnt plan on moving your team.

I am as angry at Kraft as anyone, but I will say that I have always liked the fact that the Patriots management philosophy has always been long term thinking. They have never been pressured to make a big splash in the draft or in free agency by an owner desperate to sell some tickets.

It is a foreign concept to us but very real to many fan bases where the owner meddles in and forces stupid decisions to build excitement among the fan base. I think Miami right now is doing just that.

Yes, I'm sure that there are a lot fan bases who hate owners whose team has won 10 games a year over 15 years.

I don't care about Kraft enough to hate him, but he's rubbed me the wrong way since cameragate and continues to. He pushes for 18 game seasons, a team in London and was Goodell's biggest supporter, even after it became obvious Goodell didn't give a **** about Kraft. Years later, that's blowing up in his face for a part 2. He's also ruined any leverage he once had, as the other owners love this forced parity. I mean, it's about money for them as much as it is for Kraft. They couldn't give a damn less if the rulings are against the best team as long as it's not hurting the bottom line. Hell, they are getting more attention than ever for an offseason. The league has moved past Kraft and I don't know what can be done to change that. He's not going to consider holding things like broadcast contracts hostage like some wishful thinkers still hold out for. He is what he is. Business man.

There's a lot of ways to win football games. Roster, training camp, coaching, scouting, making clutch plays.

None of those things have s*** to do with ownership. Kraft is as important to the team's success as my lucky hat. Either can be changed without anyone noticing. Brady, the guy he tossed under the bus is actually important to this team, and cannot be changed without people noticing.

As heinous this act was, not confident that one action can tarnish a legacy... give Mr. Kraft a lot of credit and as much as I do not like that he folded on this issues... I have to believe that there is more to this story, if nothing else it taints the ability for Goodell to be an objective arbitrator(the extensive conversations he had with Mr. Kraft alone create an appearance of impropriety)....

Since Kraft bought the team in the early 1990's, we've had only three coaches. At least 2 Super Bowl visits for each head coach, averaging 3.67 appearances per coach (11 total), and averaging 2.3 Super Bowl trophies per coach so far (7). Four of the seven, as Patriots coaches. The coach who got those four is our current coach. He literally defeated the coach he replaced -- in the most recent Super Bowl. And the one he replaced, won the Super Bowl the year before. Very nice.

In the mean time, lots of people became NFL head coaches for the first time, lasted one or a few years, and never became a head coach again (never mind reaching any kind of playoffs.)

P.S.: never forget the 45-7 victory over the Colts.

I do not dislike Mr Kraft.
I love Mr Kraft.

Never had a Myra in my life.

I believe he would trade a whole bunch of his stuff to have her back around.
Wake up as a city bus driver with her at home?
Done.
More probable than not.

The isolation and fatigue would be gone.

Honestly, I was concerned.
Often when older folks lose their better half,
they quickly fade, lose the will to go on.
I think he is holding up pretty darn well.

We don't call it our better half for nothing.
Things would have played out
differently with her around.
***********

Gisele right about now: