Kraft's chosen way of attacking.

PatsFanSince74 said:

I think that he went to the meeting in SF in May, got a cold shoulder from a few guys who usually slapped him on the back and decided he didn't like how it felt and surrendered rather than be blackballed by his "friends."

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DINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDING!!

In the words of Lloyd Christmas, Bob Kraft is "one pathetic loser."

basically hit anyone he can. The key to me is to have McNally and Jastremski sue in a Massachusetts federal court. Their suit can bring discovery of all the bad apples and every aspect of deflategate. They can request every email, text, all of the parties involved in regard to the Patriots, the investigation etc... This includes getting everything Brady was denied including communications to and from the Princeton guy, Exponent etc.... McNally and Jastremski are not public figures and have a much lower bar to sue.

This is the way to fight back.

I'm curious. Goodell has ~$150 million left on his contract and has been mentioned as a reason why the NFL won't get rid of him. Is there any clause in the contract that could allow the owners to void the contract based on him being less than "impeccable integrity" as outlined in the CBA?

BradyFTW! said:

I'd like it to be true, but until Kraft demonstrates otherwise I'm going to continue operating under the understanding that he doesn't want to attack the NFL because "the 32" are more important to him than his organization, its QB, its coach, and its fans.

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And what if the same 32- many of whom wish the Patriots would close up shop -would also like to see the Patriots lose a few more #1 draft picks...just because they say it's important for the league? And as they see them cower to such emotional warfare, they lose respect in proportion. Bob Kraft got swindled at the line of scrimmage; handed a bunk penalty for a bad call. He did not challenge the play. Brady did. And good on him. And good for NFL players, as well. The next time Kraft lines up, he needs to get his courage on...and do his job!

Rhodey said:

And what if the same 32- many of whom wish the Patriots would close up shop -would also like to see the Patriots lose a few more #1 draft picks...just because they say it's important for the league? And as they see them cower to such emotional warfare, they lose respect in proportion. Bob Kraft got swindled at the line of scrimmage; handed a bunk penalty for a bad call. He did not challenge the play. Brady did. And good on him. And good for NFL players, as well. The next time Kraft lines up, he needs to get his courage on...and do his job!

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You let them know ahead of time that if they try to engage in such obvious foul play, you'll sue them and publicly accuse them of RICO violations to drum up the government's interest. The 32 have too much to lose to engage in those kinds of shenanigans... provided that they understand you'll actually fight back. The only way crap like that gets pulled is if they know they can do whatever they want and you'll just bend over and take it. Like Kraft does every time.

AzPatsFan said:

I see few of you have ever read Machiavelli. He says if you would render harmless an opponent, remove his supporters first. That is Why Karaft is attacking the Lawyers in the NFL FO. Their expensive fees and poor performance is easier to sell to his fellow owners, as their legal fees come directly out of their pockets.

After you neutralize them, then you can attack Goodell for being foolish to employ them, pay their exorbitant fees, accept their poor advice, and hire these fools in the first place.

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The owners have paid $44 and $35 million to the Commissioner as a salary in 2012 and 2013. How many cases before this have involved courts and a defeat for the NFL? The Bountygate case was likely more expensive than this one in terms of legal fees. It is highly doubtful the legal expenses rise to the level of the generous salary paid out by the owners.

For billionaires, a few million in attorneys fees is like a coffee at Starbucks to most of us. It is the price of being exceedingly wealthy. You are looking at millions as ridiculous. These guys will throw a million or more in fees to sue over hedges on someone else's property being too high. If you believe the owners, paying bank to Rog in salary, will be affected by a fraction of that paid to attorneys, then you may not be thinking like the absurdly wealthy.

Since you brought up Machiavelli:

"One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived."
"The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it."
"There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others."

AzPatsFan said:

I see few of you have ever read Machiavelli. He says if you would render harmless an opponent, remove his supporters first. That is Why Karaft is attacking the Lawyers in the NFL FO. Their expensive fees and poor performance is easier to sell to his fellow owners, as their legal fees come directly out of their pockets.

After you neutralize them, then you can attack Goodell for being foolish to employ them, pay their exorbitant fees, accept their poor advice, and hire these fools in the first place.

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That's very nice.

How does this get the draft picks back? It doesn't? Then I don't care.

I don't care that Goodell is the commissioner. It's a guy that Kraft has defended to the wall since he was hired, but in reality, it doesn't matter who it is.

You're twisting yourself up into a pretzel, defending a guy who has no trouble throwing his coaches, staff, players and fans under the bus - all so that the other 30 owners in the NFL will like him more and make him feel important.

That's what he did, and that's what he did it for.

There is no master plan.

There is no attacking.

There is only capitulation.

In fact, the only thing throughout that Kraft has done other than completely capitulate and bend over for the league - is pay meaningless lip service, hoping the fools and unwashed masses are dumb enough to buy it, and continue to keep giving him as much of their money as possible.

That's the ugly, ugly reality, and it's sort of sad that you don't see that. Bob Kraft is counting on you to react this way.

GaryfromTO said:

Kraft was a naïve fool. He should have gone Al Davis on Goodell right from the start. Now how he just looks like a pathetic fool who caved and cost his team dearly.

No amount of spin can change that.

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Just out of curiosity, where did that get Al Davis?

AzPatsFan said:

Judge Berman put it writing:

"This locked him into supporting the Wells Report and rendered him incapable of reaching a contrary conclusion in Brady's appeal, as doing so would undermine his own COMPETENCY
as Commissioner."
Id.
1[167.

Kraft knows he can't sue. Kraft has chosen a different battlefield. He is attacking Goodell's subordinates and the Lawyers advice to Goodell. He is not a lawyer and relies on them for legal advice. Goodell's lawyers have run up lawyers fees to the NFL approaching the value of some franchises like the Jaquars, in the failed 0 for 6 legal actions, that they have lost.

Kraft is saying, "Why are we allowing it? It's time to clean house." Once Pash et al. are fired, and then you can attack Goodell on the basis of his incompetency as Commissioner, in employing, self serving fools like Pash and Wells. Let's stop wasting money on Lawyers, and cease looking like fools. A Vote of Confidence could then be called at an Owner's meeting.

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OK, my sarcasm meter has just gone out of calibration. Did you forget the (or some other) emoticon when you wrote this?

vyrago said:

Just out of curiosity, where did that get Al Davis?

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A team in Los Angeles. And then a team in Oakland again.

vyrago said:

Just out of curiosity, where did that get Al Davis?

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He won an anti- trust lawsuit against the NFL allowing him to move the team from Oakland to LA. In 1989 in another anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL, he received a roughly $20,000,000 settlement. And that was in 1980's money when franchises were still valued under $100,000,000.

It's unfortunate what Kraft did. Letting go and not fighting with a 1st and a 4th on the line was bad foresight. As for "throwing Brady under the bus", I think his intentions, no matter how naive, were just the opposite.

I'm dissappointed in how Bob handled everything, but it will never rise to the Goodell type hate I see from some posters here.

He's done so much for this franchise my take on it will always be disappointment, not vengeful hate spewing rage. I'll always be grateful that we still have the NE Patriots to root for and there was never a St. Louis Stallions franchise.

AzPatsFan said:

Judge Berman put it writing:

"This locked him into supporting the Wells Report and rendered him incapable of reaching a contrary conclusion in Brady's appeal, as doing so would undermine his own COMPETENCY
as Commissioner."
Id.
1[167.

Kraft knows he can't sue. Kraft has chosen a different battlefield. He is attacking Goodell's subordinates and the Lawyers advice to Goodell. He is not a lawyer and relies on them for legal advice. Goodell's lawyers have run up lawyers fees to the NFL approaching the value of some franchises like the Jaquars, in the failed 0 for 6 legal actions, that they have lost.

Kraft is saying, "Why are we allowing it? It's time to clean house." Once Pash et al. are fired, and then you can attack Goodell on the basis of his incompetency as Commissioner, in employing, self serving fools like Pash and Wells. Let's stop wasting money on Lawyers, and cease looking like fools. A Vote of Confidence could then be called at an Owner's meeting.

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Were you, like, drunk or something when you typed this yesterday?
This is even sillier than the gibberish last year about how Halapio fell into Bill's lap on draft weekend.

TommyD4207 said:

A team in Los Angeles. And then a team in Oakland again.

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And millions from each city

OhExaulted1 said:

It's unfortunate what Kraft did. Letting go and not fighting with a 1st and a 4th on the line was bad foresight. As for "throwing Brady under the bus", I think his intentions, no matter how naive, were just the opposite.

I'm dissappointed in how Bob handled everything, but it will never rise to the Goodell type hate I see from some posters here.

He's done so much for this franchise my take on it will always be disappointment, not vengeful hate spewing rage. I'll always be grateful that we still have the NE Patriots to root for and there was never a St. Louis Stallions franchise.

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I don't hate Kraft, I hate Godell. Kraft chose the other owners and his standing in the league over the fans of his team. To me my feelings run similar to how I believe a woman feels whose husband cheated on her but she needs to keep the marriage together because of the kids. The husband may be a wonderful provider as is Kraft, so the marriage stays intact but the love and trust is gone.

patman52 said:

I don't hate Kraft, I hate Godell. Kraft chose the other owners and his standing in the league over the fans of his team. To me my feelings run similar to how I believe a woman feels whose husband cheated on her but she needs to keep the marriage together because of the kids. The husband may be a wonderful provider as is Kraft, so the marriage stays intact but the love and trust is gone.

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I think that's actually a very good analogy that makes me understand some of the vitriol. I think most of the reasonable posters here have that veiwpoint and it in many ways sums up mine.

Dissapointed with Bob and hope Jonathan takes over the reigns soon. He has begun to really step it up as of late and he looks like he's becoming confident enough to not take any BS. I think he's seen just about all he needs to.

I hope in the end that Bob has a hand in getting Goodell removed for the good of all the league and can step down on a somewhat dignified note.