The more time that goes on, the more I have trouble rooting for Kraft

Seeing Brady getting booed at the Super Bowl is just the tip of the iceberg. Go to any opposing team's message board, and every reference to the Patriots or Brady has an asterisk...sure I know message boards are made for smack talk, but it just goes to show how deep the hatred is and how real the "illegitimate cheater" mark is for so many fans.

Tom Brady went to Bob Kraft his rookie year and told him "I'm the best thing that's ever happened to this organization." Since then, Brady has been arguably the best thing that could ever happen to any organization, the consummate professional, one of the greatest ever to play the game, amazing teammate, ideal role model, the only player in the NFL who is willing to take a deep pay cut in order to win games.

So, back to the Super Bowl and the scowls. Bob, how is that working out for you, reasoning that the other 31 are in agreement, so that means lay down, don't fight for what's right, and let Brady burn? Did you enjoy the howls of the 31 (albeit mostly Denver fans, but it really wouldn't have mattered - Tom wasn't going to be cheered by anyone)? Are you glad that you took your advice from a bunch of brain-dead weasels and their power drunk owners, both of whom are fueled by insatiable envy and jealousy?

I'll be taking some time off from this board from the offseason, and what bothers as I come to reflect on the Patriots me isn't that the team lost this year, or the numerous questionable coaching decisions, or even the fact that Manning won his second very undeserving Super Bowl...because it has never been about that to me. It's always been about an organization who is proud of who they are, players who hustle, professional athletes who swallow their egos, and a team that year after year competes and never dies. I love this team's players and coaches. They NEVER make excuses. They NEVER air out their dirty laundry. They don't win the Super Bowl every year, but you never question their desire.

But Bob Kraft?

I just don't think I can forgive him. Every time I see him, I am filled with shame and anger...I am a grown man with a wife and kids who has devoted way too much time to his brand...and to think that this man is just a gutless coward...leaves me feeling betrayed. I would fight for my family; I would fight for my employees; I would fight for the reputation of anyone who was unjustly attacked. I don't think there's another owner in the NFL who would have laid down like that, as if helping to permanently stain the reputation of his greatest player and so called "family member."

I hope Kraft steps down and turns the team over to his son. It is so hard to root for an organization owned by a man of such weak character.

Welcome to the club. Kraft is a weakling, most of us acknowledge it...at least on this forum.

Yeah, he goes along to get along. F-him! Neville Chamberlain.

I'll always be thankful for Bob keeping the team here, hiring BB and providing him with the resources to be successful and build a winner.

I certainly am not a fan of his. He had an opportunity to right a wrong and he turned yellah.

Moving on

robertweathers said:

I'll always be thankful for Bob keeping the team here, hiring BB and providing him with the resources to be successful and build a winner.

I certainly am not a fan of his. He had an opportunity to right a wrong and he turned yellah.

Moving on

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He didn't turn yellow....he grabbed for the green ($). That is all. Brady and the fans and BB do NOT equal the long term pursuit of the almighty dollar.

I understand the frustration. But what avenues were available to Kraft? Haven't we been over this? He had no options. So he figured he would sacrifice the picks in the hopes that it would mollify Goodell and keep Goodell from coming down on Brady. He was wrong, and he acknowledged as such.

It's easy to say he was a coward; what was he supposed to do?

Kraft isn't the one who accused Brady of deflating balls. Kraft isn't the one who had cameras on the sidelines. And Kraft didn't boo Brady at the Super Bowl.

Find another scapegoat. Being portrayed as the villain is part of the cost of being so successful. Don't allow it to make you turn on your own.

Clonamery said:

He didn't turn yellow....he grabbed for the green ($). That is all. Brady and the fans and BB do NOT equal the long term pursuit of the almighty dollar.

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That is assumed he would have actually lost money or lost a revenue stream if he fought to recoup the picks.

He definitely didn't come off well in his public statements regarding deflategate as his tenor and position would change based on a magic 8 ball.

He was caught in an awkward position trying to appease both sides.......

- ' don't mess with my guys/team'

- 'wait, fellow owners, I didn't really mean it. I like being part of the inner circle. I want to be voted into hall of fame'

I understand the conflict of interest he had to deal with, but he definitely did not come off well

No one enjoys having the hard work, and success, of the team you support being shrugged off as the result of cheating. But Kraft didn't cause that.

ivanvamp said:

I understand the frustration. But what avenues were available to Kraft? Haven't we been over this? He had no options. So he figured he would sacrifice the picks in the hopes that it would mollify Goodell and keep Goodell from coming down on Brady. He was wrong, and he acknowledged as such.

It's easy to say he was a coward; what was he supposed to do?

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Maybe it isn't always about how do we win this thing? Maybe he should have just filed an appeal to the league and potentially sued the league, merely because it's about public opinion, and fighting tooth and nail, shedding more light on the injustice, just looks better than rolling over. He didn't even appeal the decision...didn't even appeal it! He would not even be able to sue the league because he opted not to even appeal the decision.

Many said that Brady was also crazy to appeal this decision, or at the very least, that he has very little chance to win.

Had Kraft appealed and then sued the league, even had the suit been thrown out, it would have continued to be a big deal, that an owner was willing to go to court against his business partners with scientific experts backing that his team was unjustly punished and that he was personally fined $1M.

AT THE VERY LEAST, he should have done what any owner with balls would have done, which is threaten to sue, threaten to do everything imaginable to make their lives difficult, unless the league was willing to at least agree to reconsider the penalty after the PSI recordings came back from this year...it could have been done privately. He clearly didn't consider this option either.

I don't think that most people realize just how F'd up this entire ordeal was. We are talking about one of the largest fines and penalties in sports history over a rules violation that did not exist, with data that did not exist, with a consequence that did not exist, based on purposely flawed science. Maybe Kraft could not have won had he sued the league; I'm willing to bet there are some judges out there who would be willing to give serious consideration to vacating the penalties based on fundamental unfairness. And yes, I realize he is part of the league, but Al Davis sued the NFL and won. It is possible.

Thank about it like this: what if Roger Goodell told Kraft he was fined $500M because his players were tying their shoes the wrong way? Absurd? Do you think he would sue in that case? Do you think he would go to court and refuse to pay the money, which is a huge chunk of his fortune? Of course he would, because the NFL cannot just make up violations and fine him...yes, my example is extreme, but at some point, it illustrates there is a line and a principle.

tom444 said:

Kraft isn't the one who accused Brady of deflating balls. Kraft isn't the one who had cameras on the sidelines. And Kraft didn't boo Brady at the Super Bowl.

Find another scapegoat. Being portrayed as the villain is part of the cost of being so successful. Don't allow it to make you turn on your own.

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And Kraft isn't the one who stood up for his player against baseless allegations.

He needed to go Al Davis on the NFL and he didnt. He should have stuck up for his guy and his fans and he rolled over....

363839 said:

And Kraft isn't the one who stood up for his player against baseless allegations.

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So he didn't pull it off well. Hardly a hanging offense.

I understand the hard feelings towards Kraft. What options did he have? Bring a lawsuit against the NFL, wasn't going to happen, not allowed for this situation. He is what he is, but he owns the team, it's his money, it's his business. He made a choice, he admitted it was a wrong choice but it wouldn't have changed the outcome. Brady would still be called a cheat and his case will be decided in a court and should he win in court he still will be called a cheat. Time to move on.

I don't believe Kraft had the opportunity to appeal. That option was not available to him.

ivanvamp said:

I don't believe Kraft had the opportunity to appeal. That option was not available to him.

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Robert Kraft says Patriots ‘won’t appeal’ Deflategate punishment - The Boston Globe

Patriots owner Robert Kraft, citing a desire to end “the rhetoric that’s gone on for the last four months,’’ said Tuesday that he will not appeal the penalties the team received as a result of the investigation into the use of underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship game.

Kraft and the Patriots had until Thursday to appeal the penalties handed down by the league last week: the loss of a 2016 first-round draft pick, loss of a 2017 fourth-round pick, and a $1 million fine.

The entire country believes the Patriots repeatedly cheat without remorse.

It started in 2006 when Kraft failed to come out (or let BB do so) and tell everyone how stupid CameraPlacementGate was. Instead Kraft said he was disappointed in BB, and that lead to everyone believing we were cheating during the game.

Then in 2016, by Kraft accepting the punishment, the public believes the Patriots cheated, and its just semantics whether or not Brady was involved or gets punished.
Kraft came out with a nice website, but he should've appealed the decision, and demanded (as one of the people who paid for the investigation) that all investigation notes and emails be made available to him.

The notion that "Kraft took the punishment so the league would go easy on Brady" is ridiculous. By not objecting to the punishment/charge, and firing two employees, Kraft was basically telling everyone "You have to punish Brady otherwise it'll be a case of the perp getting off free because a low level employee took the fall"

It's time to move on from the Kraft hate. It's obvious that Brady still loves him and respects him, and he knows the situation and reasoning behind it much better than any of us do. What we do know is that if it were not for Bob Kraft, the New England Patriots literally wouldn't exist, let alone have 4 Super Bowls and 15 incredible seasons.

robertweathers said:

That is assumed he would have actually lost money or lost a revenue stream if he fought to recoup the picks.

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Not necessarily. Kraft could have assumed the role of the cowardly lap dog because he thought it would be good for his financial future. He could have made such an assumption even if it were incorrect. Of course we cannot know what he was thinking. What we can say is that he did not act out of any principled sense of right and wrong. He willingly relinquished his ability to think and act for his team and his QB and placed his trust in Goodell. He now admits that was a mistake, but we still see him schmoozing with Goodell while his QB gets booed at a ceremony where he was being honored, and his team is forever regarded as unethical cheaters. In terms of managing the brand, as they say in the business world, Kraft gets an "F". And he is crying all the way to the bank.