From Laughing Stock to Powerhouse - The man most responsible for the turnaround

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Pick ONE PERSON from the list that is MOST responsible from turning around this franchise from what was a laughing stock to a dominating elite team now.

Who would be your top pick?

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

BOB KRAFT.

He got BB here.

That took guts.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Missing:

- Michael Jackson (or Chuck Sullivan, if you prefer)
- Zeke Mowatt (or Lisa Olson or Victor Kiam, if you prefer)

The history of the Patriots is a very entertaining story to say the least.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Fencer]

Kraft. From laughingstock to solid respectability was, in retrospect, inevitable as soon as he took over.

He learned quickly from the dumbass mistakes he did make (e.g., scouting Tebucky). Others that looked dumb at the time look better now (losing Parcells -- even hiring Pete Carroll, given how great a college coach that guy has proved to be).

I don't think anything Kraft runs could ever be anything other than solidly respectable or better.

And he did this while swinging for the fences, and he connected on one of his swings.

 

[nhpatsfan]

Mr. Kraft!

 

[nukin]

Kraft definitly

 

[italian pat patriot]

no doubt: Mr Robert Kraft

personally a lot of respect for Mr Billy Sullivan too (without him no Patriots)

the two most important in franchise history

3rd: Tom Brady and BB at the same level

 

[BradyManny]

Honestly, it's either Brady or Mo Lewis. You could easily say BB or Kraft, but if Brady doesn't get the starting job here and turn into the QB he turned into in such a short time, who knows what would've happened?

Kraft made the Pats a successful FRANCHISE, a successful BUSINESS, the Brady/BB combination has made it a successful powerhouse team, a model team for all other sports...and ultimately, Kraft's successful business somewhat requires a successful team...but just look at the teams around the league now and you'll see it's this simple - teams with a good quarterback win and teams that don't have one suffer.

If there's no Brady, this team is probably looking more like the Jets, Bills or Dolphins for the past 6 years, and while maybe it wouldn't be the laughingstock that two out of three of those franchises are, it certainly wouldn't be anywhere near a powerhouse.

 

[xmarkd400x]

IMO Bledsoe should be a choice. The team reached its first SB in a decade with him at the helm, and he got people excited about the Pats when he was here.

 

[BradyManny]

IMO Bledsoe should be a choice. The team reached its first SB in a decade with him at the helm, and he got people excited about the Pats when he was here.

It's true, but where did that ultimately lead us in the "powerhouse" scheme of things? What happens if their 6th round draft pick doesn't turn out to be the best QB in the history of the game? Well, the entire 2000 decade is likely a failure for Kraft and BB.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

IMO Bledsoe should be a choice. The team reached its first SB in a decade with him at the helm, and he got people excited about the Pats when he was here.

While its true that Drew Bledsoe did help turn this team around you can give Parcells the credit for choosing him in the draft in 1993 which was pretty deep that year.

 

[Grogan's neck roll]

IMO Bledsoe should be a choice. The team reached its first SB in a decade with him at the helm, and he got people excited about the Pats when he was here.

I am a HUGE Bledsoe fan, but I can't agree with you. The fact is that since that first SB appearance, the team was down after that, and it was only that he was out of the starting role that they began the transformation to "Powerhouse" that is referred to in the title.

I'd say Belichick might be an answer, since there was a little down period after Parcells left, but I'm going with the man at the top.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Honestly, it's either Brady or Mo Lewis. You could easily say BB or Kraft, but if Brady doesn't get the starting job here and turn into the QB he turned into in such a short time, who knows what would've happened?

Kraft made the Pats a successful FRANCHISE, the Brady/BB combination has made it a successful powerhouse team...but just look at the teams around the league now and you'll see it's this simple - teams with a good quarterback win and teams that don't have one suffer.

If there's no Brady, this team is probably looking more like the Jets, Bills or Dolphins for the past 6 years, and while maybe it wouldn't be the laughingstock that two out of three of those franchises are, it certainly wouldn't be anywhere near a powerhouse.

I think Brady is the most important person regarding the team being a 3-time SB champ. But without him, I think the team would be much better than the Jets, Bills or Fish...probably closer to Pittsburgh: A playoff mainstay that gets derailed by a tough playoff opponent in the 3 (or 4) game run to a title. Would they still be considered a powerhouse? I think so. Just not a dynasty.

Regards,
Chris

 

[BradyManny]

I think Brady is the most important person regarding the team being a 3-time SB champ. But without him, I think the team would be much better than the Jets, Bills or Fish...probably closer to Pittsburgh: A playoff mainstay that gets derailed by a tough playoff opponent in the 3 (or 4) game run to a title. Would they still be considered a powerhouse? I think so. Just not a dynasty.

Regards,
Chris

I guess I'd agree with that - though I guess it depends on who they end up getting to replace Bledsoe...But we are talking about the fact that they are a dynasty, so I do think TB is the most important part in that.

An interesting and related Q would be to think of who had a better chance of success:

-TB without BB/Kraft
-Kraft without BB/TB
-BB without TB/Kraft

I think ultimately, TB is the one who finds success more easily outside of the others...reason being that at the end of the day, it's the players who decide the outcomes of games, and no matter how smart a coach BB is or how great a businessman Kraft is, it took Brady to turn the franchise into what it is now.

 

[Hoodie]

That would be a GREAT name for a book about the Pats.

 

[emoney_33]

I guess I'd agree with that - though I guess it depends on who they end up getting to replace Bledsoe...But we are talking about the fact that they are a dynasty, so I do think TB is the most important part in that.

An interesting and related Q would be to think of who had a better chance of success:

-TB without BB/Kraft
-Kraft without BB/TB
-BB without TB/Kraft

I think ultimately, TB is the one who finds success more easily outside of the others...reason being that at the end of the day, it's the players who decide the outcomes of games, and no matter how smart a coach BB is or how great a businessman Kraft is, it took Brady to turn the franchise into what it is now.

That is true but how much credit can go to Kraft, BB and co. for Brady's growth? He didn't come into the league as a great QB and had to work hard to transform into what he is today.

I think it's perfect matches and nobody really knows how each would do without the others.

 

[mgteich]

So, all the other factors are worth nothing. Even the best coaches, front office, players, scouts, and so forth amount to nothing. All that matters is choosing a top QB. Kraft was just lucky! IMHO this is a bunch of crap!

Kraft has assembled one of the best organizations in the history of sports. I do not believe for a moment that Kraft would have failed without Brady. Surely, we wouldn't have suceeded as well. The Krafts could have succeeded with different coaches and different players. And just BTW, Carroll was not a failure, Parcells was not a failure, and Bledsoe certainly wasn't a failure.

Oh, and BTW, I disagree with the statement that the patriots were a laughing stock before Kraft. Sullivan gave a us some great teams in the 70's and the 80's and 90's. Yes, there were cycles, but the patriots had their share of great teams. I do agree that Kraft is the key. Without him, and without him choosing to pass on tens of millions, the patriots would be playing in St Louis or Hartford.

It's true, but where did that ultimately lead us in the "powerhouse" scheme of things? What happens if their 6th round draft pick doesn't turn out to be the best QB in the history of the game? Well, the entire 2000 decade is likely a failure for Kraft and BB.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I guess I'd agree with that - though I guess it depends on who they end up getting to replace Bledsoe...But we are talking about the fact that they are a dynasty, so I do think TB is the most important part in that.

An interesting and related Q would be to think of who had a better chance of success:

-TB without BB/Kraft
-Kraft without BB/TB
-BB without TB/Kraft

I think ultimately, TB is the one who finds success more easily outside of the others...reason being that at the end of the day, it's the players who decide the outcomes of games, and no matter how smart a coach BB is or how great a businessman Kraft is, it took Brady to turn the franchise into what it is now.

I agree. Brady's ability to read a defense goes way beyond any coaching he's received. Even BB knows it. In one of the many Pats books, there's a bit about how BB chewed out Brady for a decision he made, Brady defended his actions by reciting exactly how the play unfolded, pointing out what each defender did. BB reviewed the film and Brady was 100% right.

With the array of blitzes Philly threw at the Pats in SB39, backed up by a secondary comprised of 3 Pro Bowlers, it's likely that the Pats don't win that game without Brady's ability and composure to handle that kind of D. Heck, they probably don't make it out of Pittsburgh without Brady's outstanding game (with the flu!). BB can coach up the rest of the team to contend, but more often than not it has been Brady's play that put the team over the championship hump.

Regards,
Chris

 

[BradyManny]

That is true but how much credit can go to Kraft, BB and co. for Brady's growth? He didn't come into the league as a great QB and had to work hard to transform into what he is today.

I think it's perfect matches and nobody really knows how each would do without the others.

I hear you, I guess there's pretty much no wrong answer and you can make a pretty solid argument for any of the 3.

 

[BradyManny]

Brady's ability to read a defense goes way beyond any coaching he's received. Even BB knows it. In one of the many Pats books, there's a bit about how BB chewed out Brady for a decision he made, Brady defended his actions by reciting exactly how the play unfolded, pointing out what each defender did. BB reviewed the film and Brady was 100% right.

Interesting, hadn't heard that tidbit before. Good stuff.

Brady and BB are both football geniuses and it's definitely something we shouldn't take for granted that we get to see them work together.