Mr Kraft, The Time has Come To Ask: Whose Side Are You On?

[shmessy]

If the team is truly innocent of all this, then it's even more important that BB and Kraft just flat out deny everything. This story is gaining steam and the silence from Foxboro is making things worse not better.

They shouldn't say a damn thing in public until the investigation is finalized and publicly aired before Friday.

If it drags on unnecessarily beyond Friday noon, then this is a railroading (especially with the partial leak to Mort last night) and they should definitely come out and explain themselves at that point.

 

[Triumph]

'Cram it through'??? 'Looks more suspicious'?

He has every right to demand that the league investigation is thorough, fair and timely - - i.e. they do not sit on it until March. This is a very easy and focused subject to investigate - - should not take more than 48-72 hours. And there should not be leaks before the final conclusion.

What is 'suspicious' about any of that?

The NFL will be done this week. Who cares if its done in 3 days or 5 days? Let the league investigate via their own timeline and stay out it. Nobody stated a word about the investigation ending in March. Kraft can do nothing but cooperate.

 

[Triumph]

They shouldn't say a damn thing in public until the investigation is finalized and publicly aired before Friday.

If it drags on unnecessarily beyond Friday noon, then this is a railroading and they should definitely come out and explain themselves at that point.

You sound OJ Simpsons lawyers.

The process is villain and not their client.

 

[shmessy]

You sound OJ Simpsons lawyers.

The process is villain and not their client.

Ridiculous, and if you comprehended any of my posts, you would not have written such drivel.

I want the truth to come out and not to be unfairly delayed.

Regardless of whether the Patriots are guilty or innocent.

 

[Brewskies]

I posted this in the Deflate-Gate thread, but feel it deserves a separate thread.

This has been going on for years since Cameragate. It didn't work then, and it won't work now. Mr. Kraft, it is time to side with your fans - - your customers, and not with your drinking buddies in the boardroom. We are here and loyal to you and the New England Patriots, but that loyalty is a two way street and you WILL be in danger of losing some of that customer base BEFORE Tom Brady and Bill belichick leave if you continue to accept mud being slung at the franchise without fighting back. Accepting a several months delay in the NFL investigation that is so particular and concentrated only ensures that it will be a cloud of the narrative up to and after the Super Bowl. No matter what happens in the Super Bowl, Deflate-Gate will be the dominant story nationwide.

The time has come to finally ask the question:

Who's more important, Mr. Kraft, your customers and neighbors or the suits on Madison Avenue?

Today SHOULD have been a day of tremendous joy.

"I'm po'd at Mr. Kraft right now.

His modus operandi with these things is spineless.

I'm not saying the Patriots are guilty or innocent in this. I have no idea.

But for this owner to accept a cloud hanging over his franchise and, yes it's fans, while the NFL decides to play stonewall for the next several weeks for an investigation that is so particular and limited in scope that it could be resolved in 6 hours is callous to those who support the New England Patriots.

He should tell the NFL to **** or get off the pot. Kicking this can down the road for another several weeks only keeps a cloud that is probably undeserved over the entire franchise.

Bob Kraft is allowing the Jim Romes, the Tomases, the Easterbrookes and Patriotsevens of this world to paint the picture and create the reality.

Mr. Kraft: WE shouldn't have to be dealing with this, YOU come out of the cave and deal with it. Stop worrying about being a "traitor to your class" and fight for your fans for once."

Very well put, thank you. I feel the same way about this football issue and the Jets owner tampering re: Revis these things should be resolved in 24 hours.

 

[Ivan]

The Kraft's need to fight back this time. Make it clear that the NFL has a great deal to prove in terms of any tampering and contest it right down the line. No more simply eating their crap and talking the punishment. There are only a few people with access to the game balls and the idea that they are screwing with them literally make no sense at all. And the idea that there was some dramatic difference between the Patriots game balls and the Colds and LB who touched 1 ball one time recognized it, but the refs handling the balls for both sides all game long didn't is equally ludicrous. One the whole the story make absolutely no sense at all at any level.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Thread of the year

 

[RobertWeathers]

The more I think about it, regardless to what the league finds out and who is to blame, it really, really, really needs to publicly come out and say that it's in-game operational system is faulty and is putting controls in place to ensure that game day rules are enforced AND the Patriots are not guilty of any wrongdoing. Say it was a broken measuring PSI meter or something...

If the league comes out and finds the Pats were malicious and goes public with it, it'll be sheer hell for the team and the league next week.

No one needs this.

 

[everlong]

I'm to the point where I have to question if it's worth following this sport any longer. The constant whining and witch hunts have taken their toll. In spite of Rodgers being quoted that he likes the balls over inflated and will push the limits, in spite of the Vikings and Panthers being warned not to heat the balls on the sideline and getting caught on camera doing it and countless other instances of things like this happening it's turned into Kraft should fire Bill, the Patriots should lose their SB birth and countless other insane punishments for what is listed as a $25,000 fine in the rule book.

The Patriots are in a no win situation right now and this won't go away. If Goodell exonerates them it's a bag job by the league even though he overreacted and took away a first rounder for doing something everybody else was doing. If he just gives them the $25K fine it's a slap on the wrist. Pretty much the only thing he can do is suspend Bill for the SB and/or take another first rounder to make the media, jealous fans of other teams and players who cannot admit they lost happy.

The only thing that will make me personally happy is the Patriots breaking their cone of silence and fighting fire with fire which won't happen. Every game check the kicker's shoes for extra rubber, check the tee for elevation, check the receivers hands for sticky substance. Go in with electronic detection and check the visiting locker room's for devices. Check the audio system at Lucas for piped in noise and let it be known that it's happening. Maybe I'm just petty but if it was me I wouldn't stop until everybody else did.

The worst part is I told myself right after the game I would just sit back and enjoy this ride because it could be the last one. I never thought in 87 that was the Celtics last trip for a while so you never know. For supposedly a tough man's sport the NFL is filled with more whiners than a kindergarten without nap time.

 

[Bella*chick]

I'm with you, Everlong. I honestly think I am done with the sport. Its been building. I have disliked the NFL for a while now. I have been conflicted for a long time now with CTE and then all the distasteful Ray Rice stuff just made it worse. Now the only thing I like about the league is the Patriots and it's no fun at all to be a fan of them anymore. It's just not. Who wants to walk around in their Pats gear and get snarky remarks from everybody? Not every fan lives in New England!

 

[1960Pats]

Ummmm..... the Mankins, Seymour and Welker "trades' (one was not a trade, btw) all happened to work out pretty damn well for the New England Patriots.

It wouldn't take a 'media stooge of Kraft' to write that each one had a lot of merit to it.

Everyone except the complete delusionals can see that the Mankins and Welker transactions are already turning out as big winners for the Patriots long-term........and we all loved Big Sey, but he never turned Oakland into a winning team and was watching from his couch Sunday night as the draft pick we got for him scored a "tackle eligible" TD in the AFCCG.

The Seymour trade pick should have been a much better choice. Who could have possibly known that Oakland would actually win a few games that year? Even Belitrick didn't see that one coming.

 

[Mountain_Commando]

I'm with you, Everlong. I honestly think I am done with the sport. Its been building. I have disliked the NFL for a while now. I have been conflicted for a long time now with CTE and then all the distasteful Ray Rice stuff just made it worse. Now the only thing I like about the league is the Patriots and it's no fun at all to be a fan of them anymore. It's just not. Who wants to walk around in their Pats gear and get snarky remarks from everybody? Not every fan lives in New England!

I'm with you 100%, except the part about giving up on the Pats. Yeah, I've thought about it. But I won't do it.

Because I refuse to be victimized by this preposterous witch-hunt perpetuated buy a dishonest $-loving league, and cashed in on by a ratings-whore media, who feeds the mobs of froth-mouthed whiners nationwide (the opposing fans).

F*** them! F*** them all! Everybody gets a trophy? Not with BB and TFB in the league, b***h! That is greatness you cannot possibly compete against fairly, and so you accuse US of underhanded tactics?

I'm with all the fans calling for the Pats to go on a DEFCON 1 'FU' campaign on the entire NFL. Publicly call out league's hypocrisy. Go on a media spree and bombard all the networks and outlets with pro-Pats propaganda (the media whores will switch allegiance at the drop of a hat for the almighty dollar). F*** all goodwill, file one complaint a week against everyone against the smallest infractions seen or perceived. One "Breaking News Expose" every week...open the NFL's dirty closet, air their dirty laundry for all to see.

They want to ruin it for us? Fine! Ruin it for them too!

I know this 'total war' won't happen, for a myriad of reasons. But I'll do my little part. I'll wear my Pats jersey with pride, with a s*** eating grin and watch the haters squirm while they do their damndest to convince me that our success is a farce because 'cameras and underinflated balls'. They want sooo badly for us to just go away or be ashamed and sour. F***K that! They won't get that satisfaction from me. I'll be the worst sore on their backside, I'll rub the dynasty in their face, and I'll take joy in their misery. That's how I'm going to deal with this going forward.

 

[Bella*chick]

And I'd also like to say I don't give two ****s if BB himself stood over the balls cackling with a pressure gauge. I just don't care. I have never played this game or any sport at this elite level and I'm not about to start pontificating about integrity with someone who has been in this sport longer than I have been alive. If he does stuff like that, it's in the spirit of gaining that edge. And I don't care.

 

[DarrylS]

I find it interesting as to how the information is being released, Mort does it on Tues nite about 11:00 EST... that is curious, could that be to get info to the morning news feeds??

Makes me wonder if the balls were even inspected, now Florio says they were.. but why release bits of information, Mr. Commish I would be concerned about these leaks.. as it denigrates the integrity of your office..

There is a method to this madness, have not figured it out though... releasing bits of info in intervals, makes me suspicious.

 

[Deus Irae]

I find it interesting as to how the information is being released, Mort does it on Tues nite about 11:00 EST... that is curious, could that be to get info to the morning news feeds??

Makes me wonder if the balls were even inspected, now Florio says they were.. but why release bits of information, Mr. Commish I would be concerned about these leaks.. as it denigrates the integrity of your office..

There is a method to this madness, have not figured it out though... releasing bits of info in intervals, makes me suspicious.

 

[flasox27]

The media battle was lost in 2007 when Ol' Get Along Bob went supine and let the POS commissioner run wild over the Pats reputation for nothing. He compounded it by not get the commissioner to admit what was on the tapes before destroying them leaving an ongoing cloud. Now comes the next moment of truth for him. Is he going to let the man he unflinching supported in Ricegate crucify the Pats again over nothing or use his internal and external influence for the team. My opinion is that Bob will be standing on the sidewalk with his bimbo as the bus runs over BB and the Pats.

 

[flasox27]

Now there is an article that Kraft might fire BB over this BS. If that 's the case, I will after 54 years abandon the Pats and root for whatever team hires him. Kraft may think that the fans love him but the fans will turn on him in a second if this happens. Kraft is really mistaken if he puts his fellow owners above the fans.

 

[Kdo5]

Now there is an article that Kraft might fire BB over this BS. If that 's the case, I will after 54 years abandon the Pats and root for whatever team hires him. Kraft may think that the fans love him but the fans will turn on him in a second if this happens. Kraft is really mistaken if he puts his fellow owners above the fans.

Well if your referring to the Curran thing, it is just speculation. But hypothetically you are absolutely correct. If, worst case scenario, it did happen I'd be through with the Patriots for good. My father who has been a Pats fan twice as long as me concurs. He said he'll never watch another game if they got rid of Belichick.

It'd be one hell of a mistake for Kraft who has **** the bed on this whole thing to begin with.

 

[Ivan]

If the NFL is going to let Belichick do his presser then I don't believe any punishment is headed his way.

 

[flasox27]

If the NFL is going to let Belichick do his presser then I don't believe any punishment is headed his way.

Once again I hope you are right.