My Unpopular thoughts about Kraft.

[Tony2046]

“I don’t want to continue the rhetoric that’s gone on for the last four months — I’m going to accept, reluctantly, what he has given to us, and not continue this dialogue and rhetoric, and we won’t appeal,” -Robert Kraft.

Those words punched me in the gut. I was pissed. Still am to some degree but in the last few days I have had a few additional thoughts. Do we hate this guy or are we just upset with him?

When I was in the Army I used to go out clubbing with two of my buddies once in a while. One guy was like Kraft in that he was likeable, smart, organized and well dressed. The other was a jeans and t-shirt guy who liked to turn wrenches like myself. At work everything was great in that we cracked jokes, talked **** and got the job done but when we went to the club we had to watch out for the "sharp dressed man" guy. It always seemed to end up that me and the other t-shirt guy were fighting two or three guys while our buddy the kraft guy was either running for the car or talking trash from behind us. He simply had no balls. He was a great guy but was just too afraid to fight and not big enough to fight either.

To me Kraft is similar in that he is a great guy but he has no balls. He has accomplished some great things in this state and has been a part of a team that has given us a truly unprecedented 15 years of NFL history. I know that Bill and Tom have been the driving force behind those years but Kraft has been a part of it either by giving Bill the reigns, by staying out of the way or making savvy financial decisions that benefit the team. Kraft has contributed immensely to the community via philanthropy or job creation and I cannot forget that.

I am pissed at him though and wish he had not made that announcement. He truly has no balls when we need him to have them but are we upset with him or do we hate him? I am simply upset with him but if I think about it I am glad he was the owner of our team especially if you think what he has been a part of over the last 20+ years. After spygate, which was another ridiculous BS penalty, I realized that other fans can simply kiss my arsh and that will never change. I know what kind of team this is and I know that they have won every game on the same level, if not a higher, as any other team in the league. So screw the other fans especially if they refuse to even read the report or understand the facts because I could care less. I also learned that the NFL is an office that preaches "integrity" but has none of it.

So do we hate him or are we just upset with him? Personally, I don't hate him I am just extremely upset with him right now.

 

[PATS16N0]

Kraft cannot just allow rogue Jets in the league office to trample over us with what is essentially executive action off the football field. He already took Crygate laying down and now the narrative across the country is that `we cheated,` even though we, from looking into it beyond the headlines, know that isn't accurate.

Losing a 1st round pick is a major deal, even if you choose last every year from winning the Superbowl.

Imagine if we didn't have a 1st round pick this year. No Wilfork replacement.

Kraft got a pass on laying down like roadkill for Crygate, but how can we give him a pass again?

Are we just supposed to be a team that isn't allowed to draft in the 1st round arbitrarily because the league office hires people with severe sour grapes and no professional integrity?

Kraft should have fought back.

It's easy to give him a pass when we have Belichick and Tom Brady covering up the lack of fairness on draft day. Imagine if we didn't. Imagine if the league just took 1st round draft picks from the Browns every single season for ******** causes. Acceptable?

 

[Tony2046]

Kraft cannot just allow rogue Jets in the league office to trample over us with what is essentially executive action off the football field. He already took Crygate laying down and now the narrative across the country is that `we cheated,` even though we, from looking into it beyond the headlines, know that isn't accurate.

Losing a 1st round pick is a major deal, even if you choose last every year from winning the Superbowl.

Imagine if we didn't have a 1st round pick this year. No Wilfork replacement.

Kraft got a pass on laying down like roadkill for Crygate, but how can we give him a pass again?

Are we just supposed to be a team that isn't allowed to draft in the 1st round arbitrarily because the league office hires people with severe sour grapes and no professional integrity?

Kraft should have fought back.

It's easy to give him a pass when we have Belichick and Tom Brady covering up the lack of fairness on draft day. Imagine if we didn't. Imagine if the league just took 1st round draft picks from the Browns every single season for ******** causes. Acceptable?

First, I agree with everything you have just said. He should have stood his ground. But let me ask you this: Do you think another owner would have accomplished what Kraft did over the last 20 years? That is where I hinge from wanting him gone or hating him to wishing he had never made that announcement and wishing he would grow a set of balls. We have lost two first round picks during Kraft's ownership but we have been to 6 Super Bowls. If I told you that was possible in 1999 would you have accepted that trade? I would.

 

[Observer]

One cannot be good without being brave. As someone said before, Kraft hurt the fan base more with one statement than a billion haters could in their lifetime.

 

[chicowalker]

I don't think he had any realistic options. I have no problem with his decision.

 

[Tony2046]

One cannot be good without being brave. As someone said before, Kraft hurt the fan base more with one statement than a billion haters could in their lifetime.

First I agree that he hurt the fan base with his announcement but "One cannot be good without being brave?" Bravery is a trait not everyone has. But how many have the trait to build an organization from ground level to elite levels? And Yes I know he got lucky getting Belichick and Brady on board but prior to Belichick he had Parcells and Carroll so he was trying to get the best he could get.

If I asked you in 1995 that if we lost 2 1st round pick in the next 20 years but would still go to 6 Super Bowls and win 4 would you take that?

Anyways I do understand your point of view and I am still pissed about that spineless announcement but I think that I appreciate what he has done as well.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Yes what he as done has been a lot of good. His best decision, probably, was fighting for/giving up draft picks for BB. At that point the on field success of the team has been overwhelmingly due to BB while the success of the Patriots as a business (from stores to logos to marketing to league, ahem, power) has been Kraft. But he has made the team extra healthy due to business acumen -- that certainly is not unimportant. But Kraft is also partly responsible for Goodell, partly responsible for the blowback of Spygate, responsible for the precedent of what can be done to the Patriots due to Spygate's non response, and he gave in too thoroughly on this fiasco including platitudes of support for Goodell. On that last item it is hard to forgive it (even given his past accomplishments) when it was not necessary except for his own personal business interest. Look, he could have provided the 'best for the business of the NFL' and 'support the League/Goodell' blah blah blah without doing what he did. He could have said 'I am stopping public campaign of negative media, the League and other teams are too important' and 'I believe in the league, the commissioner's office and all teams/members' and 'I am not going to pursue an appeal at this time' and all future public comments will be on the subject of 'it's on to Pittsburgh' (simply ended the speech there). The only reason he did what he did so thoroughly is for himself and his business, period. As such I find it hard to digest 'he's been so great let's just forget about it'. Remember, Brady is also very responsible for the on field success of the Patriots and the man has been smeared (and us fans were smacked in the face). Kraft's personal business success being more important to such an absolute degree is BS, BS that will not be easily forgot by me.

 

[supafly]

I don't think he had any realistic options. I have no problem with his decision.

That was pretty much the way I felt, until I realized that he actually hugged Roger Goodell. To me, that's where I started to get pissed.

I still don't feel that he had much opportunity to do anything, particularly since Goodell would've been the one to hear the appeal, but it would've been much better to see him go through with the process--even if it proved to be futile.

 

[Fencer]

"Hate" is an over-strong sentiment to have about him.

But he deserves a LOT of criticism for his choices that were both selfish and unwise.

 

[woolster22]

I'm going to try to respond to 4 quotes, from my phone, please excuse any incoherent babbling.

“I don’t want to continue the rhetoric that’s gone on for the last four months — I’m going to accept, reluctantly, what he has given to us, and not continue this dialogue and rhetoric, and we won’t appeal,” -Robert Kraft.

Those words punched me in the gut. I was pissed. Still am to some degree but in the last few days I have had a few additional thoughts. Do we hate this guy or are we just upset with him?

When I was in the Army I used to go out clubbing with two of my buddies once in a while. One guy was like Kraft in that he was likeable, smart, organized and well dressed. The other was a jeans and t-shirt guy who liked to turn wrenches like myself. At work everything was great in that we cracked jokes, talked **** and got the job done but when we went to the club we had to watch out for the "sharp dressed man" guy. It always seemed to end up that me and the other t-shirt guy were fighting two or three guys while our buddy the kraft guy was either running for the car or talking trash from behind us. He simply had no balls. He was a great guy but was just too afraid to fight and not big enough to fight either.

To me Kraft is similar in that he is a great guy but he has no balls. He has accomplished some great things in this state and has been a part of a team that has given us a truly unprecedented 15 years of NFL history. I know that Bill and Tom have been the driving force behind those years but Kraft has been a part of it either by giving Bill the reigns, by staying out of the way or making savvy financial decisions that benefit the team. Kraft has contributed immensely to the community via philanthropy or job creation and I cannot forget that.

I am pissed at him though and wish he had not made that announcement. He truly has no balls when we need him to have them but are we upset with him or do we hate him? I am simply upset with him but if I think about it I am glad he was the owner of our team especially if you think what he has been a part of over the last 20+ years. After spygate, which was another ridiculous BS penalty, I realized that other fans can simply kiss my arsh and that will never change. I know what kind of team this is and I know that they have won every game on the same level, if not a higher, as any other team in the league. So screw the other fans especially if they refuse to even read the report or understand the facts because I could care less. I also learned that the NFL is an office that preaches "integrity" but has none of it.

So do we hate him or are we just upset with him? Personally, I don't hate him I am just extremely upset with him right now.

Well, now we know the answer to the poll about Booster Seat Bob's PR team reading the forum.

Are you kidding me? Why not go through the motions and appeal to goodell, you know, like SD did after the stickum incident? At least that way, when (assuming goody sticks to his guns re brady), this whole thing is turned on its head he still has legal action to take regarding the picks.

The complete capitulation is unforgivable.
Wellsreportcontext.com
The Peter King article.
Then 10 minutes with "31," and **** my organization's integrity, **** my 15 yr vet, arguably GOAT QB, and **** my fans. While I'm at it, I'm going to make up and hug it out with THE ONE PERSON in charge of the office that smeared my multiBILLION dollar franchise, and cave to "his best interest."
Kraft's decision to "reluctantly accept" anything is ****. That coward should have shown the "31" how he clawed his way into their club by laughing in their faces. Unfortunately he did not realize what every mouth breathing dolt did during the Ray Rice fiasco, so he backed up the sewer of a front office. That is most likely what was thrown in his face last week. Nothing less, nothing more.

I don't think he had any realistic options. I have no problem with his decision.

Appeal to commish as is his right. When NFL F/O and Wells report is evicerated by Brady n Co, go on the offensive.

First I agree that he hurt the fan base with his announcement but "One cannot be good without being brave?" Bravery is a trait not everyone has. But how many have the trait to build an organization from ground level to elite levels? And Yes I know he got lucky getting Belichick and Brady on board but prior to Belichick he had Parcells and Carroll so he was trying to get the best he could get.

If I asked you in 1995 that if we lost 2 1st round pick in the next 20 years but would still go to 6 Super Bowls and win 4 would you take that?

Anyways I do understand your point of view and I am still pissed about that spineless announcement but I think that I appreciate what he has done as well.

Guess what, that **** doesn't matter. He chooses to pay players based on "what have you done for me lately," (granted, not him directly) and the fan base will judge him accordingly. Let's say Brady decided to run backwards towards the goal line and drop the ball for an easy defensive touchdown late in a 2pt game, do you think Kraft would be ok with that? That is exactly what Bend Over Bob did. All he had to do was quietly appeal, if the NFL F/O wanted to leak and counter leak the decision (like today re goody hearing the appeal), that's their ****ing problem. From there he has legal standing to challenge gooodell based on the facts that seem evident if you can read and understand basic hs physics.

That was pretty much the way I felt, until I realized that he actually hugged Roger Goodell. To me, that's where I started to get pissed.

I still don't feel that he had much opportunity to do anything, particularly since Goodell would've been the one to hear the appeal, but it would've been much better to see him go through with the process--even if it proved to be futile.

By passing up the process, he lacks an Avenue to retrieve the picks after the Brady ruling. Let's say goody recinds the suspension, and goes for 50k for non compliance. Pats still on the hook for the picks, with no legal recourse, even though it was ruled the one person who would have known of wrong doing was unaware of any scheme.

The fact he decided to forego his appeal is simply despicable. Goody announced the four cities in contention for a SB the next few years yesterday, if he is still employed next year look for NE to "be in contention" the year after LA.

If there was a deal, it was never for Brady, it would have been for some money making boon for kraft.

(I did edit to fix some blatant errors, hopefully it's coherent enough now).

 

[woolster22]

Meh, full of typos.
@Tony2046, you're still a moron, my grammar be damned.

Edited for yet another grammar mistake.

 

[Tunescribe]

“I don’t want to continue the rhetoric that’s gone on for the last four months — I’m going to accept, reluctantly, what he has given to us, and not continue this dialogue and rhetoric, and we won’t appeal,” -Robert Kraft.

Those words punched me in the gut. I was pissed. Still am to some degree but in the last few days I have had a few additional thoughts. Do we hate this guy or are we just upset with him?

When I was in the Army I used to go out clubbing with two of my buddies once in a while. One guy was like Kraft in that he was likeable, smart, organized and well dressed. The other was a jeans and t-shirt guy who liked to turn wrenches like myself. At work everything was great in that we cracked jokes, talked **** and got the job done but when we went to the club we had to watch out for the "sharp dressed man" guy. It always seemed to end up that me and the other t-shirt guy were fighting two or three guys while our buddy the kraft guy was either running for the car or talking trash from behind us. He simply had no balls. He was a great guy but was just too afraid to fight and not big enough to fight either.

To me Kraft is similar in that he is a great guy but he has no balls. He has accomplished some great things in this state and has been a part of a team that has given us a truly unprecedented 15 years of NFL history. I know that Bill and Tom have been the driving force behind those years but Kraft has been a part of it either by giving Bill the reigns, by staying out of the way or making savvy financial decisions that benefit the team. Kraft has contributed immensely to the community via philanthropy or job creation and I cannot forget that.

I am pissed at him though and wish he had not made that announcement. He truly has no balls when we need him to have them but are we upset with him or do we hate him? I am simply upset with him but if I think about it I am glad he was the owner of our team especially if you think what he has been a part of over the last 20+ years. After spygate, which was another ridiculous BS penalty, I realized that other fans can simply kiss my arsh and that will never change. I know what kind of team this is and I know that they have won every game on the same level, if not a higher, as any other team in the league. So screw the other fans especially if they refuse to even read the report or understand the facts because I could care less. I also learned that the NFL is an office that preaches "integrity" but has none of it.

So do we hate him or are we just upset with him? Personally, I don't hate him I am just extremely upset with him right now.

I don't think Bob gets a pass this time, especially after laying down on Cameragate. In the past eight years he has presided over two spectacular failures of stewardship unprecedented in the history of the NFL, and one Super Bowl win pulled off by his coach and quarterback despite those failures. Had he handled Cameragate properly, we'd arguably have had two championships during that span.

Make no mistake, a lot of what Kraft built since 1994 has been torn down by his pathetic capitulations to R. Stokoe Goodell's egotistic ineptitude. He literally hugs the evil Frankenstein monster he helped create. Instead of putting it out of its misery he lets it run roughshod over himself and his "extended family" of organization, team and fan base. Bob's tenure as active overseer of the Patriots has run its course and should be relinquished to son Jonathan. He laid the foundation for a model franchise and has done some great things but just can't be trusted to make the right decisions anymore.

He deserves our gratitude for building a winner. Now it's time for Act II in the Kraft family ownership saga. Either that, or sell the team to someone who doesn't need testosterone replacement therapy.

 

[Joey007]

Well, looks like it's cooled down a little bit. Had you posted this a few days ago you would've been shredded.

 

[VectorPrime]

Nothing has "cooled down". It's just that anger has now begun to give way to apathy. Which is even worse. Prior to this debacle I could have never imagined being apathetic about the Pats. But I now am.

 

[Kdo5]

“I don’t want to continue the rhetoric that’s gone on for the last four months — I’m going to accept, reluctantly, what he has given to us, and not continue this dialogue and rhetoric, and we won’t appeal,” -Robert Kraft.

Those words punched me in the gut. I was pissed. Still am to some degree but in the last few days I have had a few additional thoughts. Do we hate this guy or are we just upset with him?

When I was in the Army I used to go out clubbing with two of my buddies once in a while. One guy was like Kraft in that he was likeable, smart, organized and well dressed. The other was a jeans and t-shirt guy who liked to turn wrenches like myself. At work everything was great in that we cracked jokes, talked **** and got the job done but when we went to the club we had to watch out for the "sharp dressed man" guy. It always seemed to end up that me and the other t-shirt guy were fighting two or three guys while our buddy the kraft guy was either running for the car or talking trash from behind us. He simply had no balls. He was a great guy but was just too afraid to fight and not big enough to fight either.

To me Kraft is similar in that he is a great guy but he has no balls. He has accomplished some great things in this state and has been a part of a team that has given us a truly unprecedented 15 years of NFL history. I know that Bill and Tom have been the driving force behind those years but Kraft has been a part of it either by giving Bill the reigns, by staying out of the way or making savvy financial decisions that benefit the team. Kraft has contributed immensely to the community via philanthropy or job creation and I cannot forget that.

I am pissed at him though and wish he had not made that announcement. He truly has no balls when we need him to have them but are we upset with him or do we hate him? I am simply upset with him but if I think about it I am glad he was the owner of our team especially if you think what he has been a part of over the last 20+ years. After spygate, which was another ridiculous BS penalty, I realized that other fans can simply kiss my arsh and that will never change. I know what kind of team this is and I know that they have won every game on the same level, if not a higher, as any other team in the league. So screw the other fans especially if they refuse to even read the report or understand the facts because I could care less. I also learned that the NFL is an office that preaches "integrity" but has none of it.

So do we hate him or are we just upset with him? Personally, I don't hate him I am just extremely upset with him right now.

I understand where your coming from and appreciate the post. I do see that Kraft made some good decisions such as hiring Bill and giving him control. I don't deny that. He may even be a decent person...I wouldn't know.

But he has not given us good reason to see him that way. In a single press conference Kraft did more damage to the team's legacy and QB's legacy than any critic or hater could have. Not only did he roll over and take an outrageous penalty over something the team did not do (very very strongly doubt it), but for Christ sakes he was giving scum bag Goodell a big old hug and for what?! Nothing! It did not benefit the team and did not benefit Brady. He didn't even accept the punishment with strong rhetoric. It was pathetic and the part about the good of 32 teams was a kick in the balls to every single one of us.

Any of the good things Kraft did are completely overshadowed by this one instance! It was so bad that it calls his character into question. When you can't defend the team's proclaimed innocence or the guys who have driven the success of his organization...it shows that Bob has next to no integrity. He failed to stand by these people. He failed to stand by the fans. He sucked up to a pack of crooks and vindictive liars. And he knows it! Awful it completely overshadows everything about him and rightfully calls into question the trust any of us should have in him. Dude screwed us knowingly. Can't be forgiven.

He took one of the passions in my life (being a Pats fan) and just shattered it for no good reason other than personal benefit. That is not just grounds for being upset. I don't know Kraft but I hate him. Upset is too weak a word for what he did.

 

[DarrylS]

My issue with Kraft is that what he did was premature and without qualification, he should have waited for a while longer to see how things shake out..

He also should have used his time at the podium to say something to the effect that the Patriots as an organization have issues with the report and need more time to reflect before he made a comment..

INOW wait until things shake out for #12 before he did what he did..

After exhaustive cooperation with Wells and his merry band of inquisitors , the penalty is about not enough cooperation..

I refuse to be all that angry, but am seriously concerned about what Kraft did....

 

[farn]

Kraft can go to hell. "Couldn't do anything about it" is loser talk. I'd have preferred to see him at least go through the appeal process. In that case, RG is still the villain while Kraft sticks to his guns. Demanding an apology and then open-mouth kissing the commish..... What was that ?

He is dead to me.

 

[sambam94]

fighting with no chance of winning is what irrational fools do..I'm glad the pats owner is not a fool.

 

[TruthSeeker]

...
To me Kraft is similar in that he is a great guy but he has no balls... So do we hate him or are we just upset with him? Personally, I don't hate him I am just extremely upset with him right now.

Personally, I think it's much harder to back down from a fight when you know you're right than it would be to just to go blasting away regardless of the ultimate consequences.

Just food for thought.

 

[JJC]

First I agree that he hurt the fan base with his announcement but "One cannot be good without being brave?" Bravery is a trait not everyone has

I'd like to make a distinction between bravery and courage. Bravery is the ability to confront without feeling fear, and I agree not everyone has that capability. Courage, on the other hand, is the ability to do so in spite of the fear that one feels.

I think what upsets many of us is that Kraft didn't exhibit courage. We stand in awe of men and women who exhibit bravery, because it is so unusual. We give respect to those who exhibit courage, because we can identify with them more easily. What we saw at that press conference was a man whose body language showed neither bravery, nor courage. It showed defeat. No one wants to see their general quit in the face of adversity. And worst of all, we feel like he didn't even try!