Owners Meeting this week

[JMC00]

So Kraft helps get the CBA done and negoitates a $19b TV package and the other 31 owners want nothing to do with him? Really?

Ya I don't get that one.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Bob Kraft, after hanging out with his fellow billionaires, will tell us how great a job Roger is doing

 

[RayClay]

So Kraft helps get the CBA done and negoitates a $19b TV package and the other 31 owners want nothing to do with him? Really?

Right, Goodell's entire career accomplishments were actually performed by Kraft.

 

[Bobsyouruncle]

The NFL is like a junkie with power, they won't quit until they hit rock bottom.

 

[raduray]

They could at least say nothing then. Several came out in support of the commissioner.

And how often has Kraft come out in public support of the troubled commissioner?

 

[RobertWeathers]

And how often has Kraft come out in public support of the troubled commissioner?

The Ray Rice fiasco for one comes to mind.

Unless you are the ghost of Al Davis, you will not publicly shread the commissioner.

 

[BelichickFan]

Hopefully the issue "Um, group of 32, you are aware that Brady could sue us for, like, 1 billion dollars right? You know, those emails proving the NFL refused to correct a known lie that's cost Brady a ton of money and huge percent of his personal reputation " is brought up.

 

[Bruins29]

Hopefully the issue "Um, group of 32, you are aware that Brady could sue us for, like, 1 billion dollars right? You know, those emails proving the NFL refused to correct a known lie that's cost Brady a ton of money and huge percent of his personal reputation " is brought up.

Yep, in fact TB should do it anyway regardless of how this sham plays out.

Actually at this point I think the league might have to go to TB and literally say they will admit this was a sting, and that they had no clue balls could lose pressure in cold air, and that they lied multiple times in exchange for TB not suing them.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Yep, in fact TB should do it anyway regardless of how this sham plays out.

Actually at this point I think the league might have to go to TB and literally say they will admit this was a sting, and that they had no clue balls could lose pressure in cold air, and that they lied multiple times in exchange for TB not suing them.

That could be where this goes after Aug 12th and even moreso if Goody's/NFL contempt of court hearing on the 13th goes south. Between Berman's favoring TB and the NFL being found in contempt, he could have excellent leverage

 

[RayClay]

All the owners will support goodell, until they don't. If he is interrupting the money train, he has problems.

 

[DarMan]

I can't wait for Jim Irsay to chime on while he's listening to the Grateful Dead singing "ridin' this train high on cocaine"

 

[Jim Colclough fan]

All the owners will support goodell, until they don't. If he is interrupting the money train, he has problems.[/QUOTE

SORRY, IMO Kraft is not only the best owner in the NFL, but he is the best owner in all professional sports. He has strong distaste for the NFL front office, yet he knows when to attack.............he has a Patriot's fan mentality with the influence to effect change. Be patient, he is 100% behind Brady, and he will demonstrate it

 

[Jim Colclough fan]

Sorry RayClay................somehow we merged?

 

[Mr. Plow]

The NFL is like a junkie with power, they won't quit until they hit rock bottom.

Correct.

What's happening to the fan bases in St. Louis, San Diego and Oakland right now makes what's happening to us look like a picnic. I just read an article in the NYT about how the league is playing these three cities off each other. It's disgusting.

 

[RayClay]

Sorry RayClay................somehow we merged?

Yeah, you need an extra quote. I don't disagree, I think Kraft was ambitious within hr NFL leadership and thought he could manipulate goodell, not the brightest bulb. he didn't expect the stab in the back.

 

[Fencer]

Deflategate will not be a topic this week. It's all about LA and who should get to work building their stadium.

Even if you're right about what is discussed in the big meeting room, there will be private conversations about other topics on the side.

 

[Rob0729]

Several things:

• I don't expect anything to happen at the owners' meeting. The owners will pressure Goodell behind the scenes to end the whole fiasco at all cost, but publicly there will be nothing. I still think at this point that it is the minority of owners who want Goodell to continue fighting with a hardline stance because the longer it goes the worse the league looks.
• I think people are too hard on Kraft. I don't think Kraft will ever trust Goodell again and I don't think he will fall in line either. But he is far more likely play the long game to get his revenge rather than go nuclear. He will continue to win support behind the scenes and choose his moment. It is frustrating for Pats' fans, but he didn't become a billionaire by nuking his business partners.
• I still think that many of the owners who support Goodell publicly are fed up with him privately. Being in marketing and working with at several public companies I have helped to write speeches where the CEO would tell the stockholders how much they love a product or division or whatever even though we all knew the product or division was a complete dog and we were looking to dump it as soon as we could without the tanking the stock. There is no advantages to the owners to publicly smear their leader unless they have the votes to oust him.
• I think Jerry Jones hates Goodell as much as any owner. I know everyone took his comments on Brady's appeal as a sign of support for Goodell, but I took it as a swipe at Kraft. It didn't take too much to read between the lines that when Goodell took away Jones' cap money, Kraft told Jerry to stand down and now that the shoe is on the other foot payback is a *****. I think if 23 other owners would be willing to vote Goodell out, Jerry would jump at being that 24th vote.

 

[JJC]

For the record, I don't believe either of those half-assed assertions. I do, however, think that someone who has made himself a billionaire on his own is not, by any stretch of the imagination, weak. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of bodies of people who made the mistake of thinking that buried all over the place.

Addendum: You might want to take a look at the details of how Kraft acquired the Patriots in the first place.

I respect what Kraft has done as owner of the Patriots franchise. But let's be clear on how he was able to afford the franchise in the first place. As a young man, he married a smart, wealthy girl who was the daughter of a self made man who founded a business. He would go to work for his father in law, and as a competent manager and leader he grew the business.

He is very accomplished and extremely successful. I would challenge the description self-made.

I also think Myra was the moral center of that family and that Robert has drifted since losing her. I doubt she ever would have allowed him to get a rogering from Roger.

 

[Fencer]

Lots of weak self-made billionaires out there.

There are a few; Paul Allen comes to mind. But he's a special case. He was both lucky in business and unlucky in health, so he didn't learn and grow in line with the success that caused his wealth.

The guys who are still running their companies are not weaklings. At least, none of the billionaires I know are. I'm even thinking of one who's elderly, charitable, very conscious of his image as a super-nice guy (beyond the Kraft level in that regard), and basically retired -- and he's no weakling either.

 

[Fencer]

I was pissed off Kraft showed up at the last owner's meeting, and it turns out that's where he bent over and let Goodell rape him. Here comes round II. You know he will back down, kiss and make up, and take it up the wazoo once again.

You're assuming Kraft learns little from his errors, at least in this case.