Thank You Mr. Kraft - New England Patriots nearly became the St. Louis Stallions

[203Pat]

yeah because the team was garbage. That’s why I said long term. Kraft correctly realized that if he could turn things around and field a competitive team that New England would be a larger and more profitable market than St Louis.

Lol So he gets no credit for saving the team because it was “garbage” but he gets blamed for turning the team into a profitable winner? Great logic.

 

[203Pat]

Fans of teams with good owners, seemingly have no idea what having a good owner means for the franchise. The Pats, prior to Kraft owning the team, their first 34 season, went 225-276-9 (.450 win percentage) and had ONE home playoff game in those 34 years.

Since Kraft became owner, in 26 seasons, 324-139-0 (.700 win percentage), 27 home playoff games, TWENTY SEVEN home playoff games, and I don't have to go over everything else, but they've gone to 10 Super Bowls during his ownership.

Good owners make a HUGE difference. I have seen the difference (been a fan since 1975). In hockey, I'm a NY Islander's fan, they had ****ty, bush league ownership for 30+ years until their current ownership came along. The owners hired a championship GM, championship head coach, and are building a new arena. This doesn't guarantee winning it all, but it certainly gives the fans the feeling that the owners care about the team, and are willing to do what it takes to win.

Durrrr bUt hE CuT AB!!

 

[QuantumMechanic]

You're wrong - taxpayer's kicked in to the tune of $72M in road in infrastructure improvements to Route 1 and the general area that were NECESSARY in order to build Gillette Stadium and the adjacent Jonathan City. This does not include the $40-50M cost of Krafty Bob's new train line to Gillette complete with daily trips inbound/outbound. So it looks like Krafty Bob has gotten close to a $125M kiss from us MA taxpayers....facts matter

Kraft was required to and has been paying that $72M back to the state.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Victor Kiam would have kept AB

...and yet, let Flutie walk...

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Negative: will not remove his head from Goodell’s ass.
This is the big negative over the last 12-13 years for the team, a player and the fans. Just not his wallet.

Kraft business interests and the league, under Goodell, got and remain highly intertwined.

Fraudger became Bob's hero when he (illicitly, by the way, and on Tagliabue's orders) brokered the deal to keep the team in Foxborough.

Kraft knew more about Aaron Hernandez' background prior to giving him that huge extension than he knew about Goodell's whack job behavior prior to backing him for commissioner, and then bought the CryGate bullsh*t hook, line, and sinker.

Now he can't back out. He's stuck.

Just like we've been stuck with flying elvis now forever. Only it wasn't our choice or fault.

It's his.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

You do realize that the previous owner was going to move the team because it wasn’t profitable to stay here?

Kiam and Sullivan made a last ditch effort to keep the franchise and move it to Jacksonville.

Orthwein wanted to move to St. Louis.

Kraft wanted to stay here. He made it happen.

You can't take that, or hiring Belichick, away from him.

He's done his best. He's not perfect. But he's better than most owners.

 

[cupofjoe1962]

1 - No PSLs.Kraft could have bled the fans dry like Jets owner Woody Johnson.
2 - Road Playoff games Kraft is accessible to fans and has given away 2 tickets on multiple occasions.
3 - Kraft is always out in front doing good for the Jewish community.
4 - BK is the force behind Pats players giving back to those less fortunate.
5 - Very few bad apples have played for the Pats during Krafts ownership.

Kraft hoards all the Super Bowl tickets & sells them in top dollar packages that most people can’t afford.

He gives red seat snobs priority over the blue seat core for Super Bowl tickets.

They don’t even report on the number tickets available for his rigged Super Bowl lottery.

I have had season tickets since 1987 & I never got Super Bowl tickets. I gave up hope when we moved into the new stadium in 2002 & the red seats became his priority.

I have even talked to some red seats “club seats” & they have been given the shaft too.
People with 4 seats only get 2 Super Bowl tickets.

They need to preserve the number of Super Bowl tickets so they can sell their 5 digit packages.

 

[Patriot Missile]

People have the capacity to great and terrible things. Kraft has done a little of both while he’s been here.

Sure, I’m appreciative of him keeping the team in Massachusetts, However, it doesn’t give him a lifetime pass to not be judged for what he’s done afterwards. It just doesn’t work that way, nor should it.

 

[PatsWSB47]

Kraft hoards all the Super Bowl tickets & sells them in top dollar packages that most people can’t afford.

He gives red seat snobs priority over the blue seat core for Super Bowl tickets.

They don’t even report on the number tickets available for his rigged Super Bowl lottery.

I have had season tickets since 1987 & I never got Super Bowl tickets. I gave up hope when we moved into the new stadium in 2002 & the red seats became his priority.

I have even talked to some red seats “club seats” & they have been given the shaft too.
People with 4 seats only get 2 Super Bowl tickets.

They need to preserve the number of Super Bowl tickets so they can sell their 5 digit packages.

Well the majority of the owners have either never had or rarely had any Superbowl tickets to hoard.

 

[shmessy]

.........Just like we've been stuck with flying elvis now forever. Only it wasn't our choice or fault.

It's his.

Stuck all these years ('forever'!!!, according to you) with the Flying Elvis. What trauma you have endured as a fan of the New England Patriots. Such hardships you've suffered.

Hell, for 6 Lombardis, I'd agree to have Dr PimplePopper design the logo.

.

 

[shmessy]

People have the capacity to great and terrible things. Kraft has done a little of both while he’s been here.

Sure, I’m appreciative of him keeping the team in Massachusetts, However, it doesn’t give him a lifetime pass to not be judged for what he’s done afterwards. It just doesn’t work that way, nor should it.

What he did "afterwards"?????

Like tear down Sullivan Stadium and build Gillette Stadium?????

Like immediately take a team that averaged under 35,000 fans per game the year before he bought it to a 281 game sellout streak that dates back to ....... you guessed it......the first game under his ownership.

If you want to look reality in the face, you'd understand just how much Bob Kraft is responsible for the greatest dynasty in modern sport history. The lousiest 6 years of his tenure - - the first 6 pre-BB/Brady were better than any six year period in the team's history to that point. His WORST was the best in Patriot franchise history.

There's quite a few Little Lord Fauntleroys here who have no idea.........

.

 

[Patriot Missile]

What he did "afterwards"?????

Like tear down Sullivan Stadium and build Gillette Stadium?????

Like immediately take a team that averaged under 35,000 fans per game the year before he bought it to a 281 game sellout streak that dates back to ....... you guessed it......the first game under his ownership.

If you want to look reality in the face, you'd understand just how much Bob Kraft is responsible for the greatest dynasty in modern sport history. The lousiest 6 years of his tenure - - the first 6 pre-BB/Brady were better than any six year period in the team's history to that point. His WORST was the best in Patriot franchise history.

There's quite a few Little Lord Fauntleroys here who have no idea.........

.

It’s ok Alec Guiness. I’m not hating, he’s done some great things for this team and the league. He’s also handled some matters pretty poorly regarding Tom Brady and the Patriots and still remains “great” friends with the commish that levied those unfair punishments. If thats not terrible to you then ok. To me it’s a travesty and that’s my opinion.

Still like him as a owner and we could definitely do a lot worse. But the man is not without faults and that’s ok too.

 

[shmessy]

It’s ok Alec Guiness. I’m not hating, he’s done some great things for this team and the league. He’s also handled some matters pretty poorly regarding Tom Brady and the Patriots and still remains “great” friends with the commish that levied those unfair punishments. If thats not terrible to you then ok. To me it’s a travesty and that’s my opinion.

Still like him as a owner and we could definitely do a lot worse. But the man is not without faults and that’s ok too.

No problem, Joaquin Phoenix.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I for one am really appreciative that Thomas Brady Sr decided to ask the flight attendant of his flight out on a date about 50 years ago

.

 

[Kontradiction]

Some would say he jerked the franchise from the jaws of St. Louis.

 

[Tunescribe]

Some would say he jerked the franchise from the jaws of St. Louis.

Your early morning material tends to be pretty bad, perhaps consider waiting 'til breakfast has a chance to kick in.

 

[FCB02062]

Kraft was required to and has been paying that $72M back to the state.

Kraft did not in any way "pay back" the $72M to the state. Any "repayment" was tied to parking in and around the stadium and paid for by Foxboro and surrounding towns. "an administrative fee shall be charged to all parking spaces licensed by the appropriate town within the parking and traffic management zone, which shall be collected by the towns of Sharon, Walpole and Wrentham and the authority and returned to the commonwealth for deposit in the general fund." (source - authorizing legislation).
This is from the authorizing legislation, MGL Ch 16 Sec 1-13 of 1999.
Don't spread misinformation that Krafty Bob paid back the stated for much if any of the road improvements in Foxboro. Also, the "stadium lessee" is required to pay a $250K annual "administrative fee"...up to a max of 25 years, but likely shorter (reasons for likely shorter payment are described in Section 8 of the legislation). So at most, Krafty Bob paid or will pay MAX $6.25M on a $72M loan guarantee. Remember, the rest of this is "repaid" through parking surcharges on Krafty Bob owned lots AND lots owned by others.

 

[Kontradiction]

Your early morning material tends to be pretty bad, perhaps consider waiting 'til breakfast has a chance to kick in.

Not even Tom Brady has completed every pass he’s ever thrown. Gotta be quantity over quality. Rapid fire ‘em and a lot will hit the target.

In related news, I have some spoilers for the latest Star Wars installment that I’m mighty tempted the share.

 

[neuronet]

It doesn’t make up for releasing AB

I'm sure Belichick had zero say there.

 

[Tunescribe]

Not even Tom Brady has completed every pass he’s ever thrown. Gotta be quantity over quality. Rapid fire ‘em and a lot will hit the target.

That's the Henny Youngman method. Are you sure there might not be a hidden Jewish branch in your Irish ancestry?