1. You are being incredibly generous with Spygate. It was a stupid punishment, but the rule was broken.
It really wasn't.
First of all the only rule in question is the placement of the camera, and secondly the league specifically stated that it prohibited filming FOR USE IN THAT GAME. The film was never used in that game.
It probably had no effect whatsoever, but there was a rule in place, there was a memo reminding everyone that the rule would be enforced. The only defense was that Belichick did have the camera in a location that was in violation of the rule but he misinterpreted certain features of the rule.
When you are informed that you cannot film from any other location FOR USE IN THAT GAME and you do not use the film in that game its not a 'feature of a rule' its a specified condition.
Also both Kraft and Belichick apologized for Spygate.
You are joking right? That was their punishment. They were forced to.
It was pretty open and shut.
Not even close.
But the idea that Kraft fighting it would set a precedent is pretty baseless.
Right because when Goodell needed a target to repair his damaged reputation, he didn't see Bendover Bob sitting there, after being screwed the first time Goodell needed a pelt and taking it, then supporting Goodell every chance he can get.
Its very obvious. Goodell knew he needed to screw someone, and when Kraft became a potential target he knew he could do it without resistance. And that is EXACTLY what he got.
Now Kraft is fighting with the guy who wanted to fire Goodell. Like a good little ***** should.
It is just as likely it pisses the owners off and makes him more of a target. You seem to have this weird fantasy that fighting the other owners and commissioner who are the only people who could collective have power over Kraft would somehow not put them at odds. Seems massively counter intuitive.
I want him to stand up for the rights of his franchise. Being the victim and enjoying it because it makes the other owners happy helps no one and only makes him a laughing stock
The right thing to do is stand up when you are being railroaded, not move out of the way and then hug the railroader.
An appeal would have failed. Stop parroting that he should have appealed. Every legal analyst said it would fail and unless you think you are more intelligent than them and all of Kraft's lawyers (in which case I'd love to see your legal credentials) then I don't know why you keep saying he should do something that by every expert opinion had a slim to none chance of succeeding.
You have no way of knowing whether an appeal would have failed. Please give me all of these legal analysts (or one because you wont even find that) who said that Kraft appealing the penalty to the NFL and putting on a defense much like the Wells report in context would have failed. You are literally making that up.
Krafts lawyers did not advise him to not appeal. Kraft chose to not appeal because whats food for 32 is more important than whats good for 1. It had nothing to do with lawyers, it had everything to do with the owners telling him to shut up and take his medicine and him cowering to that.
Stop making things up.
Additionally if Kraft had appealed and used the Wells report in context, which severely refutes the Wells findings, Brady could have added that to his appeal and it would have been part of the record. Considering he won the first time and lost 2-1 the second with one of the judges calling the evidence compelling of not overwhelming, because all he has was the wells report, and no rebuttal to it, there is a very good chance that would have made a difference,