I only read the last 2 pages of what looks like a very heated and interesting discussion.
Here's my 2 cents, for what its worth.
This is an owners thing that has been brought on by the success we have had here in NE. Spygate was an over reaction that led to a chance to t derail what was becoming a real problem for a league that was trying desperately to legislate parity. With 2 our of three superbowls, and strong showings in 2005 and even in 2006, and the prospect of 2007. Taking away those draft picks was an opportunity to attempt to hobble the Pats juggernaut.
Deflategate was just more of the same. It was all about the owners. I mean, how can they defend their PSL's, high ticket prices, and claims to excellence, when they can't duplicate what the Pats have been doing for SO many years. The easy answer, perhaps the ONLY answer that gets THEM off the hook is to claim or insinuate that something fishy is going on in Foxboro. They CREATED the story and then set up the circumstances that made it come "true".
The vast majority of those owners didn't get to be where they are by thinking anyone was better than they were. The 17 year success story of the Pats was a canker sore that didn't go away. To them the Pats were herpes, forever a thorn in their sides. Picking at the end of draft each round didn't seem to level the field. Taking away 4 useful picks hasn;'t helped either.
The Fact is that these owners don't want to be accountable for their own team's mediocrity.
Kraft chose to be a team player long ago when he entered the league. He didn't try and create private profit centers like Jones did (the Pepsi deal). So when Spygate and defamegate took place Kraft did the best he could to fight those injustices, WITHIN the "system:" the league had set up.
I hated his reactions, and would have loved them to be more like Jones' reaction. We are fans. We desperately wanted a visceral response. When we didn't get it we reacted like all fans. We were pissed. Close to 3 years later, I understand what he did a bit better. Still don't like it, but now I can see why he did it that way. He admitted his mistake soon after.
Now why he's supporting Goodell in his extension, I have no idea. The way I see it, in his 10 years leading the league, Goodell has brought little to the table, except to be lucky enough to be there when the league saw huge revenue growth. He has hurt the Pats unjustly and lied to Kraft directly. As loathsome as I see Jerry Jones' is and how befuddled I am that HE's in the HOF and not Bob Kraft; I wish Kraft was leading the charge to end Goodell's tyranny.
....And that's what I think
