The 7th Most Valuable Sports Franchise in the World?? Your New England Patriots

[QuantumMechanic]

Is your animosity toward Kraft so great that it blinds to the FACTS that he built the stadium with is OWN money.

He was perfectly happy to have Hartford rape its taxpayers for him.

And he was was trying quite hard to suck on the public teat here as well.

Thankfully Tom Finneran put the kibosh on that.

But yes, when push finally came to shove, Kraft did end up using his own $$$ (and NFL loans) to build Gillette and acceded to MA's demands to pay MA back for the Rt 1 improvements (otherwise MA would not have made the improvements).

 

[Tunescribe]

He was perfectly happy to have Hartford rape its taxpayers for him.

No, he never wanted to move to Hartford and used a convenient (ultimately questionable) excuse to back out of that deal. But he allowed himself to be courted by the insanely corrupt governor of Connecticut when talks with Mass. reached a stalemate.

 

[patfanken]

Increasing in value from $175mil to $3.8bil in 25 years is an average annual increase in value of 13.1%. And that doesn't count the (presumably positive) cash flow the team throws off, so the total return is higher than that.

QM, any idea what factors go into that $3.8B figure. I'm guessing a big part of the Dallas number is that monstrosity of a stadium they built with a hefty % of taxpayer money. That's worth well over a Billion right there.

 

[patfanken]

He was perfectly happy to have Hartford rape its taxpayers for him.

And he was was trying quite hard to suck on the public teat here as well.

Thankfully Tom Finneran put the kibosh on that.

But yes, when push finally came to shove, Kraft did end up using his own $$$ (and NFL loans) to build Gillette and acceded to MA's demands to pay MA back for the Rt 1 improvements (otherwise MA would not have made the improvements).

Wasn't the Governor who wanted to give Kraft that deal end up in jail. He was pretty free with his taxpayers' money in a LOT of ways.

BTW- I don't think Kraft was altogether too serious about that deal. I saw it a bit of leverage to use on the MA legislature. Kraft is too much of a Boston guy to put his team so close to NYC. I don't know about you, but I never really thought the Hartford ploy was real.

As it was the State made out very well on their $70MM investment. Not only was it paid back w/interest, they have benefited from the taxes on salaries and other revenue streams that have arisen from, not just the Pats, but the entire Patriot Place commercial area.

 

[DarrylS]

How come every thread about the Patriots Organization some descends into the crapper of how Bob Kraft is a lousy ___________ ?

From my view after have nearly lost this terribly managed franchise in the early 90's his purchase and subsequent salvation of this franchise I am forever indebted as a fan... some forget what a laughing stock we were during those days..

Remember these days of mediocrity and incredibly poor team building?? There were a few good years thrown in but for the most part it was usually incredibly poor records, year after year. Expectations were low and the results reflected the expectations..
1990 1 & 15
1991 6 & 10
1992 2 & 14
1993 5& 11

 

[DarrylS]

Also Sullivan gets a lot of credit for getting a franchise for Boston. That's BS no matter how the media wants to spin it. Boston, at the time, was the 6th largest TV market in the country. If they AFL was too stupid to find an reputable owner in Boston, then the NFL would have put a team here within a few years and have done a better job of it.

IF memory serves me correctly I seem to remember several "start up leagues" that failed miserably prior to the AFL, when the Pats were part of the new league I was reluctant to switch allegiance from the Browns to the Pats only because I thought the league would once again fail..

After SB III I realized that the then AFL was real, I switched seamlessly to the NEP... despite the mediocrity, crappy ownerships up to 1994 and overall disarray have become a diehard for life.. one of the best choices I ever made, besides wearing an orange "Dogpound" is not all that fashionable..

 

[nabwong]

Shame on you. Here I am reaching out for help. And you deny me. I see how it is...

Hey. I know a place where you can get some help. It sells all sort of concoctions. You will need your ID.

 

[patriot1136]

How are the Cowboys always so valuable?

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Can't let your Sullivan love go without mentioning the fact that Sullivan financed the Patriots with a LOT of stockholders to took the risk of ownership with him. Then when they were established profitable and on the verge of making a deal with the NFL, he cut out all the shareholders and said thank you very much, I'll take the money from here on.

BTW- My uncle was one of those stockholders who got F* cked by 'smilin' Billy and his 2 larcenous and delusional sons. Together they somehow managed to go broke even though they literally had a money tree as an NFL owner.

Also Sullivan gets a lot of credit for getting a franchise for Boston. That's BS no matter how the media wants to spin it. Boston, at the time, was the 6th largest TV market in the country. If they AFL was too stupid to find an reputable owner in Boston, then the NFL would have put a team here within a few years and have done a better job of it.

There was damn good reason for him to be loathed, including by the media.

But those players and coaches etc. never deserved unwarranted denigration.

I never liked Billy Sullivan. But I always loved the Patriots.

You know that the whole reason for the AFL in the first place: Only after it was formed, were the Vikings allowed to pay an arm and a leg to play in the NFL.

And to this day, Boston hasn't changed.

We're very lucky to have a team in Massachusetts.

 

[TruthSeeker]

But yes, when push finally came to shove, Kraft did end up using his own $$$ (and NFL loans) to build Gillette and acceded to MA's demands to pay MA back for the Rt 1 improvements (otherwise MA would not have made the improvements).

It was ridiculous of MA to require taxpayers to pay for infrastructure improvements so that cars can get where they need to go. This is what the state is supposed to do - build adequate roads. Kraft went over and above what anyone should do.

But, yes, I understand that haters got to hate.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

It was ridiculous of MA to require taxpayers to pay for infrastructure improvements so that cars can get where they need to go. This is what the state is supposed to do - build adequate roads. Kraft went over and above what anyone should do.

Since the improvements were only needed to make life easier for Kraft's properties the state damned well should have required him to reimburse the state for the work. And thankfully, it did.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Since the improvements were only needed to make life easier for Kraft's properties the state damned well should have required him to reimburse the state for the work. And thankfully, it did.

So your argument is that government, which takes responsibility for planning, building and maintaining roads for personal and business use for the betterment of the public should not bear the responsibility for this particular business and very popular public use. Perhaps because it was Robert Kraft? (Not quote sure what Kraft has to do with it.) Got it. I think.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Perhaps because it was Robert Kraft? (Not quote sure what Kraft has to do with it.)

Nothing personal against Bob Kraft.

So your argument is that government, which takes responsibility for planning, building and maintaining roads for personal and business use for the betterment of the public should not bear the responsibility for this particular business and very popular public use.

The unfortunate reality is that government doesn't bear that responsibility. Not thoroughly, consistently, or fairly.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Taxpayers should not be funding any project where the only reason the project happened in the first place is to benefit, and/or mitigate harm to the public caused by, some single private entity.

 

[maust]

You know that the whole reason for the AFL in the first place: Only after it was formed, were the Vikings allowed to pay an arm and a leg to play in the NFL.

The reason for the formation of the AFL was Bert Bell's resistance to expanding the NFL. After being granted an AFL franchise the Minnesota AFL ownership group was offered an NFL franchise if they jumped ship and took the cheese.