#DFG: Canceling the Noise

Is there any level of suspension that you would advise Tom to accept?


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loshjott

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Kraft's statement is great and all, but seems awfully naive.
 
"I thought if I backed down my buddy Rog would go easy on my QB.  But he didn't so now I'm really pissed." 
 

RIFan

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GBrushTWood said:
Maybe I'm just a cynic (and due to work have not seen the press conference today), but to me Kraft continues to appear as a mealy-mouthed fence straddler. I realize he's in an awfully difficult predicament here, but the lines are clearly drawn out. You're either with the NFL and are out to fuck over Brady and the Pats, or you support the Pats. The rhetoric blasting Goodell today while tongue bathing him a few months ago is puzzling.
 
I get that he would have no chance of winning a lawsuit against the NFL on the draft picks and fine. But his boot licking, subservient speech a few months ago placating Goodell and the other owners won't soon be forgotten, no matter what rhetoric he lobs in future press conferences. Did this guy really think Goodell would reduce Brady's suspension?
 
Kraft is the the Patriots most powerful and only representative to counter the witch hunt. To me, he's been 2-3 steps behind since day 1.
Yes, he capitulated, but I don't see how you can describe it the way you do.
 

Tyrone Biggums

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HomeBrew1901 said:
When it's 9-10 owners it will be "Uh oh Roger".  Until then it's Kraft sticking up for his QB.
Oh I actually think this might be damming if you read the exact quotes. Kraft is one of the most powerful owners in the league. Carries more weight than Shahid Khan coming out damming the league integrity.

Donovan McNabbs Twitter questioned Brady's legacy. GTFO McNabb.
 

crystalline

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Gambler7 said:
Actually watch the entire press conference and then comment. He explained in detail why he did what he did and that it was obviously a mistake to handle it as he did in May. 
OK, but is he actually going to DO anything, or just talk about it?


This is a management vs labor fight right now, and it's in the hands of the lawyers. Is Kraft just going to say he cares about Brady getting railroaded, or is he going to take the side of the NFLPA in a way that changes the legal scales? Or fight back against the loss of draft picks?

Until Kraft does something that is not just talk, I'm still with Chad Finn: "
Kraft sold out the team he owns -- and the fans he years ago counted among -- in order to appease a much more exclusive club: the unholy alliance of Goodell and Kraft's fellow NFL owners.". http://www.boston.com/sports/touching_all_the_bases/2015/05/if_brady_suspension_isnt_reduced_this_is_the_truth_kraft_put.html

That said, I have an outstanding bet with MDL that Goodell is gone within 2 years. After Kraft's capitulation I liked my chances less, but after Goodell went all in by affirming the 4 games, I like that bet again.
 

Bongorific

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Ed Hillel said:
I'm almost glad Goodell did what he did yesterday, because being mad and bitter at Kraft always made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
Me too. Nicely done by Kraft. He got played, and he got played good. But he's one of us again. Welcome back, boss.
 

HomeBrew1901

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Tyrone Biggums said:
Oh I actually think this might be damming if you read the exact quotes. Kraft is one of the most powerful owners in the league. Carries more weight than Shahid Khan coming out damming the league integrity.
 
1 Million fine, loss of a first round draft pick and your starting QB getting a 4 game suspension and no reduction would seem to undermine this wouldn't it?
 

drbretto

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GBrushTWood said:
Maybe I'm just a cynic (and due to work have not seen the press conference today), but to me Kraft continues to appear as a mealy-mouthed fence straddler. I realize he's in an awfully difficult predicament here, but the lines are clearly drawn out. You're either with the NFL and are out to fuck over Brady and the Pats, or you support the Pats. The rhetoric blasting Goodell today while tongue bathing him a few months ago is puzzling.
 
I get that he would have no chance of winning a lawsuit against the NFL on the draft picks and fine. But his boot licking, subservient speech a few months ago placating Goodell and the other owners won't soon be forgotten, no matter what rhetoric he lobs in future press conferences. Did this guy really think Goodell would reduce Brady's suspension?
 
Kraft is the the Patriots most powerful and only representative to counter the witch hunt. To me, he's been 2-3 steps behind since day 1.
 
What's so puzzling about it? Kraft had no legal recourse and he thought that by backing down, it'd satisfy Goodell's power thirst so he might give Brady a fair shake, When that didn't happen, he said alright, fuck this. It's not that weird.
 

minischwab

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Aug 1, 2006
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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The following is New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's statement from Wednesday morning from Gillette Stadium:
 
"In light of yesterday's league ruling, I thought it was important to make a statement today, prior to the start of training camp. After this, I will not be talking about this matter until after the legal process plays itself out, and I would advise everyone in the organization to do the same and just concentrate on preparation for the 2015 season.
 
"The decision handed down by the league yesterday is unfathomable to me. It is routine for discipline in the NFL to be reduced upon appeal. In the vast majority of these cases, there is tangible and hard evidence of the infraction for which the discipline is being imposed. And still the initial penalty gets reduced.
 
"Six months removed from the AFC Championship Game, the league still has no hard evidence of anybody doing anything to tamper with the PSI levels of footballs. I continue to believe and unequivocally support Tom Brady.
 
"I, first and foremost, need to apologize to our fans because I truly believe what I did in May - given the actual evidence of the situation, and the league's history on discipline matters - would make it much easier for the league to exonerate Tom Brady.
 
"Unfortunately I was wrong.
 
"The league's handling of this entire process has been extremely frustrating and disconcerting. I will never understand why an initial erroneous report regarding the PSI level of footballs was leaked by a source from the NFL a few days after the AFC Championship Game, and was never corrected by those who had the correct information.
 
"For four months, that report cast dispersons and shaped public opinion. Yesterday's decision by Commissioner Goodell was released in a similar manner, under an erroneous headline that read, 'Tom Brady destroyed his cell phone.' This headline was designed to capture headlines across the country and obscure evidence regarding the tampering of air pressure in footballs.
 
"It intentionally implied nefarious behavior and minimized the acknowledgement that Tom provided the history of every number he texted during that relevant time frame. We had already provided the league with every cell phone of every non-NFLPA employee that they requested, including head coach Bill Belichick.
 
"Tom Brady is a person of great integrity, and is a great ambassador of the game, both on and off the field. Yet for reasons that I cannot comprehend, there are those in the league office who are more determined to prove that they are right rather than admit any culpability of their own, or take any responsibility for the initiation of a process and ensuing investigation that was flawed.
 
"I've come to the conclusion that this was never about doing what was fair and just. Back in May, I had to make a difficult decision that I now regret.
 
"I tried to do what I thought was right. I chose not to take legal action. I wanted to return the focus to football. I have been negotiating agreements on a global basis my entire life, and I know there are times when you have to give up important points of principle to achieve a greater good. I acted in good faith and was optimistic that by taking the actions I took, the league would have what they wanted.
 
"I was willing to accept the harshest penalty in the history of the NFL for an alleged ball violation, because I believed it would help exonerate Tom.
 
"I have often said 'If you want to get a deal done, sometimes you have to get the lawyers out of the room.' I had hopes that Tom Brady appeal to the league would provide Roger Goodell the necessary explanation to overturn his suspension.
 
"Now the league has taken the matter to court, which is a tactic that only a lawyer would recommend.
 
"Once again, I want to apologize to the fans of the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. I was wrong to put my faith in the league.
 
"Given the facts, evidence and laws of science that underscore this entire situation, it is completely incomprehensible to me that the league continues to take steps to disparage one of its all-time great players and a man for whom I have the utmost respect.
 
"Personally, this is very sad and disappointing to me."
 

MuppetAsteriskTalk

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I think people downplaying Kraft's statement are wrong.
 
You can't have an owner questioning the integrity of the commish and the integrity of the league. I don't see how those two things can co-exist. 
 

Tyrone Biggums

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HomeBrew1901 said:
1 Million fine, loss of a first round draft pick and your starting QB getting a 4 game suspension and no reduction would seem to undermine this wouldn't it?
Not really since the majority of the owners pressuring 1 to take a deal isn't really any indication of hierarchy. I don't think you'll find anyone who disagrees with him being one of the most powerful owners in the NFL.
 

Bleedred

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Tyrone Biggums said:
Oh I actually think this might be damming if you read the exact quotes. Kraft is one of the most powerful owners in the league. Carries more weight than Shahid Khan coming out damming the league integrity.

Donovan McNabbs Twitter questioned Brady's legacy. GTFO McNabb.
I'm not picking on you, but I'm so sick of this meme.  If Kraft is one of the most powerful owners in the league, then a hell of a lot of good it does, at least with respect to the DG bullshit.  The Patriots and Brady have been taking it up the ass (w/o consent) for 7 months now, Kraft's "great power" notwithstanding.
 

BlackJack

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Jimbodandy said:
 
I thought that I was the only one who immediately reached for the dial when that satanic jingle came over the airwaves.  I can usually get to a new station by the third hit on the hi hat.
 
Same here - I can't change the channel fast enough when that comes on.  The 'rock' version of the jingle caught me a few times a while back.  It is such an ear worm that I'll have it stuck in my head for days.  Hell, just thinking about it enough to type this post has it whirling around my brain.  Damnit.
 

ivanvamp

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nighthob said:
At the beginning of the Wells report there's a footnote documenting the allowable procedures for football preparation and practices that violate the rule. One of the things that's specifically disallowed according to the NFL's Independent LOLvestigator is using the balls in practice to break them in. Much later in the report, in a footnote documenting the Colts' procedures is the information that Luck insists on using the Colts' balls in practice sessions because he prefers the feel of a football after it's been handled by sweaty hands. Really.

And that should sum up everything we need to know about NFL QBs, they're prissy and have irrational preferences that probably have no bearing on actual performance. And the NFL is dealing with the Colts' violation in an appropriate matter because there's no advantage here. Unfortunately we happened to be fans of the team everyone loves to hate, headed by a player that once crossed Goodell. So we get a witch hunt.
 
This really is incredible.  The Colts actually violated the rules regarding the footballs.  It's right there in the Wells report.  And the NFL is doing *nothing* about it.  How can ANYONE take them seriously on this "integrity of the game" issue?
 

Bongorific

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Is this the first time we learned the Pats turned over BB's phone? So the league had BB's, McNally's, and Jastremski's phones. There is nothing else they needed from Tom's. What do they want, Tom's texts with his wife and parents?
 

crystalline

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I have often said 'If you want to get a deal done, sometimes you have to get the lawyers out of the room.' I had hopes that Tom Brady appeal to the league would provide Roger Goodell the necessary explanation to overturn his suspension.
Yeah, Robert, going forward you should start saying "When the other side is intent on screwing you, you better keep the lawyers IN the room, because you don't play hardball without good legal advice".

What a great idea in this circumstance, kicking out the lawyers.
 

LuckyBen

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MuppetAsteriskTalk said:
I think people downplaying Kraft's statement are wrong.
 
You can't have an owner questioning the integrity of the commish and the integrity of the league. I don't see how those two things can co-exist. 
Bingo, ole rog picked the wrong side to team with and hopefully this is the end of that snake running the league.
 

Mooch

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Did we know this before:
 
We had already provided the league with every cell phone of every non-NFLPA employee that they requested, including head coach Bill Belichick.
If so, WOW.
 

Eddie Jurak

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MuppetAsteriskTalk said:
I think people downplaying Kraft's statement are wrong.
 
You can't have an owner questioning the integrity of the commish and the integrity of the league. I don't see how those two things can co-exist. 
This is correct.

One way or another, Kraft's days as an NFL owner are numbered. He was powerless in May and he is powerless now. Game, set, and match to Goodell.
 

Otis Foster

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Kraft is thoroughly pissed. His heir apparent has the temperament of a Tasmanian Devil, and increasingly calls the shots. While I think he was obligated to say something, there's quite a stretch between 'I'm terribly disappointed, etc.' to what he said and the tone he used.
 
I'm not sure what he'll do, but I'm confident he'll do something. We just may not know about it right away.
 
I just hope they use other counsel. Thinking about the explanatory analysis they posted still makes me cringe.
 

drbretto

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Bleedred said:
I'm not picking on you, but I'm so sick of this meme.  If Kraft is one of the most powerful owners in the league, then a hell of a lot of good it does, at least with respect to the DG bullshit.  The Patriots and Brady have been taking it up the ass (w/o consent) for 7 months now, Kraft's "great power" notwithstanding.
 
Being one of the most powerful of a group of 32 other people with power doesn't mean you are an all-powerful being that is above the rest. It means you're ONE OF the more powerful and influential members. 
 
I could be the best fighter in the damn world, but I'm going to lose a fight against 31 other contenders.
 

crystalline

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BlackJack said:
 
Same here - I can't change the channel fast enough when that comes on.  The 'rock' version of the jingle caught me a few times a while back.  It is such an ear worm that I'll have it stuck in my head for days.  Hell, just thinking about it enough to type this post has it whirling around my brain.  Damnit.
The best part is that Kars for Kids
1. Uses donated money for speculative investments in the US and Israel
2. Is really a front for two proselytizing religious charities- they don't disclose those ties in their ads. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/Kars-for-Kids-Cars-4-Kids-Real-Estate-Investments-Investigation-140955003.html

And I use podcasts largely to avoid this ad and others. Blech.
 

edmunddantes

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And you have the Bruins twitter machine trying to grab some oxygen.
 
"Hi we're over here. Hey. We're at Gillete today. Winter Classic! Please don't leave!!! Big press conference."
 
Lol
 
Rhetoric from Kraft is nice, but it'll be interesting to see what actually comes of this. 
 
There is something there within the NFL office to be sussed out for the railroading. Anytime Brady, Kessler, etc get anywhere near trying to get information on that point NFL always and reflexively goes "Nothing to see here. Move along. It doesn't matter." 
 
If Kraft wants to actually do something, he needs to find a way to crack that open. 
 

troparra

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ivanvamp said:
 
This really is incredible.  The Colts actually violated the rules regarding the footballs.  It's right there in the Wells report.  And the NFL is doing *nothing* about it.  How can ANYONE take them seriously on this "integrity of the game" issue?
 
Yes, but the media and most fans will arbitrarily determine that this type of rule-breaking is inconsequential. 
 

DJnVa

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Eddie Jurak said:
This is correct.

One way or another, Kraft's days as an NFL owner are numbered. He was powerless in May and he is powerless now. Game, set, and match to Goodell.
 
So you think the NFL is somehow going to make Kraft sell or something?
 
 

PayrodsFirstClutchHit

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The Braveheart analogy is now complete.
 
Robert "The Bruce" Kraft is ready to fight after having betrayed Brady-heart on the battlefield.
 

 
You have bled with Brady, now come bleed with me!
 

Valek123

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Mooch said:
Did we know this before:
 
We had already provided the league with every cell phone of every non-NFLPA employee that they requested, including head coach Bill Belichick.

If so, WOW.
 
Is it just me that is picturing BB behind his desk with an old school flip phone trying to figure out how to text?
 

DJnVa

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Loving today...
 
Brady statement, Kraft statement...I'm assuming Florio will have some new info via a leak soon...
 

drbretto

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crystalline said:
Yeah, Robert, going forward you should start saying "When the other side is intent on screwing you, you better keep the lawyers IN the room, because you don't play hardball without good legal advice".

What a great idea in this circumstance, kicking out the lawyers.
 
That saying isn't about kicking out actual lawyers. He's saying sometimes it's best to stop, take a breath and have a reasonable, rational conversation instead of focusing on the technicalities that a lawyer might focus on. It backfired here, but there are plenty of cases where that's the way to go. 
 

MuppetAsteriskTalk

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cshea said:
We knew they had BB's phone. Thought it was in the report.
 
Yeah we knew that had BB's Patriots issued phone. But there has been some whispering about how maybe Brady was texting BB's personal cell phone.
 
Not sure if I'm reading too much into this, but here is what Kraft said:
 
"We had already provided the league with every cell phone of every non-NFLPA employee that they requested, including head coach Bill Belichick."
 
 
Does that mean they handed over personal and team owned phones? Or is it just how it seems to be worded in the statement?
 

Shelterdog

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GBrushTWood said:
Maybe I'm just a cynic (and due to work have not seen the press conference today), but to me Kraft continues to appear as a mealy-mouthed fence straddler. I realize he's in an awfully difficult predicament here, but the lines are clearly drawn out. You're either with the NFL and are out to fuck over Brady and the Pats, or you support the Pats. The rhetoric blasting Goodell today while tongue bathing him a few months ago is puzzling.
 
I get that he would have no chance of winning a lawsuit against the NFL on the draft picks and fine. But his boot licking, subservient speech a few months ago placating Goodell and the other owners won't soon be forgotten, no matter what rhetoric he lobs in future press conferences. Did this guy really think Goodell would reduce Brady's suspension?
 
Kraft is the the Patriots most powerful and only representative to counter the witch hunt. To me, he's been 2-3 steps behind since day 1.
 
It appears to me that Kraft's problem has been that he's consistently thought the NFL would do smart things and the NFL kept getting stupider.  The NFL is setting up an expensive, ugly court fight and tarring the reputation if a star player and lead franchise because of some stupid bullshit and to a smart guy like Kraft this beyond comprehension.
 

soxhop411

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crystalline

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drbretto said:
 
That saying isn't about kicking out actual lawyers. He's saying sometimes it's best to stop, take a breath and have a reasonable, rational conversation instead of focusing on the technicalities that a lawyer might focus on. It backfired here, but there are plenty of cases where that's the way to go. 
Right
Other side negotiating in good faith- have a reasonable conversation.
Other side negotiating in bad faith- bring in the lawyers and listen to them.
 

dcmissle

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drbretto said:
 
Being one of the most powerful of a group of 32 other people with power doesn't mean you are an all-powerful being that is above the rest. It means you're ONE OF the more powerful and influential members. 
 
I could be the best fighter in the damn world, but I'm going to lose a fight against 31 other contenders.
I don't know how many times Lucy has to pull the football away before everyone understands that other owners are not our friends. They are benefitting from this screw job, for God's sake. When they have a 15-yr run of excellence and the Commissioner takes a run at their teams, maybe they will worry about it.

Myths die hard.
 

mwonow

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Shelterdog said:
 
It appears to me that Kraft's problem has been that he's consistently thought the NFL would do smart things and the NFL kept getting stupider.  The NFL is setting up an expensive, ugly court fight and tarring the reputation if a star player and lead franchise because of some stupid bullshit and to a smart guy like Kraft this beyond comprehension.
 
Then Kraft can get in line with the rest of us who keep getting surprised when the league doubles down on stupid/vindictive rather than trying to find a rational way forward
 

( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)

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""Now the league has taken the matter to court, which is a tactic that only a lawyer would recommend."
 
There have been rumours of friction between the Pats/Kraft and Jeffrey Pash.  I wonder is that particular line is a direct shot at Pash.  
 

ALiveH

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So, Kraft implies he could've sued for the draft picks & fine but decided not to.
 
If he could sue before, why can't he change his mind and sue now?  It's only been like 6 months.
 

Laser Show

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locknload said:
Still no north remembers picture?   Someone has to have it somewhere
I have it saved but can't figure out how to post it here from phone.

I plan to make it my fb cover photo when I get a chance.
 

drbretto

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PayrodsFirstClutchHit said:
The Braveheart analogy is now complete.
 
Robert "The Bruce" Kraft is ready to fight after having betrayed Brady-heart on the battlefield.
 

 
You have bled with Brady, now come bleed with me!
 
That's a little dramatic. I see it more as Kraft trying to take one for Brady/the greater good but having it backfire.