#DeflateGate (Court of Appeals Reinstates Suspension)

[Eja117]

Yeah, I think it was a witchhunt too. The problem was that they were looking for Bette Midler and found Martha Corey, if you follow.

They were looking for a cartoonish piece of silliness and instead found a pious but naive individual who was dead serious and called them out?

So someone had to die?

Then in that case shouldn't Kraft be yelling "More weight" instead of "Ok. Go ahead. Hang us. It's in th best interest of the town"?

[D.o.s.]

No, because Robert Kraft cares more about continuing to make money with the NFL than the integrity of the Patriots. Because, you know, he's a normal human being. Why would he do anything different? Because of "the Patriot Way?"

[Eja117]

I admit it seems like typically accepting the punishment would seem to admit guilt, but he was fighting this thing insanely till just a few days ago. How could he discover suddenly in just the last couple days that they did cheat?

[D.o.s.]

He discovered that Brady wasn't going to serve a four game suspension.


Allegedly.

[Eja117]

No, because Robert Kraft cares more about continuing to make money with the NFL than the integrity of the Patriots. Because, you know, he's a normal human being. Why would he do anything different? Because of "the Patriot Way?"

Robert Kraft needs more money to the point he throws his team and fans under the bus, because he's a normal human being?

Hey I have as low an opinion of humans as anyone but that's a pretty interesting assessment there.

[Eja117]

He discovered that Brady wasn't going to serve a four game suspension.


Allegedly.

Backing down from a fight when you know you're right and that people are trying to take a dump on your team and region isn't the New England way.  Take that cop out bs stuff off to France where it belongs.

[D.o.s.]

I have consistently said that the NFL doesn't care about it's fans beyond the fact that they show up to watch their games with wallets open. I will continue to say that, because it is true. That whole thing about Brady's merchandise sales doubling after the suspension? C'mon. Kraft isn't going to do anything that might jeopardize the Patriots gravy train, which is contingent upon the NFL not going through the kinds of discovery that a lawsuit (his only recourse) would bring up -- and also he probably wasn't going to win the lawsuit anyway.

The team doesn't care -- they want to get paid and do their jobs.

[Eja117]

I have consistently said that the NFL doesn't care about it's fans beyond the fact that they show up to watch their games with wallets open. I will continue to say that, because it is true. That whole thing about Brady's merchandise sales doubling after the suspension? C'mon. Kraft isn't going to do anything that might jeopardize the Patriots gravy train, which is contingent upon the NFL not going through the kinds of discovery that a lawsuit (his only recourse) would bring up -- and also he probably wasn't going to win the lawsuit anyway.

The team doesn't care -- they want to get paid and do their jobs.

I guess I agree with you on some level that this event sorta does illustrate the kind of person he may actually be. And if he's who you say he is I don't like him and neither do a lot of his fans now.

[Moranis]

Again the problem isn't that Kraft is letting it go, it is that is he is letting it go after months of screaming bloody murder that he wouldn't let it go.  Nothing has changed in the last two days that would support his sudden change of heart (at least publicly).  Kraft created the fan frenzy and then just let it go.

[Eja117]

I'm not 100% sure why a federal arbitration claim, where he’d have to prove the discipline was excessive and arbitrary and that the NFL didn't correctly apply its own rules would open up the Pats to all sorts of damaging discovery. They wouldn't investigate the whole thing all over again or demand Brady's phone. I would think they'd just look at the Wells report and the rules of the league and make a decision.  Did it prove what they needed to prove to the level they needed to? If they did then is the punishment in line with their own rules?
Yeah it costs money. Lots of stuff costs money. If he was such a penny pincher why did he hire lawyers to write a rebuttal?

Plus he can keep fighting in the court of public opinion, which is where 90% of this has taken place.

[D.o.s.]

I think the best way to explain what's happening was covered in a Deadspin article the other day (they've basically nailed this whole thing, IMO):

Kraft made clear that he still disagrees with Roger Goodell, claiming the investigation wasn’t fair and found “no hard evidence.” He said the penalties were “way over the top, it was unreasonable and unprecedented.” But he’s willing to be a martyr for a bigger cause—NFL solidarity. This is a point I’ve made before, but it bears repeating now that Kraft has vocalized it—NFL owners seem keen with Goodell’s swinging-dick act until it swings their way. Kraft, as one of the league’s most powerful owners, has now set the precedent that even when the target of arbitary discipline, an owner should be quiet and accept it. Protect the shield.

http://deadspin.com/robert-kraft-will-not-appeal-the-patriots-penalties-1705536519

So, basically, this:

[Donoghus]

Again the problem isn't that Kraft is letting it go, it is that is he is letting it go after months of screaming bloody murder that he wouldn't let it go.  Nothing has changed in the last two days that would support his sudden change of heart (at least publicly).  Kraft created the fan frenzy and then just let it go.

Well, the frenzy actually started in the 24-48 hours after the AFC title game when reports were being leaked from the league office to Mort and rather than nipping things right there, the league allowed ESPN and the national media to take this false report and snowball it into the second coming of Watergate.  That's when New England fans natural instinct of defense kicked in....after it became an "us versus the world" thing.   People get awfully defensive about things like this. 

Kraft's comments both back then and in the couple of weeks before yesterday only exasperated things, it didn't start them.

[Moranis]

Again the problem isn't that Kraft is letting it go, it is that is he is letting it go after months of screaming bloody murder that he wouldn't let it go.  Nothing has changed in the last two days that would support his sudden change of heart (at least publicly).  Kraft created the fan frenzy and then just let it go.

Well, the frenzy actually started in the 24-48 hours after the AFC title game when reports were being leaked from the league office to Mort and rather than nipping things right there, the league allowed ESPN and the national media to take this false report and snowball it into the second coming of Watergate.  That's when New England fans natural instinct of defense kicked in....after it became an "us versus the world" thing.   People get awfully defensive about things like this. 

Kraft's comments both back then and in the couple of weeks before yesterday only exasperated things, it didn't start them.

Yeah but he has made it way worse. 

[Donoghus]

Plus he can keep fighting in the court of public opinion, which is where 90% of this has taken place.

He won't win that fight.  The damage is already done there and it grew exponentially back in '07 with Spygate. Heck, it might've even started before then.

It's essentially 31 teams worth of fanbases against one these days and it has been for a while.  This isn't the lovable underdog from 2001 that came out of nowhere and beat the Rams.  Somewhere in between then & now, they became the Yankees and that evil empire than opposing teams fans love to hate.

The only way he could've got some good will on his side would've been if he could've taken down Goodell.   That guy is basically universally despised these days.  Problem was that the uphill battle was far too great to achieve that.   As long as the money keeps flowing in, the owners will continue to bury their heads in the sand about Goodell's almost ineptness.

[D.o.s.]

It's worth pointing out, too, that Goodell is also a great scapegoat for the ownership in situations like these.