Early in the second quarter of last night's Dolphins-
Patriots game in Foxboro, ABC's Al Michaels said, "If you
just walked into this stadium, you'd have no sense of what
had taken place last week in terms of the team having
announced that it would be moving to Hartford. Nobody really
knew what to expect, but to this point ... its like every
other football game we've seen here." ABC's Boomer Esiason:
"We were a bit apprehensive ... but in reality it's like any
other game." Later, ABC's Lesley Visser interviewed Patriots
Owner Robert Kraft. Visser: "What do you say to your season
ticket holders?" Kraft: "I'm very sorry to them for the
inconvenience of the travel time, but we tried to build four
privately financed stadiums in the last five years and the
government system here ... wouldn't let us get it done. This
is the only way we can see the team here in the long term and
competitive." Kraft, on the "enormous financial windfall"
from CT: "We weren't looking for this. When we couldn't
solve our problem here we looked for other alternatives. I
don't look at it that way. This is a way to revitalize the
city of Hartford. Is was nice to see the Connecticut
political environment to be bi-partisan to do what was right
for their state and city and I hope that one-day happens in
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." Throughout the game,
Michaels, Esiason and Dan Dierdorf stated that Kraft had made
repeated attempts to keep the team in MA ("MNF," ABC, 11/23).
FAN REACTION: Kraft toured the field before last night's
game and Karen Guregian writes, "From the looks of it, the
58,729 fans here ... beared no grudge against the businessman
who opted for the deal of a lifetime" (BOSTON HERALD, 11/24).
TV LEAGUE? In Boston, Will McDonough: "It appears that
the National Football League, with the help of Bob Kraft, is
developing a scorched earth policy for Greater Boston."
McDonough notes the league's assurance to Kraft that no new
team would relocate into the "region." McDonough: "Does this
mean that if someone such as [Reebok Chair] Paul Fireman
decides he wants to build his own stadium, buy another NFL
team -- say, the Buffalo Bills -- and bring it to Boston,
then the league is going to say he can't?" NFL Senior VP/
Communications Joe Browne: "Boston already has a team. ...
And the fans in Boston will continue to see their Patriots
games on television. ... If the Massachusetts political
leaders want to lure another team to Boston, the move would
require a three-quarter vote from the other teams in the
league." McDonough adds that the league seems to be
"changing" its plans on TV blackouts, as it said that games
in Hartford would have to be sellouts to be shown in the
Boston market, even though it is outside the 75-mile blackout
radius. McDonough: "Is the NFL's threat to black out
Patriots games an attempt to force Massachusetts fans to go
to Hartford? It sure seems that way" (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/24).