Patriots Owner Robert Kraft "no longer lashes out at the league the way he did in the early days of Deflategate," but he is said to "feel betrayed" by the NFL, according to Joe Nocera of the N.Y. TIMES. Kraft has "returned to his role of being an NFL conciliator and statesman," and is "involved in negotiating the broadcast rights to the league’s Thursday night games." However, there is "enormous bitterness within the Patriots organization, and Kraft is believed to share that feeling." Although Kraft and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "speak regularly," their relationship "is all business." Their friendship "is basically over" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/23). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio noted over time the criticism of the league "has become mainstream." Florio: "Nocera’s article will ensure that a broader audience understands precisely what the NFL did to the Patriots." Every fan of every NFL team "should continue to worry about the type of arbitrary and results-oriented decision-making reflected" by Deflategate (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 1/23).
KRAFT TALKS DEFLATEGATE: Kraft last week gave a sit-down interview to the BOSTON HERALD's Karen Guregian, something she noted he "hasn't been doing" much since Deflategate first surfaced. Kraft said that he "couldn't be any prouder" of how the team, particularly QB Tom Brady, "emerged after being dragged through the mud" with the controversy. Kraft: "When you do well, everybody's after you, and sometimes the motives are legitimate, and sometimes it's envy and jealousy. Thank goodness we're looking out at that, and not having to feel those emotions. Guregian noted that was a "not-so-subtle dig" at the Colts and GM Ryan Grigson. Kraft's relationship with Goodell, which "seemed to ride the roller-coaster throughout the investigation and court proceedings," was not specifically brought up in the interview. However, Kraft was asked "why he did an about-face and dropped his fight with the league." He said, "I made a strategic decision to help our guy (Brady) and to have him on the field. And then in the end, you’re appealing to the person who made the ruling. So you can fight, and not get anything. You might look good, but you’re not going to accomplish (anything), rather than try to do the least controversial thing to get value for our guy. But things didn’t work out the way we had hoped. But that’s in the past, and we’re moving on” (BOSTON HERALD, 1/24).
