Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT recently discussed the upcoming season and some of the "big issues" facing the Patriots and the NFL, according to a Q&A with Ben Volin of the BOSTON GLOBE. But there was "one condition: football talk only." There was "no politics, no DONALD TRUMP." Below are excerpts, some of which have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: Are you disappointed you didn’t get nominated for the Hall of Fame?
Kraft: You know, whatever it is, it is. What we’re doing now is more meaningful to me, to be honest. And if we can continue to win and have something special, that to me is more rewarding than anything else.
Q: ROGER GOODELL’s contract is about to be extended through '24. You were part of the six-person committee that decided. What went into that decision?
Kraft: The whole labor area is important and very fluid, and the whole area of media, which is our main source of revenue. But that’s a league-wide decision, there’s a full committee that decides that.
Q: Are you worried about the relationship between Goodell and NFLPA Exec Dir DEMAURICE SMITH? It’s been pretty toxic in the media.
Kraft: I’ve learned that I don’t believe everything I read in the newspapers, with all due respect.
Q: We all know what you guys went through with the league [with Deflategate], but are you generally happy with the job Roger is doing?
Kraft: Everyone knows we were treated unfairly, and there were bad judgments made and the whole thing was ridiculous. The good news is we won the Super Bowl, so I think in a way it helped strengthen our team and our organization. And in life, the people who succeed are the people who deal with adversity, even when things aren’t fair, and you come together, you bond together (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/2).
