I know I'm supposed to be shocked by Robert Kraft getting busted for solicitation, but I'm really not. There's nothing about this story that shocks me. In this day and age, that's become virtually impossible. So, I'm not at all surprised by what happened. Just like I'm not at all surprised that a 70-something-year-old billionaire would engage in that sort of behavior.
And, to all the Patriots fans who I'm sure are choosing to view this as yet another example of the NFL being "out to get" the Patriots, that couldn't be further from the truth. For starters, the sting was run by the FBI, not the NFL. And it was designed to bust anyone who frequented one of those parlors. Robert Kraft wasn't the target. But there's no way he was there accidentally, either.
Our legal system is based entirely on the presumption of innocence. So it's unfair to judge him before the legal process plays out. But the details don't exactly look good for him. For starters, he was seen on surveillance video. Second, he was in and out in 15 minutes, which seems to indicate they knew he was coming, he did what was going to do, and he left. And third, he definitely had the means to be in Florida at 1:30 in the afternoon, then fly to Kansas City for the AFC Championship Game that night.
It's things like this that make people hate the Patriots. Yes, we're sick of the winning and how arrogant they are about it and how they make up situations where they're "disrespected" as a means of motivating themselves. But it's more than that. First there was Spygate. Then there was Deflategate. Now this. Granted this one has nothing to do with football, but it doesn't help the perception that the Patriots (despite already being better than everybody) can't help themselves when it comes to cheating.
After both of those scandals, the NFL effectively gave the Patriots a slap on the wrist. But if the allegations against Kraft prove to be true, they need to come down hard. I'm not saying they need to drop the hammer. But this would be three strikes. And the league would need to make a statement. No franchise, no matter how successful, is above the league. Especially when that franchise has now been involved in not one, not two, but three separate incidents.
Too many players have been suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. But it isn't just players who are subject to the personal conduct policy. It's all league personnel, including coaches and owners. Which means the Commissioner would be well within his rights to suspend Robert Kraft, whether he's found guilty or not.
Owners and players are held to the same standard, but I'd argue that the standard should be even higher for the owners. They're the adults in the room. And they're the ones who drive the multi-billion dollar business...and benefit the most from it. Which is why a fine wouldn't work.
A million dollars is nothing for someone like Robert Kraft. And what message would that really send anyway? It would say that an owner can commit a crime and essentially go unpunished, but if a player does the same thing, a four-game suspension (or longer) is a virtual certainty. Talk about a double standard! And you can bet that's something the players would be sure to point out when the next round of CBA negotiations begin.
Some people have suggested that the NFL could/should even force Kraft to sell the Patriots, but that step would be a bit drastic to say the least. This isn't the NBA forcing Donald Sterling to sell the Clippers or even a year ago with Jerry Richardson and Carolina. In both of those situations, the owner's actions forced the league's hand. They had no other choice. There was no place for either Sterling or Richardson after what happened.
This is far different. This would be merely holding someone accountable for his actions. And there's precedent for it. Major League Baseball suspended George Steinbrenner in the early 90s, and then-49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo was suspended by the NFL in 1999 after pleading guilty to a felony. Solicitation is a misdemeanor. But it's still a crime. Which means a suspension would be reasonable.
The Patriots would be just fine without him, too. His son, Jonathan, is the team president and already runs a lot of the football operations. He figures to inherit the team upon Robert's death, so it'd be natural to assume he'd take on those duties for however long his father is suspended. They'd still have Bradicheck, too.
Regardless of how the legal process pays out, you have to figure there'll be some sort of repercussions for Robert Kraft. Whether it's a massive fine (which would accomplish nothing) or a suspension or the loss of draft picks (where it'll hit the hardest), Kraft should be held accountable. Otherwise, the NFL will be sending absolutely the wrong message.
Not doing anything would effectively be condoning his actions. What's worse, the next person who's suspended under the personal conduct policy would then be able to point to that as the example of the NFL having a double standard. And they wouldn't exactly be wrong.
Although, on second thought, maybe they shouldn't suspend him. The last thing we need is another reason for the Patriots and their fans to get all fired up about the "conspiracy" against them and use it as motivation for another run to the Patriots Game.
No comments:
Post a Comment