NFL fans aren’t strangers to the two biggest storylines circling this week’s Super Bowl.
One is how the New England Patriots will deal with their relationship with the NFL after Deflategate. Two also deals with the Patriots thanks to owner Robert Kraft’s relationship with President Donald Trump, not to mention Tom Brady’s relationship with the new President.
Sunday, Kraft gave Gary Myers of the New York Daily News a detailed interview on both topics.
Kraft, who obviously wasn’t happy with the outcome of Deflategate, touched on his team’s relationship with the league and commissioner Roger Goodell:
“I don’t know if it will ever be the same, but in order to do what is best for the Patriots franchise long term, I believe it is best to compartmentalize and move on,” he said. “Like our quarterback, I am trying to remain positive and look to the future rather than dwell on the past. As a native New Englander, that’s easier said than done, but I am doing my best to put the matter behind me.”
He also went into detail about his much-criticized relationship with Trump:
“When Myra died, Melania and Donald came up to the funeral in our synagogue, then they came for memorial week to visit with me,” Kraft said. “Then he called me once a week for the whole year, the most depressing year of my life when I was down and out. He called me every week to see how I was doing, invited me to things, tried to lift my spirits. He was one of five or six people that were like that. I remember that.”
It’s a telling, if not unexpected look into both situations. Really, it is shocking one of the league’s most secretive organizations just opened up on these matters.
Call it a smart move by Kraft, though. His players are about to spend all week barraged by the media when it comes to these sorts of questions. His getting out in front of this and shedding light on both will help his guys in the long run.
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