New England Patriots' owner Robert Kraft doesn't have much reason to be bitter. He has more money than he'll ever know what to do with, he has rich and powerful friends and of course, he owns perhaps the best franchise in professional sports.
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Tom Brady is his quarterback and he's won five Super Bowls since 2000.
With that said, there has been one bee in Kraft's bonnet over the past few years, and that's been "Deflategate". If you don't know what it is, a simple Google search will keep you informed for hours regarding the saga involving Tom Brady, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, (allegedly) deflated footballs, and enough legal jargon to make a lawyer blush. It also led to Tom Brady's four-game suspension in the 2016 regular season after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a suspension he dodged in 2015.
Brady came back and led the Patriots to a Super Bowl win that season, so all's well that ends well in New England, but apparently, Kraft has a long memory. Recently speaking on a variety of issues in France, Kraft admitted that he's moved on, but he won't forget how his organization was treated during the controversy.
Here's what he had to say, via Claire Atkinson of the New York Post:
"I don't hold grudges but I never forget," Kraft responded. "Sometimes people mess up at when they're doing their jobs, but it most organizations people make bad decisions. I'm about the present and the future."
"We were unfairly punished but we wound up winning the Super Bowl."
Again, Kraft doesn't have much reason to complain, but it had to have felt good to watch his team stick it to the NFL and the rest of their detractors by beating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
Brady won the MVP award of that game and the 'Pats went on to win it all again just two Super Bowls later.
It's worth noting that Kraft recently came out and said that his friendship with Goodell was never strained because of "Deflategate". He was one of the main factors in Goodell getting the commissioner job and the two have reportedly been close. He told Allon Sinai of the Jerusalem Post that the friendship he has with Goodell never suffered. (H/T NFL.com)
This does fly in the face of quotes he previously offered, though, that stated that he wasn't sure if his relationship with Goodell would ever be the same.
"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."
So which is it?
Is Kraft over "Deflategate" or does it still nag at him in the back of his mind? Perhaps it's just that the whole procedure bothered him, but he's not letting it impact a good friendship.
He never forgets, though, and that could be bad news for the rest of the NFL. History tells us that a vengeful Patriots team is a scary one.
