Bob Kraft, time to save some face

Bob Kraft is the owner of the NE Patriots. He has left his team in the hands of Bill Belichick and keeps his rear tucked neatly in the owners seats. He has celebrated the victories and stewed in the losses, heck, he has even lost a SB ring to Russian President Vladamir Putin.

But now, it is time to stand up and not be the man behind the curtain. It is time to save some face, and try and restore a little dignity to a franchise that until 1 week ago was touted in some circles as the new “Americas’ team”.

By now everyone knows of the Billygate, Videogate, Cameragate, whatever gate you want to call it, and the fines and penalties from the commissioner. While some argue over the strength of those penalties, Bob Kraft is sitting in a position to help his team in more ways than winning a few football games will. He needs to penalize his coach. Immediately.

The perception of the Patriots has gone from “golden boys” to “dirt bags” in less than a week. If you are Patriots fan, you may be laughing at the penalties handed down, but you lost all rights to brag about your team. A simple “cheater” response from someone, and you got nothing. If your a fan of the Patriots and a fan of the game, you look back on the last 3 SB wins and somehow the memory isn’t as vibrant as it once was. The question of cheating pops into your head now.

Bob Kraft can curtail these perceptions by stepping up and stepping in to the situation. He could fine Belichick, which likely would cause no pain. He could suspend the coach which would hurt his teams chances to some extent in its production. The latter is probably the best route for the owner to go. It sends a message to the media, the fans of the NFL, and the Patriot fans that the actions of his coaching staff is not the actions of his team. It says that no one is above the team and that results are not as important as integrity.

Of course, he could also fire the coach. That would not only be extreme, but highly unlikely.

The New England Patriots no longer sit on a gold thrown of power. They are relegated to the corner while everyone else at the party dances and whispers while pointing in their direction.

That perception can be at least reduced, if Bob Kraft can be man enough to stand up and take back control of his team. Otherwise, Kraft himself is just as responsible.