Keidel: The NFL And The Public Are No Longer Listening To The Patriots
By Jason Keidel
» More Columns
So maybe the Patriots aren't America's titular team -- the Cowboys still seem to hold that sobriquet -- but they are the gold standard in every other sense.
They have the nation's darling quarterback and owner, and represent the most enchanted sports city of the last decade.
And they're also officially busted.
Robert Kraft held his final presser on Tuesday, belching bromides about harmony, solidarity and moving forward. His final action is inaction. He will not pursue or appeal the NFL's decision to suspend Tom Brady, pluck two draft picks and fine the franchise a million bucks.
The buck stops with Kraft, and he wants no more of it. He was apparently appalled that we're still talking about "Deflategate" four months after the controversy splashed across every front page.
He claims their collective innocence, says he looks into Brady's soul and believes his assertions. Yet Kraft suspended two employees, without pay, and has publicly backed down from the long arm of Johnny Law.
John Feinstein made the observation that you don't suspend people sans some kind of evidence, or serious cynicism. Kraft can craft all the speeches he likes, and back out of battle under the guise of peace, but the team's actions don't feel like those that are unjustly punished.
You haven't heard a peep from Brady, not anything that specifically addresses his guilt. We heard he hired a conga line of lawyers, armed for battle -- or at least litigation. But if he takes his cue from his owner -- his boss -- Brady would be wise to let this go, as well.
Mike Francesa seems to think that Kraft confided in Roger Goodell, who told the Patriots' patriarch that the NFL was going to the mat on this, that it was in everyone's best interest for him to fold his hand, no matter how many high cards he had up his sleeve. Kraft is no fool, and the notion of plodding through a legal minefield, against the tide of public opinion and the will of 31 owners, was not a pleasant proposition.
Others think there was a backroom deal behind the dais, that Kraft was comforted by the promise that if he stands down, Brady will get his suspension slashed in half. That means the iconic QB would play 14 out of 16 games, more than enough for New England to defend the title they were one yard from losing last season.
There's a certain symmetry or symbolism to the whole thing. You could argue the Patriots backed into the Lombardi Trophy, and hence are defending a title they don't deserve. You know the handle -- hand the ball to Beast Mode and Seattle is parading down downtown, a two-time champion.
More than one cynic will assert that the Patriots have more than Deflategate on their plate. Their bejeweled history is stained by suspicions that they needed to break an assortment of rules to clear their path to the mountaintop. Now, even Brady's legacy is being questioned. While the team ran out of teflon, Brady was heretofore untouchable, beyond reproach, naturally ethereal and above the shady machinations of his employer.
While it's all subjective, the objective has become easier for Patriots gridiron opponents.
If you take a wider lens to this, you should take some provincial pride if you bleed Gang Green. The AFC East in general, and the Jets in particular, should have a group hug.
This Deflategate stuff is great for business. Not only are the Pats distracted, but they subtracted their best player, the only player they can't replace. Even in their Borg business model, the selfless coda where everyone is interchangeable -- if not replaceable -- Brady is the one player who is invaluable.
So let's say the Pats lose their first two games. It puts them in an instant hole in the standings. Add to that the fact that Brady could be rusty, that every team in the division is vastly different -- if not improved -- and that the Pats carry the perfunctory bullseye on their backs.
It's hard enough to win football games in the NFL, where the legislated equality often leads to mediocrity. The Patriots have kept their collective nostrils way above water for 15 years because they have the holy trinity of football -- owner, HC and QB.
Now two of them have been burned by Ted Wells, leaving, ironically, Bill Belichick looking the cleanest after this sordid affair.
Oddly enough, the NFL also announced that it is moving the PAT back to the 15-yard line, making it more difficult to get a point. The Patriots can relate. No team has had a harder time making their point over the last four months. And now the NFL, and the public, are no longer listening.
Follow Jason on Twitter @JasonKeidel.
