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Patriots owner Robert Kraft torches the NFL, says he thought accepting Deflategate penalties would get Brady a better deal
(NFL.com)
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft at a news conference on Wednesday made his strongest statement yet about the NFL's handling of the Deflategate scandal.
A day after the league upheld its decision to suspend quarterback Tom Brady for four games, Kraft called the whole thing "unfathomable" and said he could not believe that the league refused to reduce Brady's suspension.
In May, Kraft announced he would accept the league's penalties for the scandal, which involved the Patriots' allegedly deflating footballs they used in this year's AFC title game. At the time it was widely believed Kraft was accepting penalties against the team in order to get a better deal for Brady when he appealed his suspension. On Wednesday, Kraft confirmed this suspicion.
"I was willing to accept the harshest penalty in the history of the NFL for an alleged ball violation because I believed it would help exonerate Tom," he said. "I was wrong to put my faith in the league."
Kraft also apologized to Patriots fans, saying he "regrets" not fighting the league on its penalties. The Patriots were forced to forfeit a 2016 first-round pick and a 2017 fourth-round pick, in addition to a $1 million fine.
"The decision handed down by the league yesterday is unfathomable to me," he said. "Six months removed from the AFC Championship Game, the league still has no hard evidence of anyone doing anything to tamper with the PSI levels of football. I continue to believe and unequivocally support Tom Brady."
Kraft also ripped the NFL for its media strategy of the entire scandal. He said he did not understand why the NFL failed to correct a debunked ESPN report that 11 of 12 balls were underinflated by at least 2 pounds per square inch.
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