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Patriots owner Robert Kraft releases statement on Wells Report findings

By CM Towle

January 26, 2015; Chandler, AZ, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft addresses the media during a press conference after their arrival in preparation for Super Bowl XLIX at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 26, 2015; Chandler, AZ, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft addresses the media during a press conference after their arrival in preparation for Super Bowl XLIX at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Wells Report on Defategate states that the Patriots “more likely than not” intentionally deflated footballs and owner Robert Kraft is not buying it.

It’s not a lie if you believe it, right? That seems to be the position that Patriots owner Robert Kraft is taking with regards to Deflategate and the findings of the Wells Report released on Wednesday. He began his statement by saying that he believes no differently now than he did at the onset of the investigation, according to Patriots.com. He doesn’t think anyone in the Patriots organization intentionally deflated the football, and he mentioned the organization’s own investigation and how he believed that the NFL would come to the same conclusion.

Kraft went on to say that while he respects process of the investigation, he called the use of time and effort to be incomprehensible. Obviously it’s because they reached a conclusion he didn’t like. You can hardly imagine him calling it a waste of resources and “incomprehensible” if the investigation had decided that the Patriots were right and the balls deflated themselves.

The only part of his statement that isn’t a mess is the part where he acknowledges that his organization has no real recourse in fighting the league or further extending the debate. Possibly because he knows he’s wrong, but what do we know. He added that they would accept the findings and any punishment that the league hands out.

That’s the most interesting question since everyone knows Kraft’s position in the elite owner league ranks and speculation was rampant before the Super Bowl that Kraft’s influence was slowing the investigation and possibly kept it from undermining the Super Bowl in the end. Furthermore, the fact that Tom Brady is named in the report as being “generally aware” of the situation doesn’t bode well for the team.

It’s already being implied that the league is looking at handing some type of punishment down on Brady. The reality is that if they do, it’s likely not going to make anyone happy. If gets off light, then everyone will come down on Goodell for being Kraft’s lackey and having no power, not to mention the continued vitriol the Patriots will receive.

The other side of the debate will probably come from the Patriots’ playoff opponents who will be questioning whether they even deserved to be in the Super Bowl. This one’s not done yet, guaranteed.

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