New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that the organization will not appeal the punishment handed down by the NFL in the wake of its DeflateGate findings. Speaking in front of reporters at NFL owners meetings in San Francisco, he talked about his respect for commissioner Roger Goodell and his desire to end the scandal.
Patriots will not appeal DeflateGate punishment
A resigned Robert Kraft announced that the Patriots will not be appealing the DeflateGate punishment handed down by the NFL.
Kraft said that he had a difficult time coming to a decision.
“I don’t want to continue the rhetoric,” Kraft said. “I’m going to accept, reluctantly, what [Goodell] has given to us. We won’t appeal.”
He had harsh words for Goodell and the league earlier this week. Speaking with MMQB's Peter King, he said that "to receive the harshest penalty in league history is just not fair." Kraft felt that the Wells Report avoided giving the Patriots the benefit of any doubt in its evidence, a case the Patriots laid out on a blog meant to debunk the report.
Kraft admitted that “If I made the decision last week, it would be different than it is today.” He spoke of doing what’s best for the league as a whole, however, and ending the drama rather than extending it.
“The one thing we can agree is that the entire process is taking way too long,” Kraft said, later adding, “at no time should the agenda of one team outweigh the collective 32.”
Kraft and Goodell appeared to make amends earlier in the day Tuesday, when they were reportedly spotted hugging and having a long conversation. (Our own Rodger Sherman wrote an in-depth breakdown of that hug’s potential implications.)
The Patriots were docked a first-round draft pick in 2016 and fined $1 million after an investigation found evidence that that locker room personnel intentionally deflated footballs before the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts.
Quarterback Tom Brady was also suspended four games after the NFL concluded that he likely had knowledge that balls were being deflated. He is expected to go forward with his appeal.
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