Robert Kraft just spoke out saying he was “duped” by Aaron Hernandez and I just don’t buy it.
Kraft is a very intelligent and savvy businessman, and he’s experienced these PR headaches in the past. Once you’ve gone through a serious issue, you learn to be prepared for the future. He’s been through Spygate, signing Haynesworth, a guy who stomps on teammates heads (plus arrested), Randy Moss who did pot, traffic arrest and left the field early during games. He’s surprisingly silent about the childish antics of Rob Gronkowski dancing and throwing down friends in clubs after a Super Bowl loss and signs many other questionable guys. In fact, that’s become part of the “Patriot Way”, that anyone can be changed when brought in to Foxboro. We’re seeing that’s not the truth, and that this kind of management isn’t how the Patriots won Super Bowls. When he had Mike Vrable, Ted Bruschi, Willie McGinest and all strong character OL and Brady, the locker room was under control and the team played and acted like a unit.
Now it’s just Brady, and someday soon that won’t be enough. He’s carried this team on his shoulders despite being surrounded by these character issue people. Belichick even wanted a guy he liked who couldn’t pick up the offensive system (Chad Johnson aka Ochocinco).
It’s common knowledge that Aaron Hernandez never hung with teammates at FL or Patriots and remained tight with bad friends from his Bristol days. He was loaded with questionable tattoos and had a history of violence and failed drug tests. While nobody assumed he would be capable of first-degree murder (and maybe more), Mr. Kraft could not have been blind to the possibility of disaster. He’s too smart for that. Especially as a very involved owner unlike Leon Hess who owned the Jets and only saw them once in while since his oil business was his true passion and concern. Personally, I think Kraft’s ego made him speak out against recommendations and to only 3 reporters he’d hand-picked.
This is an alleged crime that goes beyond anything most ever thought possible but with the new CBA guys have 3/4 months off, and OTAs are touch football now. These huge contracts are a recipe for disaster for young men with character issues. Now we find he had an extra apartment that no one knew about with guns and a scale for drugs 20 minutes away from his home. The rabbit hole always goes a lot farther than people realize. Aaron Hernandez and his crew picked up Odin Lloyd and allegedly murdered him between the hours of 1 and 3am on June 17th.
As Herm Edwards told the rookies in 2011, “Nothing good happens when you’re out after midnight.” (See his great speech below)
