New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft speaks in Washington Monday.
(Associated Press)
Globe Editorial
With the NFL having just resolved the labor dispute that hung over it for months by putting in place a new, decade-long collective-bargaining agreement, Robert Kraft’s skill as a leader and a negotiator has been one of the more compelling storylines to emerge out of the talks. The
It’s not surprising that other owners would laud Kraft’s leadership and involvement in the negotiations - they’re on his “team,’’ after all. What’s more telling, especially given the recent animosity between NFL players and owners, is that several players cited Kraft’s role in getting a deal done to reporters - a sentiment perhaps summed up most powerfully by
“Without him, this deal does not get done,’’ Saturday said in a press conference from Washington after the deal was struck. He described Kraft as “a man who helped us save football’’ and expressed gratitude for his efforts.
Nobody wanted to see the nation’s most popular sports league lose any regular-season games to money issues, and Kraft deserves credit for helping to make sure this didn’t happen.
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