Kraft apologizes to owners
He tells them he's sorry for taping
PALM BEACH, Fla. - The official line on the NFL's agenda read "special privileged session," which meant "most important meeting of the year."
Only commissioner Roger Goodell, owners, and head coaches would be present for the closed-door session, and as the crowd gathered inside the Ponce de Leon Room at the luxurious Breakers hotel yesterday morning at 8:30, few could have expected what was to unfold.
As Goodell spoke about the integrity of the game - reminding those in attendance about the importance of ensuring the fans' trust and promoting fair competition - he ceded the floor to Patriots chairman/CEO Robert Kraft.
In what one member in the room described as a heartfelt speech, Kraft apologized for the Patriots' illegal videotaping procedures that have cast a cloud over the NFL. He spoke of how the actions did not represent what his family was about, and how that affected him because nothing is more important to him than his family's name. Kraft assured those in attendance he would make sure illegal videotaping would never happen again.
After Kraft's remarks, Patriots coach Bill Belichick then addressed the room and explained his actions, while also detailing how the team's football operation has been improved so that no such incidents would happen again.
At one point, there was applause.
"We were talking about the past year and going into next year, and since it was owners [and] coaches, it was probably like, 'If there was an elephant in the room, just bring it out and talk about what transpired and moving past it,' " Colts owner Jim Irsay said.
"In that spirit, I think Bill and Bob decided to get up and say things along those lines. To me, it's a past issue and it wasn't necessary, but the fact they did it shows class."
Irsay described the comments as being unsolicited. They hit home, in particular, with Colts coach Tony Dungy.
"I thought it was very, very sincere and heartfelt, and I appreciated what he had to say," said Dungy, who declined to elaborate on Kraft's message, feeling it should remain private.
Kraft, Belichick, and the Patriots have drawn considerable attention at the NFL's annual meeting the last three days, but not necessarily for reasons to their liking. With an agreement yet to be reached that would lead former employee Matt Walsh to reveal what he knows about the team's videotaping procedures - Walsh has suggested he has information that could be damaging to the team - the issue has lingered.
Kraft came out firing Monday, questioning why it has taken so long for Walsh to speak, and Belichick addressed the media yesterday for more than an hour. About half of Belichick's session was devoted to answering questions about videotaping.
But of everything Kraft and Belichick said the past two days, the most meaningful words seemed to come yesterday morning behind closed doors.
"I thought it was well-received," Irsay said. "When things don't go the right way, humility always goes a long way in bringing in compassion and bringing in perspective."
Irsay believes the time has come to turn the page on the issue. His thoughts were echoed by Woody Johnson, owner of the archrival Jets.
"I think Mr. Kraft can best describe his remarks, but I think we're all very interested in getting this long-ago issue behind us. It really has been solved," Johnson said. "We're all working very hard to make the game fair and keep it at high standards and improve the game a little bit every year.
"I think we're all working very hard to give the public a feeling that what they watch on Sunday and Monday is something they can be proud to watch, it's fair and it's a great game, and what they see is what they get - nothing more, nothing less."
Irsay feels the NFL took a step in that direction yesterday, spurred by the impromptu remarks from Kraft and Belichick. So, too, does Colts general manager Bill Polian.
"I certainly appreciate everything that Mr. Kraft and his family have done for the league," Polian said. "They've made this league a much better league since they've been members of it, and certainly from one man's point of view, he doesn't need to apologize for anything.
"The New England Patriots have been a bellwether for this league as long as the Kraft family has owned them. They're tough to play against, and that's all for the good, but as far as being good citizens in the National Football League, they're at the top of the charts."
Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com. Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com.
