The NFL and the New England Patriots could be searching for a way to put the entire Deflategate scandal behind them. More specifically, Roger Goodell and Patriots owner Robert Kraft may have called a truce.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Kraft and Goodell both attended CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus’ 60th birthday party over the weekend and spent some time chatting privately. Not only that, but there’s reason to believe the two men hugged it out.
Roger Goodell and Patriots owner Robert Kraft already have met, spoke and even hugged, per an industry source who witnessed it.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 19, 2015
The fact that Goodell and Kraft are on amicable terms could help cool tensions between the two sides and help lead to truce on Deflategate.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 19, 2015
An earlier report from Schefter indicated that the Patriots have met with the NFL about reaching an agreement over the Deflategate sanctions. A mending of the relationship between Kraft and Goodell would be a good starting point for those negotiations.
As we know, Kraft has been fairly outspoken in defending his team against the Deflategate accusations. He recently said that he believes Tom Brady is completely innocent, and we all remember the infamous press conference before the Super Bowl when Kraft demanded an apology from the league if the Patriots were exonerated.
The last we heard about the relationship between Kraft and Goodell prior to Tuesday is that it was all but dead. Before Deflategate, Kraft was always a big supporter of Goodell. The Pats owner is one of the main reasons Goodell has made an exorbitant amount of money over the past few seasons.
Goodell is probably going to look bad in the public eye no matter what happens. There are people who wanted him to come down hard on the Patriots, which is exactly what he did. There are others who felt a four-game suspension and the loss of a first-round draft pick was completely unwarranted. Can the Patriots overcome embarrassing details like this and find some sort of middle ground with the league? We may be trending in that direction.
