KRAFT STILL HAS FAITH IN THE NFL’S ‘GREATEST COACH’
But Patriots’ owner wasn’t fan of decision to bench star defensive back in Super Bowl
How did New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft react to the benching of season-long starting cornerback Malcolm Butler in last month’s Super Bowl?
Not too well.
In taking reporters’ questions for 20 minutes Monday at the NFL’s annual meeting, Kraft suggested the Patriots fan in him sometimes thinks differently than the owner.
But he said he stops short of second-guessing head coach Bill Belichick’s inexplicable decision not to play Butler for a single play on defence in the Pats’ 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“The fact that we lost and lost the way we did, I still haven’t got over it,” Kraft said. “When it comes to Malcolm, I have a weak spot for him. … That play at the end of the Seattle Super Bowl (three years earlier) will be in the memory banks of our fans for the next 50 years. … He’s such a humble, nice young man. (I’m) sorry he’s not with us. … I wish him well and I’ll miss him.”
Kraft said the following when asked if he’d received a satisfactory answer from Belichick for Butler’s benching: “Here’s the deal. We (have) the greatest coach in the history of the profession. We’re involved in a number of businesses in our family and we’re in 95 countries in the world. We try to encourage them to have good managers. We want them to be bold, we want them to take risks. You know, sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t.
“But I have faith in Bill as a coach. … He’s done pretty well for us over the last 18 years.
“So as a fan, I can question some of the moves. As someone who’s privileged to be the owner of this team, I encourage him to keep going with his instincts and keep doing what he thinks is right. There’s no doubt in my mind, even if he made an error — and this is true of any of our managers — that if they’re doing it for the right reason, then I support them 100 per cent. And I have never had one instance in the 18 years where Bill hasn’t done what he believes is in the best interests of our team to help us win games.”
Butler earlier this month signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Tennessee Titans for US$61 million over five years with $30 million guaranteed. No catch-rule vote yet: NFL competition committee chairman Rich McKay said any rule change, bylaw or resolution proposal was expected to be voted on by owners today or Wednesday.
NFL senior vice-president of officiating Al Riveron at Monday’s competition committee news conference showed examples of famous plays ruled as incompletions under the current rule that now would be ruled as completions if at least 24 of 32 owners approve that change.
Dez Bryant’s incredible longbomb catch for Dallas inside the Green Bay five-yard line late in a January 2015 playoff game was ruled an incompletion at the time on replay. To this day people debate whether that play was a catch, even under the “survive the ground” rule at the time.
Under the streamlined new rule, that play for sure would be a catch, Riveron said. While showing Bryant’s infamous overturned catch in slow-motion video on a large TV screen, Riveron said the following: “Control … one, two, three (steps down), we’re done. The process of the catch is over.”
That is, over before Bryant lost the ball upon making impact with the ground. So rather than an incompletion, under the proposed rule that play would be ruled a Bryant completion. Another new ground rule: There’s another NFL rule tweak involving a ball-carrier going to the ground. From now on when a runner — usually a quarterback — gives himself up and slides, the ball will be spotted for the next play where he first touches the ground on a slide.
Until now, officials would mark the ball at the spot where a defender first touches him. No wording of the rule has changed; it’s merely a different interpretation. Thus, there’s no need for owners to vote on this. Beckham trade buzz: After New York Giants co-owner John Mara’s harsh assessment of trouble-magnet receiver Odell Beckham Jr., speculation was rampant here that the Giants are taking trade offers. A report said the Los Angeles Rams might be leading the pursuit of one of the league’s most dynamic receivers. Panthers sale: Reports say the sale of the Carolina Panthers could go through by the May owners’ meeting. Jerry Richardson put the team up for sale within hours of the release of a media expose alleging he routinely engaged in inappropriate, sexist workplace behaviour over a period of decades. Reports say the sale price could be as high as $2.5 billion.