Kraft like Modell – When you think of Kraft, you think of Art

By STEVE KING

What was the first thing that came to mind when you heard the news concerning the alleged egregious sexual misdeeds of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft?

That is, other than thinking that it was incredibly shocking, he was incredibly stupid and it was well, just incredibly incredible in every way, shape or form?

I’ll let you answer that one, but the first thing I thought of was that, just like former Browns owner Art Modell did, Kraft had just killed off any chance to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame – perhaps forever, but certainly for years to come, as long as there is anyone alive who heard that news last week.

Granted, Modell’s misdeed – brazenly moving the original Browns to Baltimore and thus uprooting one of not just pro football’s, but also one of pro sports’, most storied franchises because of greed and the fact he was a horrible, horrible, horrible businessman – is not the same, of course, as the alleged one involving Kraft. That’s obviously quite clear, so we shouldn’t group them together only than for their outcomes, what they wrought.

For Modell, it was that he wasn’t going into the Hall – ever, not at least in his lifetime, and as long as anyone who remembers The Move is still breathing. That devastated Modell, whose huge ego made him want to be a Hall of Famer more than he wanted to take his next breath. It broke him spiritually and emotionally. And he never recovered.

The same will likely happen with Kraft – that is, if the allegations are true.

Without The Move, Modell would have been inducted into the Hall long ago. He was instrumental as an NFL mover and shaker, landing huge TV contracts for the league and pushing it way ahead of Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL. It’s still that way.

Instead, though, he will be remembered as a thief, a liar and a scoundrel.

Kraft, also a powerful NFL guy, has done much – both with his franchise and overall – to put the league into the spotlight. But he could well be remembered for making that spotlight filthy dirty, and for being … well, I think you know the word of which I’m thinking. Hint: it’s not good.