The Patriots owner must not care that much about his fan base.
The state of Massachusetts, generational home of the Kennedy’s, is as blue as blue can be, when it comes to politics. The Boston Globe daily runs stories about President Trump, and most are followed by comments that do not favor the new POTUS.
When his team won its fifth Super Bowl last week, owner Bob Kraft shouted his famous phrase, “We are all Patriots.” When it comes to football, that may be true, but thousands of Patriots’ fans have criticized Kraft’s relationship with Trump, also a supposed friend of quarterback Tom Brady, who was smart enough at least not to answer any questions about how well he knows the Prez.
Kraft opened himself up for more criticism from his heavily Democratic constituency by attending a highly publicized dinner with Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He sat at their table, and the photographs have gone viral all over the world.
Now, Kraft can support and befriend any politician he wants; that is his right. But the native of suburban Boston has built the greatest dynasty in NFL history by supporting the fans who support his team. He asked for their advice when he built a new stadium in Foxboro, south of the capital city. His box at Gillette Stadium usually has celebrity guests, but before home games Kraft visits with fans and fashions himself as an owner of the people.
Well, the people who buy the season tickets and brave the long trek, the bad weather and brutal traffic to attend games are not, by and large, fans of President Trump, and they have made that known from Election Night to protests like those all over the country.
If Kraft wants to hang, rub elbows and even play golf with Trump, the media will still get the story. Kraft visited Trump after the election to congratulate him, and it was a blip in the next day’s news. This time, it was front-page material in every New England newspaper and website and the buzz of radio talk shows across the nation.
His team may have won the Super Bowl, but Kraft has lost some of his fans and may lose more if his team ever starts losing.
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