Robert Kraft Hall Of Fame Snub Embarrassment For All Involved
Robert Kraft was passed over once again …
ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Adam Schefter reported Thursday that the 83-year-old would not move forward in the selection process for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Hall’s contributor committee instead chose Ralph Hay, who co-founded the NFL, as its lone selection to move forward.
Hay deserves recognition and enshrinement into football’s greatest museum, but one anonymous committee member put it best to ESPN.
“It’s a huge surprise,” the source said. “It’s very disappointing. Unless you are an NFL historian, you don’t know who Ralph Hay is.”
Hay, who was passed over for six decades before being named a finalist this year, didn’t believe players should be paid and sold the Canton Bulldogs after only four years. Kraft, on the other hand, is one of the most recognizable football figures of the last three decades due to his ownership of the New England Patriots.
Why would they choose Hay over Kraft?
It’s obvious and an extremely embarrassing look for all involved.
Kraft likely is unable to overcome the team’s “Spygate” and “Deflategate” scandals at this point, while his trip to Jupiter, Fla., in 2019 certainly isn’t doing him any favors. It’s rooted deeper than that, however, which we’ve all come to realize thanks to some reporting from Van Natta earlier this year.
The Patriots, according to the veteran ESPN reporter, have been lobbying on Kraft’s behalf for nearly the entire time he’s been in consideration, with “an aggressive campaign” headed by public relations man Stacey James. New England, on behalf of its owner, would send out copies of the bestselling book, “The Dynasty,” by Jeff Benedict, to Hall of Fame voters. Kraft even had an entire docuseries made that painted him out to be the good guy while deflecting blame for the litany of scandals that happened under his watch.
Embarrassing.
The Hall’s contributor committee doesn’t find itself off the hook, though, as digging up old names out of a hat to once again snub Kraft might be an even worse look.
Also, embarrassing.
Kraft has stepped in it more than once over the last three decades, but he also has six Super Bowl rings, was credited with ending the league’s most recent lockout, made the best coaching hire in the history of the sport and has turned his team into one of the most valuable franchises in sports.
He should be in.
Instead, Kraft’s wait will continue. What a joke.