Report: Robert Kraft 'Out Of His Mind With Anger' After NFL's DeflateGate Punishment
BOSTON (CBS) -- When the NFL announced its punishment for Tom Brady and the Patriots late Monday afternoon, most Patriots fans reacted with outrage.
And as it turns out, the owner of the team was right there with them.
Despite initially saying last week that he and the Patriots would accept whatever punishment was decided upon by Troy Vincent and Roger Goodell, Robert Kraft released an updated statement on Monday night. In the new statement, Kraft said that the punishment "far exceeded any reasonable expectation," and that the team stand by Brady.
Behind closed doors, Kraft is apparently not quite as diplomatic.
"Robert was furious with the leaks and the investigation in the first place, but he figured they'd be exonerated," a source told Sports Illustrated's Greg Bedard. "Now he's out of his mind with anger."
ESPN's Adam Schefter, the most plugged-in report in the NFL, also added that the "Patriots will not go quietly in [the] night."
Not many guarantees in life but here's one: Patriots will not go quietly in night. League had its say; Patriots will have theirs.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2015
Likewise, longtime SI columnist Peter King told CBS This Morning that Kraft will likely fight the decision by whatever means necessary.
"My bet is that he will go rogue on this and my bet is that he will try to appeal this penalty in a court of law," King said. There's no way that he can appeal this as an owner, because owners just have to take the sanctions that the league sends down. He'd have to go outside the league."
Whatever the next chapter of the epic saga known as DeflateGate might be, it's clear that one of the most powerful owners in all of sports will be the one driving it forward.