Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Robert Kraft - Ingles

Once the NFL world descended on Indianapolis for the start of Super Bowl week, a lot is going to be written and said about Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

As it should.

From the tremendous success the Patriots have sustained since he purchased the team in 1994, his critical role in the labor negotiations that saved the season the world will be celebrating in Indianapolis, to the loss of his wife, Myra, who seems to be watching and guiding the team from up on high, Kraft has had a profound impact that deserves to be celebrated.

But it’s behind closed doors where Kraft’s reach is really being felt, as he has carved out a vital role as emissary for all things NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell since losing his wife.

As chairman of the league’s broadcast committee, Kraft was going to be involved in the negotiations for the new television contracts - which will explode the salary cap starting in 2014 - but he has also been actively involved in placing a team in Los Angeles and the league’s ventures in Europe, among other things.

At this point, if something big is going on in the NFL, Kraft is involved.

He wants to be.

He needs to be.

“I told him that I needed to fill my time and I’d help him in any way I could, especially with Myra’s passing,’’ Kraft said. “He and I have a good relationship. The TV deals, that’s something I would normally do. I just told him I was there to help him any way I could, so he’s allowed me to. We have other businesses, but I have capable sons, and I love the NFL.’’

Goodell was more than willing to include Kraft.

“He has tremendous business instincts, he cares deeply about the Patriots and the league,’’ Goodell said. “He is a tremendous resource for me to be able to bounce ideas off of and help me think through ideas, and I consider that a tremendous asset for me personally and the league in general.’’

As an NFL owner, you’d be hard-pressed to have more of an impact than Kraft did in 2011. And he did it while taking care of his wife, then mourning her passing.

“For the first half of 2011, clearly his priority was with Myra and he made that incredibly clear, but at the same time I don’t think he ever compromised helping the league at any critical stage,’’ Goodell said. “Whenever there was a meeting, he was there. If I felt it was important for him to be there, he would be there.

“He was part of those principal-only sessions that we had that I think were critical in breaking the logjam and developing the foundation to get the labor agreement in early June at a point where obviously Myra’s condition was worsening. But he was there.

“And he was there to support, he would always call in, always make sure he was up to speed, and trying to balance that with what he was going through on the personal side was and is rather extraordinary.’’

In the fall, with the labor deal in place, the NFL moved swiftly to secure its future by getting the television deals done.

“The remainder of the year, I spent a great deal of time with Robert,’’ Goodell said. “We were strategizing and meeting with the networks, and he was here for every single meeting throughout the fall and was critical in reaching those television agreements.

“He was down here in New York, because the networks are here, on a regular basis - I’d say easily on a weekly basis, if not two or three days a week.’’

If it hadn’t been for the work done by John Mara and Kraft to end the NFL lockout, we might not even have a Super Bowl this week.

“Everyone on [the NFL Management Council executive committee] contributed a great deal to ultimately getting to the success,’’ Goodell said. “Both John Mara and Robert Kraft contributed a great deal in that context, but there are so many people that played a valuable role in the labor deal.’’

Goodell took the politically correct route - he does have 30 other bosses to report to, after all - but it sure seems fitting that the Giants and Patriots are facing off in this Super Bowl.

Kraft has long respected Giants co-owners Steve Tisch and Mara, so that makes this matchup a little more special.

“We’re lucky to have his family,’’ said Kraft. “They’ve done such a great job for over 90 years and they’ve always put the league first. He did so much and was such a great contributor to the labor negotiations and he’s a classy guy.

“I’ll never forget the eulogy he gave his dad, Wellington. He’s very articulate, very intelligent, and he’s a Boston College grad. He’s one of my favorite guys.

“I think the fact that we both worked so hard on the labor agreement and there was a season . . . I think it’s pretty cool that we’re in this big game.’’

This Super Bowl is a celebration of the 2011 season, one that was like no other for Kraft and his family.

But Kraft’s role in the future of the NFL is just beginning.

(source Boston Globe)