New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft has to be feeling very good today after his team crushed the Jacksonville Jaguars 51-17 on their way to a 3-0 start. The Patriots’ early success, however, has not stopped Kraft from reflecting on the NFL’s less fortunate. In a pregame interview on Sunday with Boston’s 98.5 The Sports Hub, the Patriots’ President took a moment to share some sympathetic thoughts about the winless Baltimore Ravens.
“It’s too bad about Baltimore, isn’t it? It’s really too bad,” said Kraft, who then gave a sarcastic chuckle.
The rivalry between New England and Baltimore has been one of the NFL’s best in recent years. The teams have met in the post-season four times since 2009, splitting the series 2-2. While there was certainly no love to be lost beforehand, things were ratcheted up another notch following this year’s AFC divisional game when Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh complained that the Patriots were running trick plays. Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady responded to the allegation by stating that the Ravens should spend time studying the NFL rule book.
Rumor has it that Brady’s words may have sparked Harbaugh and the Ravens to tip off the Indianapolis Colts about the Patriots using underinflated balls in the AFC Championship game. While the Ravens have denied any involvement in Deflategate, many in the Patriots’ organization hold Baltimore partly responsible for the ensuing firestorm that engulfed New England’s off-season.
When Marc Bertrand, who conducted the interview, suggested that perhaps karma was playing a role in the Ravens’ rough start, Kraft was quick to shoot down the notion. “Oh, that has nothing to do with it,” Kraft said. “The Ravens are sweethearts. John Harbaugh, he’s a sweetheart.”
New England and Baltimore are not scheduled to play each other in 2015. With the Patriots sitting at 3-0 and the Ravens at 0-3, a fifth post-season matchup this winter appears to be unlikely. For now, it seems that passive-aggressive barbs like Kraft’s will have to fan the rivalry’s flames until the next scheduled meeting in 2016.
