However, if it weren’t for a few particular bold ones, the Pats likely never would have emerged as one of the premier organizations in football.
At least not in New England.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, Kraft highlighted three decisions he made that changed the fate of the Patriots organization. It began with his admittedly risky one to buy the team after the 1993 season, when New England was coming off its fifth straight losing year (a stretch that included a 21-61 record overall).
James Orthwein, the owner at the time, was set to move the team to St. Louis until Kraft decided to step in with an offer for the team.
“I told [Myra Kraft], ‘I’m going to put a bid in for the team,'” said Kraft. “She didn’t think it was a very good business idea. To put it mildly.”
Kraft agreed to pay $172 million for the franchise, the most anyone had paid for a United States sports team at the time.
But he didn’t seem to mind.
“Was I scared? Yes, I was scared. But this was my shot. How many times in life do you get your shot to do something you desperately want to do? Logic said no. Instinct said yes,” he said.
Kraft also mentioned hiring Bill Belichick, whose only previous tenure as head coach in Cleveland ended with a 37-45 record, and trading star quarterback Drew Bledsoe after the 2000 season as the other two most important decisions.
Belichick and Tom Brady, Bledsoe’s successor, have now made five Super Bowl appearances in 11 seasons, the most ever by a player-coach combo.
