Patriots owner Robert Kraft would prefer if people believed Bill Belichick's departure from New England was "amicable," and that no ill-will was held by either side.
The truth, however, is that actions speak louder than words.
It didn't take long for folks to realize there's at least some bad blood between the two sides. Belichick's "mutual parting of ways" was uncomfortable to watch and reports of Belichick's final season quickly started to paint him in a not-so-flattering light. "The Dynasty" documentary does him no favors, either.
It's honestly felt like the blame for whatever went wrong over the past few seasons was placed on Belichick. But Patriots players have flipped the script.
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The Patriots got crushed in the NFLPA's annual player report card. Kraft himself received one of the lowest grades on the entire list -- a measly D+ in the "owner" category.
That ranked 27th among 32 owners, with New England's players considering his willingness to invest in the facilities well below average. The Patriots' "treatment of families" (F-), travel (F) and weight room (D) were the only things that ranked lower.
The grade for Belichick? B-. That's not too shabby.
It's a pretty stark difference from the way Belichick and Kraft's dynamic has been presented through second-hand sources. The latter will at least have a chance to improve his score. The ship has sailed for the former.
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