In the wake of a Super Bowl win, the New England Patriots organization is facing yet another scandal. No member of the Patriots triumvirate is clean from controversy. Coach Bill Belichick had Spygate, a videotaping scandal from the early 2000s. Quarterback Tom Brady had Deflategate, a ball-deflating scandal four years ago. And now, Patriots owner Robert Kraft is facing charges of soliciting prostitution.
Kraft’s scandal may not be directly related to New England’s legacy of winning Super Bowls. Kraft’s alleged connection to prostitution, of course, had no impact on a football game like Spygate and Deflategate did. But if he’s proved guilty, Kraft’s transgression will be, without a doubt, far more severe and grave than the other two. He is connected to a business that provided prostitution and, according to police reports, held those people in “sexual servitude.”
The Patriots organization is managing a different level of transgression this time. Who cares about the NFL rulebook? Who cares about the wrath of Roger Goodell? Kraft will have to answer to our country’s court system and moral code.
In the wake of the charges, the tone of the Patriots’ offseason will change. Kraft has long been a key part of the Super Bowl ring party. He has welcomed free agents and draft picks during introductory press conferences and photo shoots. Will he continue to be heavily involved in the day-to-day operation amid these charges? Whether he’s present or not, that news will feel insignificant and, at the very least, complicated by Kraft’s charges.
Much like Super Bowl XLIX felt intertwined with Deflategate and Super Bowl XXXVI felt tangled with Spygate, Kraft’s involvement in this prostitution ring will be inextricably tied to Super Bowl LIII.
Some of the Patriots’ successes seem coupled with transgressions. Patriots stars are tied to scandal. And the Patriots legacy suffers.
