Kraft vs. Belichick: Egos clash on a summer's day
All-Star TV ratings low. So what? A 4-point shot? Did Sun player throw Connecticut under the bus?
Good morning, all! Hope you have a pleasant Thursday.
Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick are at it again. Appearing on the Dudes on Dudes podcast, Kraft stated:
I gave up a No. 1 draft pick for a coach who had only won a little over 40 percent of his games to get him out. I don’t know if there are any Jets fans here. I think getting Bill Belichick to come to the Patriots in 1999 was a big risk, and I got hammered in the Boston media, but he was with us for 24 years and we did OK.
-Robert Kraft
Belichick countered, telling ESPN’s Don Van Natta:
As I told Robert multiple times through the years, I took a big risk by taking the New England Patriots head coaching job. I already had an opportunity to be the head coach of the New York Jets, but the ownership situation was unstable.
-Bill Belichick
Belichick also said others, including former Patriots’ coaches “warned” him the Patriots job would come with “many internal obstacles.”
Look, it’s obvious these two do not like each other and that Kraft believes Belichick should have thrown more bouquets his way, instead of seemingly being the one to bask in the glow of the franchise’s glory years. This is another one of those George Steinbrenner vs. Joe Torre stories, where big egos clash. But you have to admit this battle certainly spices up a hot summer’s day.
Did Kraft take a chance hiring Belichick? He sure did. All owners do, when they hire a coach or manager. And Kraft is right about Belichick’s record. When the Patriots hired him, he was a successful defensive coordinator - including at New England - but a bust as a head coach. But Kraft’s envy is also greener than the money he flashed to visit a certain establishment at a strip mall in Florida.
I know Belichick can rub certain people the wrong way, but he is a GOAT and has a coaching resume to prove it. As for Kraft, I wouldn’t trust him with my used car, after he threw the city of Hartford and taxpayers of Connecticut under the bus, to get a new stadium deal in Massachusetts. So he can blabber on all the podcasts he wants, he’ll never get me to root for his election to the Hall of Fame, no matter how much he disses Belichick.
Here are some other stories that caught my eye for Thursday, July 17, 2025:
MLB All-Star TV ratings near record-low. So why does any network want to televise the game? The answer is easy. According to the numbers, 7.13M watched. The most watched TV show - other than a sporting event - this year was a 60 Minutes episode that attracted 6.489M viewers. That’s why networks still pay for the rights to televise sports, even baseball, which has become an acquired taste rather than The National Pastime.
The most watched All-Star game? Glad you asked. The 1970 game, when Pete Rose collided with Ray Fosse to score the winning run for the NL. There were fewer viewing alternatives back then and baseball still captivated most of the nation. The game garnered a 28.5 rating and 54 share. That means of the TV sets in use - don’t ask me how they were able to figure that out, I didn’t tell Nielsen I was watching the game. In fact, it was none of their damn business - 54% were tuned to the game. Like a Cal Raleigh home run, those days are long gone.
Yes, I like the way the All-Star game was decided with a home run hitting contest. But if you think that’s how tie games are going to be decided in the regular season, let me have some of what you are drinking.
You knew it was coming. The WNBA stages its All-Star game in Indianapolis on Saturday and the contest will feature - Get ready for it! - a four-point shot. There will be four zones on the court, where if a player sinks a shot it’s worth four points. Naturally, the shot has a sponsor, but AT&T will donate money to charity for every shot made from the zone. Don’t believe me? Here’s the league announcement:
Some luck, isn’t it? The WNBA places the All-Star game in Indy and Caitlin Clark might miss the contest because of a nagging, groin injury
With persistent rumors the Connecticut Sun might leave the Nutmeg State, Sun guard Saniya Rivers made an interesting comment to the Boston Globe, before their Tuesday night sellout game against Indiana at TD Garden: “If it was up to me, we might relocate here.” Ouch! Rivers did add: “I love Connecticut. It’s fine. But I think the market here itself is just going to be better for a women’s basketball program.” Yep! That’s throwing Connecticut under the bus, qualifying statement or not.
Unless the Red Sox totally collapse over their next nine games, after riding a 10-game winning streak, they would be crazy to trade Aroldis Chapman.
Same for the Yankees, if they trade slugger and top prospect Spencer Jones
And while we are at it, if the Pirates trade Paul Skenes they might as well fold up the tent
I suppose it’s natural, but it makes me laugh, when fans of big market teams feel those teams have a right to poach All-Stars from the non-contending clubs
By the way, five MLB career games or not, that was some job by Jacob Misiorowski in the All-Star game Tuesday night, wasn’t it?
Thank you for subscribing and have a terrific Thursday.
DAN