04/19/24
November 09, 2005
Patriots Kraft family to invest in Liverpool?: I'm sure the Brits are loving the thought of another huge club selling out to yank dollars.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to soccer at 09:42 AM - 23 comments
Seriously, the Pats were a JOKE before Bob Kraft, a team that had never sold out a home game, and thus had never had a home game broadcast on local television! Now the Patriots are one of the five most valuable sports properties in the world (behind Man U, the Skins and the Cowboys, according to Forbes Magazine). I'm would hope the haughty Brits will put xenophobia aside if it means this level of success for their team...
posted by Venicemenace at 10:27 AM on November 09, 2005
"I'm would hope" -- I'm a jackass before my morning cup of coffee
posted by Venicemenace at 10:28 AM on November 09, 2005
It's OK....I am a jackass all day long....most of the night too...lmao!!
posted by sinisterfoot at 10:58 AM on November 09, 2005
Every family has its dufuses, so the Kraft family involvement isn't a guarantee of a good owner...but I gotta add my voice to the endorsements of Bob Kraft. He's not an absentee owner but he leaves what he should to the pros. Everyone at the Pats seems happy and the franchise seems prosperous under the Kraft family.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 11:02 AM on November 09, 2005
We don't have any problems with Americans in general owning our football teams. No more than we have any problem with Russians or any other nationality. Some Americans appear to have interpreted opposition to Malcolm Glazer as Yank-bashing, when it was purely about the man and the merits of the bid.
posted by salmacis at 12:08 PM on November 09, 2005
So wait, if a typo makes you a jackass, what does calling people from Britain "haughty Brits" in a sentence condemning their xenophobia make you? As a Liverpool fan, I'm outraged that we would even consider selling to this guy and giving up our proud tradition of being owned by... the Prime Minister of Thailand.
posted by JJ at 12:31 PM on November 09, 2005
JJ, I now have to clean coffee from my keyboard after that.
posted by trox at 12:44 PM on November 09, 2005
what does calling people from Britain "haughty Brits" in a sentence condemning their xenophobia make you? Reticent.
posted by yerfatma at 01:10 PM on November 09, 2005
Bob Kraft is already involved in soccer--the New England Revolution. And they are doing very well, although I give the credit for that to Steve Nicol. But hey, Liverpool could do much worse than Bob Kraft.
posted by Iriebaby at 01:22 PM on November 09, 2005
Sal, sorry, but I don't believe the general ManU supporter reaction to Glazer was in the least bit rational. The Bucs have won a Super Bowl recently, haven't driven the team into the ground through lack of spending, don't sell tickets at relatively speaking inflated prices or held up the local governments for extortionate stadium spending. Kraft would be fine IMO for owning the Reds, and he does have the soccer experience, but there was nothing wrong with the Glazers' bid either.
posted by billsaysthis at 03:35 PM on November 09, 2005
I tend to agree with billy. I never understood the uproar against the Glazers but I have a feeling there was a strong anti-Jewish sentiment, unfortunately. That being said, the taunt in many parts of England when United play away include the USA! USA! USA! chanted in derision, hardly the sort of chorus that will make Americans feel all warm and fuzzy. Regarding the Kraft family, there is no question they are a class act who own class sports franchises. I just think the English footballing public will have a hard time embracing them as owners or investors.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 04:12 PM on November 09, 2005
bill, Texan, so you were in Britain were you, while the takeover was going ahead? Because you sure seem to have the finger on the pulse of the average punter over here.
posted by salmacis at 05:46 PM on November 09, 2005
Are you lot serious? Haughtiness and xenophobia played very little part in what opposition existed towards Abramovich or Glazer. Some of you really do have the wrong end of the stick. So Kraft is American and already owns a succesful NFL team and a MLS team? As long as he isn't prone to eating babies I don't think he'll have much of a problem owning Liverpool. Maybe there'll be some Liverpool fans and their spokesmen and supporters in the media who'll be hostile to it. Most people won't give a fuck.
posted by squealy at 06:49 PM on November 09, 2005
Oh, and this USA chant that Man U have to endure. Football banter is about taking the piss and exploiting the percieved weak points of the oposition. Man U fans were completely crushed when Glazer took over. It showed just how little they matter. You can't expect a football crowd not to rub that in. Especially to Man U fans, who've spent most of their football-supporting lives being arrogant.
posted by squealy at 06:56 PM on November 09, 2005
Wait, people in Liverpool eat babies? What the hell is that all about?
posted by The_Black_Hand at 10:06 PM on November 09, 2005
I'm writing in English. I'm not sure what you're reading in.
posted by squealy at 11:24 PM on November 09, 2005
Beat me to the punch, Texan. Here's the BBC's take on Liverpool's talks with the Kraft family. Looks like it could be as simple as a stadium sponsorship. Great, from Anfield to the Kraft Stadium. I'm sorry, I can't help but think of bad cheese -- ok, "cheese product" -- when I see "Kraft", even tho' this Kraft deals in paper and packaging (and VC and sports franchises). Even if there's any investment in the club itself, it will not be for majority ownership, because the Moore fellow still wants to hold on to his 51%. At least that's what the article says. Here's a wiki article on Bob Kraft, head of the Kraft Group holding company, founder of International Forest Products, the moneyman of the moment. Looks like his experience with powerful Russians may come in handy. Go, Liverpool Red Paperboxes!
posted by worldcup2002 at 11:50 PM on November 09, 2005
Yerfatma - what trox said. although I give the credit for that to Steve Nicol Don't we all? Who can forget his wonderful tackling in the Cup Final in '86? Steve Nichol, what a guy. Wait, people in Liverpool eat babies? What the hell is that all about? ... tastes like chicken.
posted by JJ at 04:57 AM on November 10, 2005
Haughtiness and xenophobia played very little part in what opposition existed towards Abramovich or Glazer. Obviously I didn't write that comment or believe it. To our English friends, what was the gist of the resistance toward these two owners?
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 08:44 AM on November 10, 2005
Well, from my own point of view I'd say it was largely down to the fact that Abramovich was widely perceived to be a "gangster" and the Glazers were seen as planning to mortgage the club to the hilt.
posted by squealy at 02:22 PM on November 10, 2005
Exactly, squealy...
posted by StarFucker at 03:20 PM on November 10, 2005
the Glazers were seen as planning to mortgage the club to the hilt. And that would have nothing to do with Jewish stereotypes? Puh-leeze.
posted by billsaysthis at 03:32 PM on November 11, 2005
But....you are talking about a total class act when you talk about the Kraft family...the Brits will be lucky to have the Krafts as owners.....these are REAL fans, who will do a great job in restructuring, and bringing in a TEAM philosophy....