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Tag: robert kraft

  • Tom Brady Has the Unwavering Support of the Patriots’ Social Media Team

    It’s clear that Tom Brady has the full support of the entire Patriots organization – and that includes whoever runs the franchise’s social media accounts.

    This afternoon, both the official Facebook page and the official Twitter page for the New England Patriots changed their profile pictures to feature a shot of the back of Brady’s #12 jersey.

    Posted by New England Patriots on Tuesday, May 12, 2015

    The show of social media support echoes the comments of Patriots CEO Robert Kraft, who said Brady has his and the organization’s “unconditional support. Our belief in him has not wavered.”

    “Despite our conviction that there was no tampering with footballs, it was our intention to accept any discipline levied by the league. Today’s punishment, however, far exceeded any reasonable expectation. It was based completely on circumstantial rather than hard or conclusive evidence,” said Kraft.

    “We are humbled by the support the New England Patriots have received from our fans throughout the world. We recognize our fans’ concerns regarding the NFL’s penalties and share in their disappointment in how this one-sided investigation was handled, as well as the dismissal of the scientific evidence supported by the Ideal Gas Law in the final report.”

    Following the publishing of the Wells Report on the tampered balls scandal known as “deflategate” the NFL suspended Brady for four games, fined the team $1 million, and stripped two draft picks.

    Reports indicate that Kraft, who has been buddy buddy with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the past, is absolutely furious.

  • Sam Berns, 17-Year-Old With Progeria, Dies Friday

    Sam Berns, a Massachusetts teen diagnosed with progeria, died Friday evening from complications stemming from his condition, the Progeria Research Foundation announced. Berns was just 17-years-old at the time of his death. but had already touched more lives than many of us ever do, with his consistently sunny and optimistic outlook on life.

    “All in all, I don’t waste energy feeling bad for myself,” Sam once said. “I surround myself with people that I want to be with. And I keep moving forward.”

    Diagnosed at just under two-years-old, Sam was the son of Scott Berns and Leslie Gordon, both of whom are Massachusetts-based physicians. Sam’s illness, formally known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, which is so rare it affects only an estimated 200 children worldwide.

    The baffling condition is one in which children, usually only living around 13 years, appear to age exponentially, virtually overnight. The problems created from the condition range from loss of body hair and fat, allowing little to no weight gain, to osteoporosis and weakened and brittle bones. It is thought to be caused by a genetic malfunction in which the protein progerin is produced, causing cells in the body to lack the ability to function normally.

    Berns was scheduled to serve as the New England Patriots’ honorary team captain at Saturday night’s game, the evening after he passed. Team owner Robert Kraft issued a public statement expressing his sorrow at the loss of Sam, and the game the ardent fan would never watch as captain.

    “I loved Sam Berns and am richer for having known him,” Kraft stated.

    Berns was loved and an inspiration to many other public figures, such as Katie Couric and the ABC News team, as well as HBO Documentary Films’ executives. President Sheila Nevins described Sam’s death as “devastating,” having spent countless hours with Sam while producing a documentary about the teen’s life that aired on the network last October.

    In the film, titled, Life According to Sam, the teen described his illness and chronicled the day-to-day occurrences in a life burdened by progeria.

    Donations can be made to support the foundation started by Sam’s parents when he was first diagnosed by visiting the Progeria Research Foundation website.

    Main image courtesy @Patriots via Twitter.

  • Vladimir Putin Makes Nice over Super Bowl Ring Row

    Vladimir Putin’s had a lot on his plate recently. Divorce. A scandal-clad $1bn palace financed with public funds. Butting heads with the West over what to do about Syria.

    And now he’s been accused of stealing a Super Bowl ring.

    Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, met Putin briefly in Russia in 2005. Kraft was showing off his Super Bowl ring, Putin inspected the ring, reportedly said “I can kill someone with this ring,” then pocketed it and walked off, surrounded by his presidential security detail.

    The ring, valued at $25,000, has since been on display at the Kremlin. Putin has offered to have a custom ring of similar value sent to Kraft and has referred to this incident as a “complicated international problem.”

    The White House has even weighed in, stating that it would be in the best interest of US-Russian relations for Kraft to consider the “theft” a gift.

    Stacey James, a Kraft spokesperson, says there are no hard feelings: “It’s a humorous, anecdotal story that Robert retells for laughs. He loves that his ring is at the Kremlin, and, as he stated back in 2005, he continues to have great respect for Russia and the leadership of President Putin. In particular, he credits President Putin for modernizing the Russian economy.”