Quote of the Day

"If this stuff is true, then I've been duped and our whole organization has been duped."
-- Robert Kraft, owner of New England Patriots, on the arrest of Aaron Hernandez for murder

Yes, because the New England Patriots being duped is what all this is about.

Me, if I'd decided to finally break my silence on the situation and make my very first comment, I might have commented, "If this stuff is true, it is a tragedy.  My heart goes out to the family of the murdered man, and to the family of Aaron Hernandez.  There is so much sadness and loss to spread around.  We, as an organization, had put so much faith and confidence in Aaron Hernandez, and like so many people feel saddened and let down by it all."

Duped?  You were duped?  I mean seriously now.  Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots have a pretty good record for responsibility.  But they dropped the ball here.  HoKraft told the Boston Herald, “He said to me he wanted to be a role model to the Hispanic community.  He was kind enough to give a check for my beloved wife’s memorial charity. He said we’d given him a second chance and I believed him.”

What Robert Kraft overlooks in his dupedness is the Hernandez's history of problems.  As the AP reported, this includes:

"An acquaintance who sued Hernandez, claiming he was shot after a fight in a strip club earlier this year. A 2007 bar fight that left a restaurant worker with a burst eardrum. An unsolved double killing at a Boston nightclub last summer. All violent incidents, all with possible ties to the once-dominating athlete who now sits in a private cell for his own protection."

Now, to be clear, Aaron Hernandez hasn't been convicted of any of this yet.  But this isn't about being convicted, it's about Robert Kraft saying he was "duped"  He notes that “I only know what goes on inside this building. We don’t put private eyes on people. When he was in this building, I was never exposed to anything where he was not positive. He was always polite, respectful.”

Right.  You're going to give someone a contract for $40 million, and you're not going to do a background check.  All you're going to do is close your eyes to what goes on inside this building.  Please, what kind of saps do you take us for.

Apparently, as long as someone gives a check to your wife's charity, you'll accept anything.  In some circles, this is also called "hush money."

But then there's also Robert Kraft's explanation to reporters on Boston.com about why the Patriots cut ties with Aaron Hernandez after he was arrested.  If you want to know the definition of "convoluted," read below --

“If any member of the New England Patriots organization is close enough to a murder investigation to actually get arrested – whether it be for obstruction of justice or the crime itself – it is too close to an unthinkable act for that person to be part of this organization going forward,”

So, like, what if it turns out he was innocent?

I'm not saying Hernandez is.  It looks like he's guilty as sin.  But I don't know.  And I'm not his employer.  According to Robert Kraft, just being "too close to an unthinkable act" to keep Aaron Hernandez around.  Side Note: Robert Kraft signed Aaron Hernandez to a $40 million contract.  That's pretty close to someone who is pretty close to an unthinkable act.  Now, of course, Robert Kraft wasn't arrested -- yet.  But what if police mistakenly think Robert Kraft knows something and isn't telling them, or coincidences make this seem a murder for hire by Kraft -- even if it's not at all, and arrest him..  Is he "too close" to this unthinkable act.

And to be clear, I'm not saying that the Patriots shouldn't have cut ties with Aaron Hernandez.  Just that this explanation as to why they did it is idiotic.  If you want to let him go, say that the Patriots have a morals clause in his contract, and from everything the organization has read and seen and discovered, Aaron Hernandez is in violation of it.  But please, don't tell us he got arrested and is just "too close to an unthinkable act." 

I'm sure it's a horrific time for everyone involved with Aaron Hernandez.  But as for unthinkable, that's how much of Robert Kraft's comments come across.