Yeah, I understand how that looks. Still, how much have Lucchino & Werner really contributed
to the team's on-field success? And how influential was Larry when the disasters of Carl Crawford,
Adrien Gonzales et. al. were being consummated?
As for Kraft, he's doing what responsible owners should do: he's allowing the football people to run
the football operation. Whether he has all the believeright football people in place is perhaps the subject
for another thread. Where he has failed however is in better protecting the "brand" and "product"
(his words) by allowing the Jets employee/Omissioner to permanently carve the scarlett letter C
on everything the Pats accomplished prior to Opening Day 2007.
Lucchino has everything to do with the product on the field. It is no accident that ownership hires these 20 something year old GMs who they can mold and control. Essentially they are the hi-tech information accumulators that ownership relies on before they make the major decisions. It has never been more clear how involved ownership is with the final product. No long term contracts to 30+ year old starters...a John Henry edict. No top ranked free agents because of the massive/6 and 7 year deals...another ownership philosophy that Cherington dutifully deploys. The Lester negotiation is all Luchino with the latest being that Larry works best with his back against the wall.
Running a baseball team is a massive operation and so far more complex than the NFL. One MLB team, a half dozen minor league teams, Scouting that covers all the high schools, colleges, minor leagues, major leagues, foreign countries. Massive bonus to kids who never rise in the system, guaranteed massive contracts to the MLB players .......of course the hand print from ownership touches most every major decision....especially Larry.
Warner...he's the TV guy but from what I've read, he is more involved with Liverpool than the Saux.
As far as NE goes, I have a personal belief that the Krafts are very involved on the contract/negotiation side of the business which should be expected. I believe the youth movement inside the coaching staff is partially driven by budget restrictions....with Belichick consuming a massive slice of that pie.
But back to the insider/outsider discussion. Kraft will always be revered as the local guy who kept NE in NE, though that crisis of potential departure was a self created crisis used as leverage IMO. Kraft built his own stadium with his own money.....worthy of infinite praise as well. Under his stewardship, the team has become big time.....and that occurred before BB arrived so another Kraft driven huge positive.
Ultimately, the biggest factor why Kraft gets the love and Henry gets mocked despite the Saux abundance of success......Kraft connects with the everyday people.....face to face, in the bars on the streets. in front of the cameras. He is a New Englander. Dr. Creepy, aka John Henry, is the polar opposite....a chardonnay sipping elitist who contacts the masses by email, afraid to make media appearances, never been spotted with boots on the ground. He must be an absolute piece of work that his handlers have to keep such a wall between him and the public. Though, the people I know who know him all respect the guy and admire his loyalty.
