Bengal Cheater and More

Yet another incident involving a Boston based sports team. Back in December, the New England Patriots were caught filming the Cincinnati Bengals a week prior to their matchup. They have been fined over a million dollars and lost a 3rd round draft pick for next year. It adds another black eye to the franchise over its last 20 years of controversial moments. One of the brighter spots was signing former Carolina Panther Cam Newton for a year and a decent sized salary.

But that pales to the negativity surrounding the city of Boston and their sports teams. Particularly, the Red Sox. With racism a hot button topic over the last month, it came to light of incidents involving opponents and even actual Red Sox players. From their own fans saying nasty things to the players of the team they root for. I guess it started with Twins legend Torii Hunter. Not too long ago, he talked to a Boston radio station about not wanting to ever traded to Fenway. Not because he didn't want to go there. Because of fans shouting slurs. While I would say it probably happens in all stadiums, it probably happens more there. This isn't new either. Oriole outfielder Adam Jones went through rough moments in 2017 with slurs thrown at him. To the point where the Red Sox apologized.

Not too long ago either, Red Sox legend Kevin Youkilis talked about the fans going after his own teammates. It's one thing to berate a player on the team you like because of their struggles. But the slurs. It adds more to how bad Boston can be as far as their fanbase goes. Inside the locker rooms, many experience the same stuff. Pats tight end Ben Watson discussed earlier this month about racism with the teams he was with. It does go beyond Boston. Can't be any different than New York, Los Angeles, Miami. Just to name a few of some of the big sports cities. Whether stories get made public or not, who knows.

I don't know how fans can keep dealing with these kind of incidents. Too much controversy over the last 20 years.

Krafty Solicitation

There is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some get away with slaps on the wrist. Others might get some jail sentences. Where this lands for Robert Kraft, I don't know. What we should know is that the New England Patriot owner is being charged in Florida with soliciting prostitution. Whether he was involved or not is a question for another day.

If the charges stick, it makes the Patriots look even worse. When you add in all the controversies and scandals since 2000, having situation like this does not help. I would guess varying by state, it's a misdemeanor. Those can carry a little bit of weight. They may not be as strict as a felony, but where you are, it could lead to some issues. If Kraft were to be charged, it could mean one of two things. Either he serves time in jail, which could be up to a year. The second could be a year of probation. More than likely, I see him getting probation and a small fine.

No doubt the NFL will figure out how to deal with Kraft. The thing I don't get is that he has a partner and I believe a child. It probably still hurts that he lost his wife back in 2011, something most people can relate to. Whether these charges stick or not, the league will more than likely discipline him. They gotta set a standard for this. After all, they dealt with Jim Irsay for his DWI. Whether this will be more serious or not of a punishment is a question for another day.

For now, innocent until proven guilty. Maybe Kraft was in at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe he knew what he was doing. Regardless, it's a black eye in the scandals and controversies of New England.