For the last several weeks, many have wondered if the meeting between Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft and Tom Brady had taken place after the Super Bowl.
Speaking at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando on Monday, the Patriots owner confirmed it has. Kraft also downplayed the tension many have been speaking of within the organization.
"We met, and I meet individually with each of them," Kraft said to reporters. "But the thing that I don't know if it's completely understood: Bill and Tom meet a lot and spend a lot of time communicating. I think the residual of this loss was really hard on everyone, but I sort of see that as a high-class problem."
Added Kraft: "I've owned the team 24 seasons, and I've had Bill as a head coach for 18 of those seasons. When I think of tension, I think of my first year as an owner. I love Bill Parcells, but players walked on eggshells and maybe ownership did as we went down the learning curve of how to get along. ... The so-called tension gets greater when you lose."
Kraft also was asked about the ominous end to Tom vs. Time for Brady and the quarterback seemingly questioning what keeps him going.
"I think anyone right after a Super Bowl loss -- fortunately we've had the privilege to go to nine of them. Probably we're not quite as jaded, but the loss -- except for winning the first one, when you lose, the feeling of losing [overtakes] the [joy] of winning," Kraft said. "I think Tommy is in that category. I think Coach has been wise and he's told players and people that you don't make any decisions, or go public, with feelings in that few weeks after the Super Bowl loss.
"On the other hand, that piece that Tom did, I think was a great piece for our fans. I think we as a league have to do more of that. I think we have to focus on the game on the field and player safety, and I think we have to bring fans more into our world so they can see how great these players are."
