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The New England Patriots love Tom Brady.
The team, the fans, the coaches, but maybe no one loves Brady more than Robert Kraft. And that is a more than well-deserved love.
Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, and between 94 and 2001, the team had its ups and downs, certainly trending up after drafting Drew Bledsoe in 1993.
However, it was only after Brady that the team became the winning machine that it is today.
The Patriots' first season in the NFL was in 1961, but it would take 40 years for the team to win its first Super Bowl and require Brady to be under center.
With Brady, Kraft's Patriots won six Super Bowls — 2001 (XXXVI), 2003 (XXXVIII), 2004 (XXXIX), 2014 (XLIX), 2016 (LI), and 2018 (LIII); nine Conference Championships — 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018; and 17 Division Champiosnhips — 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.
All those titles made the Patriots' market value skyrocket. Kraft bought the team for a value between $172 million and $175 million. In 2020, according to Forbes, the Patriots' market value was $4.4 billion.
Kraft and Brady, a love story
Kraft could feel betrayed by Brady's decision to move from New England to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But that is not what happened.
Publicly, Kraft confessed this to the NFL Network before kickoff of Sunday night's game between the Bucs and the Pats:
"I'm always rooting for Tommy, except when he's playing us. In the end, I hope and believe he'll come back here, and we'll give him his red jacket, and he'll retire a Patriot."
More recently, fans had a chance to glimpse a more personal meeting with the owner and the QB.
The video demonstrates that more than a working relationship, Brady and Kraft have a powerful and lovely friendship.
Maybe Brady sees in Kraft a father, someone that saw his potential and believed in him when no one else would — it is worth remembering that Brady is a sixth-round 199th pick.
Meanwhile, Kraft sees Brady as the guy who throttled his beloved team to the thriving place the billionaire always believed they could be in.
Be as it is, it is good to see that everyone in New England publicly recognizes and praises Brady for everything he did for the team, the community and the city.
Well, everyone except Bill Belichick.
