The Patriots dynasty is one of the most prolific eras of pro football. As the stars of the first half of that dynastic run have become eligible for the Hall of Fame, they’ve been shut out.
Vince Wilfork, Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi are just some of the players who the Hall of Fame has yet to enshrine.
But it’s not just players; Canton has denied those at the top of the chain their recognition despite the fact that their fingerprints can be found all over Foxborough’s success.
Robert Kraft has been eligible for selection in the contributor category since 2013, and despite being a first-time finalist this past cycle, the committee once again passed him over for other candidates.
“I can’t speak on issues where other people are voting or doing things,” Kraft said via CNBC.
This comes just weeks after the shocking news that the Hall of Fame did not select Bill Belichick during his first year of eligibility.
The dynasty with the most Super Bowls of all time has the fewest representation in football’s biggest honor. The only players from the first dynasty to have a bust in Canton are Ty Law (2014) and Richard Seymour (2022).
It’s Better To Be a Patriot Than a Cowboy, Or Is It?
But Kraft is one of the bigger names missing. And while it’s no secret that the Patriots owner has campaigned for his induction, he still deserves it when looking at those who have made it.
Take Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for example, the Hall of Fame inducted the him in 2017 as part of the contributor category.
Jones led the Cowboys’ dominant run in the 1990s, where the team won three Super Bowls, two of those being back-to-back in 1992 and 1993.
He has a Hall of Fame resume solely the team’s success during the decade. Once the new millennium hit, the Cowboys have yet to find their way back to the mountaintop.
Since the Cowboys last NFC Championship game on Jan. 14, 1996, Kraft’s Patriots have reached 11 Super Bowls, winning six and playing for a record-breaking seventh Lombardi trophy on Sunday.
While Jones has enjoyed nearly a decade of Hall of Fame status, Kraft will have to wait at least another year to get the phone call.
The Resume Speaks For Itself
Kraft shares a large portion of his accomplishments with Belichick and Tom Brady. But since buying the Patriots in 1994, the team has had more seasons of making the Super Bowl than missing the playoffs.
Kraft’s resume includes:
- Six Super Bowl championships (12 appearances)
- Super Bowl appearances in four straight decades
- George Halas Award (2012)
- 23 playoff appearances
Prior to Kraft’s ownership, the Patriots had only played in one home playoff game in their entire history (1978). Throughout the Brady-Belichick dynasty, the number of classic playoff games played inside the walls of Gillette Stadium wasn’t one. It was 29.
Just like with Belichick, if Kraft can’t make the Hall of Fame, then the committee shouldn’t vote another owner in.
Leave a comment