Sports fans around the world dream about turning around struggling teams in all sports. One of the world’s most famous sports team owners, Robert Kraft, is the final example of a hometown owner finding success. In the era of big business in sports, Robert Kraft transcends the arrival of billionaire owners and the love of local fans.
Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, Kraft grew up a New York Giants fan because there was no local team to support. The birth of the New England Patriots came in 1959 when Robert Kraft was 18-years-old. The Pats failed to have an impact on the NFL for the first four decades of its existence. Despite the failure of the franchise to reach the Super Bowl during its first decades, Kraft became a season ticket holder at Foxboro Stadium.
After buying the land around Foxboro, Robert Kraft became the landlord of the franchise. The main battle Kraft faced as the owner of Foxboro Stadium was to keep the team in the New England area. Despite Kraft’s best efforts, the New England Patriots ownership eluded the paper magnate. The owner of Forest Products spent faced stiff opposition to the Patriots remaining in Boston from the previous owner, James Orthwein. Kraft had spent the previous decade buying local TV and radio stations preparing for an assault on public opinion about the Patriots after taking control of the team.
James Orthwein purchased the Patriots from Victor Kiam intending to move the franchise to St. Louis. Saving the Patriots from moving to St. Louis made Kraft a cult hero in Boston. The Patriots fans came out to support Robert Kraft after his purchase of the team and have consistently sold out the stadium for regular season and playoff games. In return, Kraft has provided regular post-season football and six Super Bowl Championships.
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More about Kraft on https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/robert-k-kraft/