Time to Step Aside

As a long time New England Patriots fan and someone who has worked in the PR business for more years than he cares to count, I've been watching with interest Bob Kraft's desperate attempt to maintain his position and reputation following his arrest on charges of soliciting sex.

I think we all agree that for a man in his position to visit a strip mall massage parlor was incredibly stupid. He knows people. He knows people who know people. If he was interested in a paid for rendezvous, you have to believe that there was someone in his contact list who could have arranged it.

Few buy the defense being offered by some of his apologists that we're talking about businesswomen, who were simply being compensated for services rendered. Or that he's just a lonely widower.

The damage is done. So where does Kraft go from here?

He may legally have the tape of his encounter suppressed, but it will surely end up on TMZ  or an internet porn site. They'll offer too much money in exchange for the video. Someone will accept their offer.

Declared guilty or not, the NFL will have to exact some kind of a punishment. There will be too much pressure from other owners, players, and interest groups to fail to take action. It was unfair, but Kraft's name and the League have been connected with human sex trafficking and a response is  necessary.

Can Kraft continue to be the face of the team?

I don't think so.

Every time he is shown sitting in the owners box during a game, fans across the country will be reminded of what happened. New Englanders have been quick to forgive Kraft, but the League needs to consider its total fan base, most of whom hate the Patriots and will be demanding punishment.

In a blog posting entitled "What to do when your CEO is arrested for prostitution," W. Patrick Sweeney from Axia Public Relations wrote

"From a PR standpoint, a company should treat a high-profile arrest like an unexpected death or incapacitation of a company leader: They must have a succession plan in place. The company must change the face of the organization in order to insulate itself from the negative publicity."

That's solid advice. Kraft is 77 years old. Transitioning to an emeritus status might make sense. This would allow his son, Jonathan, who is team President, to assume the lead role.

The involvement of Kraft's son Josh in the organization has been fairly low key. He heads the New England Patriots Foundation, as well as leads a major Boston area non-profit.  From a PR standpoint, his increased visibility at this time would be a plus.

(Another son, Daniel, runs the family business. International Forest Products, LLC. is a worldwide trading company that markets paper, pulp and solid wood products to more than 90 countries.)

Questions have been asked for years about when Head Coach Bill Belichick, who will be 67 next month, might step aside. Given his recent sun and fun/Hollywood date night profile with long time girlfriend Linda Holliday, you could assume that he's starting to wind down. The next year or so would give him the opportunity to transition to a President of Football Operations role and allow Josh McDaniels to take over on a day-to-day basis with Tom Brady still on the field.

Obviously, this is conjecture from afar.

What isn't speculation is that it will be difficult, if not impossible, for Bob Kraft to maintain his very public role with an organization that he turned from laughing stock into one of the most successful franchises in sports history.

He needs to end the drama and step aside for the good of the team.