Kraft charged with prostitution

[pbmax]

Seems to be a Florida thing so far. Also, police are recommending the charges you have seen reported, but no attorney has yet signed off on submitting them to the courts yet. Long way to go.

[pbmax]

Here is the list of people more notable than Robert Kraft

https://twitter.com/SchmitzMedia/status/1098987973859831814

[Fritz]

What will the NFL do in response?

Bluster and fury about how the NFL values women, how all must conform to the highest standards of conduct, they are awaiting the facts, will conduct an internal investigation, NFL takes this seriously, etc, etc.

Then, when the smoke clears, Kraft will suffer no material damage. Oh, maybe he can't sit in his luxury box for six games, oh, how terrible! But nothing of any consequence.

God forbid , however, that a black player kneel in protest of racial injustice in this country. Ban him forever!

Thus we find, in the end, that in NFL world, it's okay to take part in a sex-trafficking ring - that is, slavery is okay - but using your supposed American freedoms to protest injustice will get you banned forever.

Who says the NFL doesn't reflect American values?

[pbmax]

The NFL has a chance here to do something pretty visible and important, to improve the lives of the people involved in this. They will, of course, blow it completely. They will give $11 to some branding charity front and make an ad with Eli Manning.

[Patler]

What will the NFL do in response?

Bluster and fury about how the NFL values women, how all must conform to the highest standards of conduct, they are awaiting the facts, will conduct an internal investigation, NFL takes this seriously, etc, etc.

Then, when the smoke clears, Kraft will suffer no material damage. Oh, maybe he can't sit in his luxury box for six games, oh, how terrible! But nothing of any consequence.

God forbid , however, that a black player kneel in protest of racial injustice in this country. Ban him forever!

Thus we find, in the end, that in NFL world, it's okay to take part in a sex-trafficking ring - that is, slavery is okay - but using your supposed American freedoms to protest injustice will get you banned forever.

Who says the NFL doesn't reflect American values?

You seem to have decided already what the league will do. I'm not so sure. The NBA has provided a precedent for banning an owner and forcing a sale. There has been a stench from the Patriots for years. Perhaps the source has been found.

[pbmax]

So this was a national/international ring according to some officials in Fla. Details are sketchy on the international part of it (this is the triumphant phase of information release) but the women seem to have been enticed to work here from China. There are parts of this in New York, Florida, and Orange County.

There are also multiple jurisdictions at work in Florida, so Jupiter were the folks that released Kraft's name and the 25 other consumers. But Indian River County indicates they are prepping arrest warrants for 173 more people.

Jupiter seems way out in front of this, claiming its an international ring, yet IRC is just interviewing victims to see what the pattern is. So my jaded view is that while Jupiter officials would like you to know that they just busted an international ring, the lack of coordinated follow ups in New York and California suggests they have just pulled one string so far.

The seizure of $2-3 million bucks sounds large, but doesn't suggest a huge operation covering two continents and multiple cities. But its early yet, maybe they have the tail end of a monster here.

https://deadspin.com/the-florida-massage-parlor-police-bust-goes-far-beyond-1832822580

[pbmax]

You seem to have decided already what the league will do. I'm not so sure. The NBA has provided a precedent for banning an owner and forcing a sale. There has been a stench from the Patriots for years. Perhaps the source has been found.

Will be interesting. The NFL's new business ventures tend to revolve around Jones and his success at capturing more revenue from the game itself, back into team coffers. If I recall correctly, Jones runs one of the largest on site craft services and has signed up many of the other teams.

But Kraft was, and still might be, Goodell's most ardent supporter. Reports are that they have mostly reconciled over Deflate-gate. And other owners are not going to want to go too far out on a limb unless they suspect their business model is threatened. Jones in particular, would be especially vulnerable to a big ethics push.

However, comparing Goodell to Stern/Silver is like comparing Graham Harrell to Favre/Rodgers. Stern has much more control and Silver seems to have carried it on. Goodell always seems like he is driving the back of the fire truck. I suspect the focus will shift from Kraft (after all, it is a misdemeanor) right to Goodell and then die there.

[pbmax]

I had forgotten the Packers were one of the first team's to capture the Patriots taping the team's signals in 2006.

https://deadspin.com/bombshell-espn-report-the-patriots-were-huge-cheaters-1729286402

Based on this ESPN report: http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/...patriots-apart

[Fritz]

You seem to have decided already what the league will do. I'm not so sure. The NBA has provided a precedent for banning an owner and forcing a sale. There has been a stench from the Patriots for years. Perhaps the source has been found.

Well, yes, I have already an idea as to what I think the league will - or will not - do. My opening question was rhetorical.

I am a cynic in this regard, but I would like to be proven wrong here.

[Patler]

Will be interesting. The NFL's new business ventures tend to revolve around Jones and his success at capturing more revenue from the game itself, back into team coffers. If I recall correctly, Jones runs one of the largest on site craft services and has signed up many of the other teams.

But Kraft was, and still might be, Goodell's most ardent supporter. Reports are that they have mostly reconciled over Deflate-gate. And other owners are not going to want to go too far out on a limb unless they suspect their business model is threatened. Jones in particular, would be especially vulnerable to a big ethics push.

However, comparing Goodell to Stern/Silver is like comparing Graham Harrell to Favre/Rodgers. Stern has much more control and Silver seems to have carried it on. Goodell always seems like he is driving the back of the fire truck. I suspect the focus will shift from Kraft (after all, it is a misdemeanor) right to Goodell and then die there.

Well, yes, I have already an idea as to what I think the league will - or will not - do. My opening question was rhetorical.

I am a cynic in this regard, but I would like to be proven wrong here.

I'm not sure this will be easy for the league to sweep under the rug. I think there are two issues that can force their hand no matter how much they want to whitewash the situation.

1. Was Kraft somehow involved in the business?
2. Were the ladies minors and/or sex slaves in the way the public understands the term?

If either of these is answered "yes", I think Kraft will be forced out of the league. Even if both are answered "no" this will be a tough one for the league to ignore. Even if Kraft had been found in a legal brother in Nevada, it would make the league look bad. In the best possible light light for Kraft, this is a big step from that hypothetical.

[Joemailman]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/robert...-ring?ref=home

Sources told ESPN, “Kraft is not the biggest name involved [in this investigation].” Hobe Sound resident Mike Gloor, who claims he knows some of the men charged, suspects the same. “We’re just waiting for those names” he told The Daily Beast. “I know people in Hobe Sound that are very prominent. This is going to destroy their life.”

Vivian Pham, owner of V&V Nails next door to Orchids spa, told The Daily Beast that the women “are all Chinese. None of them speak English. Sometimes, I would see people outside try to talk to them, and they wouldn’t understand.”

The investigation is far from over, and authorities have said that the suspected trafficking ring may have ties to groups in New York and China. If this were confirmed, the FBI would take on the case. Sheriff Snyder estimated that the ring is part of a $20-million-dollar international operation, and authorities have seized between $2 and $3 million dollars of assets in Florida alone.

Authorities have released hundreds of mugshots and names online. They also have confirmed that they have surveillance footage of the acts allegedly performed on Kraft and others.

[pbmax]

I'm not sure this will be easy for the league to sweep under the rug. I think there are two issues that can force their hand no matter how much they want to whitewash the situation.

1. Was Kraft somehow involved in the business?
2. Were the ladies minors and/or sex slaves in the way the public understands the term?

If either of these is answered "yes", I think Kraft will be forced out of the league. Even if both are answered "no" this will be a tough one for the league to ignore. Even if Kraft had been found in a legal brother in Nevada, it would make the league look bad. In the best possible light light for Kraft, this is a big step from that hypothetical.

Involved with the business is one thing. That would end careers, including his. But we have nothing on that so far and I doubtful at this point. If the authorities suspected as much, they probably don't charge him with a low level charge until they know more. The misdemeanor isn't enough to squeeze info out of anybody with good legal resources.

If they were illegally detained, I still don't think this hits him that hard. If he is not involved in the business except as a customer, he can plausibly claim to be as horrified as everyone else.

[pbmax]

I had forgotten the Packers were one of the first team's to capture the Patriots taping the team's signals in 2006.

https://deadspin.com/bombshell-espn-report-the-patriots-were-huge-cheaters-1729286402

Based on this ESPN report: http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/...patriots-apart

Second link, more no huddle than usual:

Days before the Tampa Bay game, in Belichick's office, Friesz was told that the Patriots had a tape of the Bucs' signals. He was instructed to memorize them, and during the game, to watch Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and tell Weis the defensive play, which Weis would relay over the radio headset system to quarterback Drew Bledsoe. That Sunday against the Bucs, Walsh later told investigators, the Patriots played more no-huddle than usual, forcing Kiffin to signal in plays quickly, allowing Weis sufficient time to relay the information. Years later, some Patriots coaches would point to the score -- a 21-16 Bucs win -- as evidence of Spygate's ineffectiveness. But as Walsh later told investigators, Friesz, who did not respond to messages to comment for this story, told Walsh after the game that the Patriots knew 75 percent of the Bucs' defenses before the snap.

That would explain the hurry up they switched to after Brady's first couple of years.

[red]

So this was a national/international ring according to some officials in Fla. Details are sketchy on the international part of it (this is the triumphant phase of information release) but the women seem to have been enticed to work here from China. There are parts of this in New York, Florida, and Orange County.

There are also multiple jurisdictions at work in Florida, so Jupiter were the folks that released Kraft's name and the 25 other consumers. But Indian River County indicates they are prepping arrest warrants for 173 more people.

Jupiter seems way out in front of this, claiming its an international ring, yet IRC is just interviewing victims to see what the pattern is. So my jaded view is that while Jupiter officials would like you to know that they just busted an international ring, the lack of coordinated follow ups in New York and California suggests they have just pulled one string so far.

The seizure of $2-3 million bucks sounds large, but doesn't suggest a huge operation covering two continents and multiple cities. But its early yet, maybe they have the tail end of a monster here.

https://deadspin.com/the-florida-mas...ond-1832822580

so if the girls are brought from china to here to do that, then thats 2 different countries by my count and thus an international thing

[RashanGary]

I went to this place in Green Bay a couple years ago. Girl couldn’t have been over twenty, and couldn’t speak a lick of English. It felt fucked up. I’m sure it’s the same setup. It’s all over. I never went back cuz it felt so wrong. And thank god! I’d be with Robert kraft right now but no lawyer ��