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Mass. Senate Tees Up Sports Betting Bill for Vote This Week

The long-awaited wagering bill was advanced favorably out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee late Friday afternoon

By Colin A. Young • Published April 25, 2022 • Updated on April 25, 2022 at 8:04 pm

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The Senate is preparing for a bill to legalize sports gambling in Massachusetts on Thursday, but the bill submitted by the Senate Committee last Friday is in some important sports gambling laws that have passed the House of Representatives. It is different.

According to the Senate officials, the lon g-awaited gambling bill was submitted in favor of the Senate Law Law late on Friday afternoon. If you pass through the Senate this week, the members of the Diet will coordinate different approaches and submit a bill to Governor Charlie Baker, who has long supported the legalization of sports gambling.

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"I'm glad that the committee has reached an agreement with a powerful proposal. I'm looking forward to discussing with my colleagues next week," said Senator Karen Spirka on Friday.

Last summer, the lower house passed a sports gambling bill 156 to 3, and approved a sports gambling legalization two years ago as part of the economic development law, but in 2018 the Federal Supreme Court has the authority to legal the sports gambling. Since giving it to each state, the Senate has been much more interested in working on this issue.

More than 30 states, including nearby Road Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York State, have been acting to bet on sports sports since May 2018.

It seems that there are many major differences between the bill promoted by the Senate Finance and Finance Committee on Friday and the bill that passed the lower house in July, and among them, the Senate's bill bets on the university athletics. It is noted that it is prohibited.

In spite of the interview with the Bloomberg Bay State Business, despite the lower house voting, the lower house, Ronald Mariano, stated that excluding university gambling would be "probably".

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"I probably find myself who is struggling to justify passing all of them so that they probably don't include the main drivers of the federal betting," said Mariano last summer. 。

The Senate's approach to ban betting on college sports is in line with requests from presidents and athletic directors of eight Massachusetts universities with Division I athletic programs.

Officials from Boston College, Boston University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, College of the Holy Cross, Merrimack College and the two Massachusetts universities in 2020 (Amherst and Lowell) urged lawmakers to exclude college gambling from the legalization bill.

Legalization of college sports gambling would pose "unnecessary and unacceptable risks to student-athletes, their peers on campus, and the integrity and culture of the Commonwealth's universities," the presidents and athletic directors said.

If the House bill becomes law, legislative leaders estimate it would bring in about $60 million in annual revenue for the state. But without college betting, Mariano said, that revenue projection would drop to $25 million to $35 million annually.

The Senate House Committee on Legislation estimated that its version of a sports betting bill, if enacted, could bring in $35 million a year in revenue for the state.

The use of credit cards for betting is another issue that could emerge as a point of friction between the House and Senate. Sen. Eric Lesser, who has led much of the Senate's sports betting effort as chairman of the Economic Development Committee, noted during a News Service forum in October that his betting bill (and the one that passed overwhelmingly on Friday) specifically prohibits the use of credit cards to place bets, unlike the House version.

"People who have gambling problems or addictions may impulsively rack up credit card bills on the couch.

Like the House sports betting bill, the Senate bill would put sports betting under the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. It would also put in place a number of consumer safeguards to protect against gambling addiction, similar to those put in place for casinos when Massachusetts expanded gambling in 2011.

The Senate's approach to ban betting on college sports is consistent with requests from the presidents and athletic directors of eight Massachusetts universities with Division I athletic programs.

Officials from Boston College, Boston University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, College of the Holy Cross, Merrimack College and the University of Massachusetts in 2020 (Amherst and Lowell) urged lawmakers to exclude college gambling from the legalization bill.

Legalizing college sports gambling would pose "unnecessary and unacceptable risks to student-athletes, their peers on campus, and the integrity and culture of the Commonwealth's universities," the presidents and athletic directors said.

If the House bill were to pass, legislative leaders estimate it would bring in about $60 million in annual revenue for the state. But without college betting, Mariano said, that figure would drop to $25 million to $35 million a year.

The Senate House Committee on Legislation estimated that its version of the sports betting bill could bring in $35 million a year.

The use of credit cards for betting is another issue that could emerge as a point of friction between the House and Senate. Sen. Eric Lesser, who has led much of the Senate's sports betting effort as chairman of the Economic Development Committee, noted during a News Service forum in October that his betting bill (and the one that passed Friday by a large majority) explicitly prohibits the use of credit cards to place bets, unlike the House version.

'Winners write history': Inside Robert Kraft's 12-year Hall of Fame quest

"People who have gambling problems or addictions may impulsively rack up credit card bills on the couch.

The Senate's approach to ban betting on college sports is consistent with requests from the presidents and athletic directors of eight Massachusetts universities with Division I athletic programs.
Officials from Boston College, Boston University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, College of the Holy Cross, Merrimack College and the University of Massachusetts in 2020 (Amherst and Lowell) urged lawmakers to exclude college gambling from the legalization bill.
Legalizing college sports gambling would pose "unnecessary and unacceptable risks to student-athletes, their peers on campus, and the integrity and culture of the Commonwealth's universities," the presidents and athletic directors said.
If the House bill were to pass, legislative leaders estimate it would bring in about $60 million in annual revenue for the state. But without college betting, Mariano said, that figure would drop to $25 million to $35 million a year.

The Senate House Committee on Legislation estimated that its version of the sports betting bill could bring in $35 million a year.

The use of credit cards for betting is another issue that could emerge as a point of friction between the House and Senate. Sen. Eric Lesser, who has led much of the Senate's sports betting effort as chairman of the Economic Development Committee, noted during a News Service forum in October that his betting bill (and the one that passed Friday by a large majority) explicitly prohibits the use of credit cards to place bets, unlike the House version.

"People with gambling problems or addictions may be compulsively racking up credit card bills from the couch.

Like the House sports betting bill, the Senate bill would put sports betting under the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and would put in place a number of consumer safeguards to protect against gambling addiction, similar to those put in place for casinos when Massachusetts expanded gambling in 2011.

One is the state gaming license, Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield, and Angkor Boston Harbor to be able to bed on a digital or mobile platform, and the other is the maximum. The six operators make it possible to bed in both physical stores and mobile.

All licenses are 5 million dollars in five years, and renewal every five years costs more than $ 5 million.

The Senate's bill assumes that 20%of the sports gambling revenue due to fac e-t o-face bets and 35%of sports gambling income via a bed via a mobile or digital platform. According to the lower house bills, 12. 5 % of the income from sportsbooks will be taxed and 15 % for mobile betting income.

According to the Senate's tax rate, Massachusetts belongs to the higher tax rate for sports gambling income. For example, in Connecticut, the income of sports betting is 13. 75 % for retail betting and 18 % online, and in Louisiana, 10 % in fac e-t o-face betting and 15 % in Arizona, and in Arizona. The tax is 8 % and 10 % in mobile betting (Tax Foundation survey).

According to the Senate bill, the cost of casinos and slot gaming is the source of the racing, which is an account that supports the racing world of Salabled, which was running at the Plain Ridge Park Racecourse in the Plain Building and Suffolk Downs. Changes are also made to the horse development fund.

An escalating campaign

From 2025, the income from the MGM Springfield and the Angkor Boston Harbor will enter RHDF in the current law, but will enter the educational fund unless a live race of 20 days or more in the Thoroughbred racetrack is held the previous calendar. It will be. In addition, the bill acknowledges that all RHDF funds will be used for ordinary seed horses unless a thoroughbred race is held for more than 20 days in the previous calendar year.

Inside Bill Belichick's failed offseason job hunt

The last days of the Patriot Way

Patriotz owner Robert Craft has a 11 billion dollar empire and six Super Bowl Rings, but has not been able to find 16 of the 378 owners in the Hall of Fame. Illustration: ESPN Don Van Natta Jr. (ESPN Senior Writer) 12:00 on September 11, 2024

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Author of three books, including the New York Times bestseller "First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush."

24 years as a newspaper reporter at The New York Times and The Miami Herald.

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Robert Kraft has an $11 billion empire and six Super Bowl rings. But the boss of the New England Patriots is nowhere near his long-held goal of having a statue in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Three owners have worn the gold jacket in Canton, Ohio, in the past decade. Each time, Kraft, now 83, has been forced to take the field, even though no owner was arguably more deserving.

"There's no box Bob Kraft doesn't check to get into the Hall of Fame," says Hall of Famer Bill Polian, who twice advocated for Kraft's induction. "When he didn't get inducted last year, it lost me sleep over it. It still makes me sick to my heart."

No current owner has resisted induction for so long. Beginning in 2012, Kraft's supporters lobbied Hall voters on his behalf. Former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. was inducted in 2016 despite losing his team in 2000 in connection with an extortion scandal. DeBartolo has five Lombardi Trophies to Kraft's four at the time. Some Hall of Fame voters assured disappointed members of Kraft's inner circle that they were next.

Jerry Jones said in August 2017 that Kraft would be inducted. In May, Kraft was inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Dallas Cowboys owner threw a glitzy party in Canton, headlined by Justin Timberlake. Back in Foxborough, Kraft and his supporters reacted to Jones's induction with anger and confusion. They resented that the Hall voters did not seem to appreciate Kraft's work growing the league through media and labor contracts, and the Patriots' unparalleled dynasty.

Kraft saw his nemesis Jones' selection as an insult, a verdict that Jones was responsible for the NFL's phenomenal success.

Nearly invisible

"He hasn't played in an NFC title game in 20 years," Kraft said to one close friend. "What's that about?

Kraft hoists the Lombardi Trophy after the Patriots won the Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams in 2002. Al Bello/Getty Images

The story of Kraft's relentless Hall of Fame campaign on behalf of the most powerful and influential owner in NFL history, why it failed, and how Kraft has quietly tried to build his own legacy.

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Not only has Kraft never been inducted into the Hall of Fame, but a subcommittee has never even put his name forward for consideration by the 50-person selection committee. To his supporters, the annual shutouts are a puzzling, infuriating mystery.

Each time Kraft is eliminated, the campaign for him becomes more urgent and more inventive, according to ESPN. The selection committee members leaned into different reasons for denying Kraft, while approving coaches, scouts and even referees from decades ago. Voters said their case for Kraft was hurt by the Patriots' multiple cheating scandals and a selection system that has historically put coaches and owners at odds. It also mentioned the dismissal of Kraft's charges that he twice visited a massage parlor in Jupiter, Florida.

Like many Patriots fans and former players, voters also saw two big media projects as pro-Kraft stories. Both projects portray Kraft as deftly controlling the egos of two great players, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, to keep his hit-making troupe going for as long as possible.

Some voters thought the two projects were meant to boost Kraft's Hall of Fame candidacy, ESPN said. A Patriots spokesman adamantly denied that the two projects were part of a push to get Kraft to Canton. And Kraft said last winter that he had no leverage over the documentary and was "disappointed" with the film.

But Kraft owns the film and TV rights to "The Dynasty," according to documents obtained by ESPN. That meant acclaimed author Jeff Benedict's book couldn't be adapted into a movie without Kraft's permission, and Kraft owned the documentary, licensed it to Apple and asked for editorial control, according to emails, documents and sources.

Shortly after the book was published, Patriots communications chief Stacey James sent copies to at least five Hall of Fame voters to make the case for Kraft's induction. The Patriots have sent copies to one voter two years in a row.

In a document to ESPN, James stated that the book and documentary are part of the efforts to win the craft Hall of Fame. "The questions and answers of this article have been promoted to the process of Robert Craft's depiction and the process of entering the Professional Hall of Fame.

In early October, the Hall of Fame will reconsider the craft candidate again. This time, you will take a easier road. In August, the Hall of Fame Council made a serious change to the voting process, and decided to consider the director and the contributor separately. Mike Shanahan and Mike Holmglen, who have been considered as a candidate by voters, will no longer compete with craft and other contributors.

Brady will be in Canton the moment he gets the qualification. The same is true for Berritic, and if you don't get other supervisors, it may be a year later.

For craft, waiting for more than a dozen years.

Jerry Jones, owner of Dallas Cowboys, joined the Hall of Fame in 2017. AP Photo/Ron Schwane

Most of the U. S. Senator members are said to be the future president when looking in the mirror. Then, when most NFL owners look in the mirror, they see the Professional Hall of Fame. No owner wants to enter the Hall of Fame as Robert Craft.

However, when you walk in the Professional Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, you can hardly see the craft.

Where the Patriots dynasty is in the spotlight, the famous moment of football, such as Tom Brady's game jersey, Bill Berritic Parker, and Ellis Hobbus 108 yard kic k-off returns in Jets in 2007. Is on display. There is no owner of Patriots, and Nike's custom air force 1 is not exhibited. The hall praised NFL, which contributed to healing the country after 9. 11, but there is no video of the name of Craft's famous "We are all Patriots".

There are three photos of the craft, all of which are in a narrow space on the first floor of the hall, so it is easy to miss. He is in the group photo of the NFL team owners. And he appears in an exhibition on the stadium on the whole wall. In the hall, the same photo of the craft with the Rombardy Trophy is used twice in the fou r-foot space. One is small and the other is big. The big one is dwarfed by the photos with Jerry Jones and his smile next to him.

On the top floor of the hall, a circular room, such as a cave, has 378 busts. Of these, 16 were running or owned NFL franchises. Since 2000, five owners have joined the Hall of Fame: Dan Rooney in Stillers, Ralph Wilson in Bills, Eddie Devatro of 49ers, Jones of Cowboys, and Pat Buren in Bronkos.

Of the 16 owners, Rooney is only comparable to the six craft Rombardy Trophy.

This fact has been confused and frustrated by James, a powerful public relations man of Patriots since 1993. Kraft's spokesperson, as the leading lobbyist in the Hall of Fame, James has called voters, emails, meals, and doodles. In recent years, he has emailed six pages of materials to voters, praising the achievements of craft as an NFL owner. The highlights are the acquisition and revival of the team in the 1990s, the si x-championship, the labo r-management coordination for several decades, and the league helping to get a huge TV broadcasting right and streaming rights.

Pitch for a legacy book

James first came up with the craft Canton after seeing the boss played a matchmaker in a struggle with the player lockout by the owner in 2011. It is a famous story that Craft hugged Jeff Saturday, who was the leader of the athlete union at the Coltz center in the Colt's center when the group agreement was finally concluded and the season was saved. do not".

When he started lobbying for the boss in 2012, James believed that joining craft would be relatively easy. "No one is on the right of Robert Craft in terms of contribution to the National Football League.

However, the road in the Hall of Fame is steep for the owner. Until this autumn, 12 small committees had to make a candidate to all voting members with 50 candidates in January. Usually, only one or two coaches or contributors were advanced to all committees. And it took 40 votes for the candidate to enter the Hall of Fame. According to the ESPN, several voters have never approved the craft to all votes.

Every summer, James obtained a list of voters for the small committee. He called them, hunted down in a super bowl, invited lunch and dinner, visited the owner's suite room. He also demanded voters' advice. What is useful? When should I pull out?

Since James began campaigning for Kraft, 68 Hall voters have voted. James said he campaigned for Kraft's candidacy with the same argument to many of them: Kraft ranks first among all NFL owners when measured by his contributions to the team, the league and professional football.

When Kraft, who had held Patriots season tickets for 23 years, bought the team in January 1994, the franchise was in bankruptcy. The previous season's final home game was a rare sellout because fans were worried the team would move to St. Louis.

I'm a big fan of Jimmy Stewart's "It's a Wonderful Life." "If Robert Kraft had never been born, there would have been no NFL team in New England," James said.

James argues that Kraft has done more to develop the NFL than Jones. Besides leading the owner-friendly labor deal, Kraft served as chairman of the owner-side media committee for many years, securing TV and streaming deals worth $111 billion over a decade. And Kraft, James argues, is the only person who has done more to grow the game internationally.

"Every year, I made the same argument. Every year, the voters said it was just a matter of time before Robert was elected."

Early on, James found that influential voters seemed to have a "pecking order" with the owners. First, in 2016, it was Debatolo's turn, and in 2017, it was Jones' turn. The back-to-back elections sparked a lobbying frenzy among other owners hoping to get to Canton.

"It was open season all of a sudden," one voter said.

How selection works

In August 2017, longtime Hall of Fame voter Jason Cole interviewed Kraft and James at Kraft's wood-paneled office in Foxborough. A few minutes into the conversation, Kraft asked Cole, "What do you think about the new president?" "How did Jerry Jones get into the Hall of Fame?"

"He's P. T. Barnum. He's the greatest marketer in sports." Kraft just laughed, Cole recalled.

"His team pissed a lot of people off because they couldn't win," another longtime voter said of Jones' election.

"Once he got in, it changed things for some owners, and they started lobbying even more. 'When Jerry got in, the ego-heavy owners thought, why can't I get in?'"

Kraft speaks before a legislative committee in 1995 after coaching the Patriots from last in the NFL to six Super Bowl championships. AP Photo/Stephan Savoia

In early 2018, a letter arrived at the craft desk.

Jeff Benedict suggested a book about the Patriotz dynasty and called for the cooperation of craft. According to a person who knows this letter, he is a fan of Patriotz for a lifetime, suggesting a record of the underestimated roles of Craft, who have achieved the team in New England and achieved their unprecedented feats over 20 years. Say. "It will be a book that your grandchildren and your grandchild will be proud," Benedict told Craft, saying.

Craft has transferred Benedict to James. James was already looking for a person who could hire to write a legacy book. A few years ago, Craft used a freelance writer to make a personal publishing book. The writer accompanied the craft's Israeli expedition, but the manuscript was destroyed. There was a book about Brady and Berritic, but Benedict said, "There was no book about Robert Craft."

Craft and Benedict met many times until the owner could cooperate. For the article, Benedict, a comment, signed a book contract with Simon & Suster's category. He continued his craft from 2018 to 2019, which was an extremely important year in Patriotz's Dynastic Run, which closed in the sixth super bowl.

Craft proclaims that he is hardly involved in football, but this book depicts the owner who is involved in football and wants it. He told Benedict to the details of the secret conference between Brady and Berritic, and explained how to compromise on two great al l-time players to be as long as possible.

Craft has allowed Benedict to eavestie the conference of the team's talented but problematic receiver, Antonio Brown. Benedict visited Craft and Israel, rode in his private jet, read a large amount of privileged legal documents that described in detail how he acquired the team and maintained it in the Fox Bowlo. 。

The book depicts craft trying to make a generous disposal from Roger Gudell Commissioner, while a distance from the New England fraudulent scandal.

Meanwhile, James continued to work on the voters in the Hall of Fame, and was carefully optimistic that 2018 would be a craft year. However, Denver Bronkos owner, bowlen, was chosen. Some voters said that they died two months before the bust was released in the public in Buren's health--2019, just one of the reasons he surpassed the craft.

That makes three owners in four years to have been inducted before Kraft. "That summer, a voter told a depressed James, 'Robert Kraft is going to be the next owner. That's how it will be.'"

That was five years ago.

Patriots spokesman Stacey James has led the lobbying effort to get Kraft into the Hall of Fame. "Every year, voters tell me it's just a matter of time before Robert is inducted," James told ESPN. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Nothing gets fans excited like the Hall of Fame debates. But the meetings where candidates are discussed and debated are some of the strangest and most secretive deliberations in sports. There is little transparency, and those campaigning for candidates are left with no idea of the criteria or how best to support their candidate. They are blindsided. The votes are secret, information rarely leaks, and a handful of voters can block worthy candidates for reasons that are not divulged during lightning-fast Zoom deliberations every year.

But more than a dozen participants spoke to ESPN about how the process works and why they voted against Kraft or think he was rejected.

The lobbying, which voters say has become more aggressive for all candidates in recent years, begins months before a candidate is first considered. Then, usually in August or September, a committee decides which players or "coaches and contributors" deserve consideration by the full 50-member committee in January.

At the subcommittee level, sponsoring voters speak on behalf of a candidate for about five minutes. Sometimes there's a lengthy debate, sometimes very little is said.

Last year, one voter gave a passionate speech for Kraft; another voter told ESPN he listened to the argument and then silently voted for the other candidate.

"Some are silent assassins," one veteran voter said.

One problem with evaluating Kraft and the Patriots dynasty as a whole is taking into account some of the high-profile controversies. Six voters said evolving truths -- Spygate, Deflategate, Orchid of Asia -- have clouded the team's greatness.

In 2007, Spygate, when Belichick videotaped an opposing coach's signals from the sideline, led to a $500, 000 fine for Belichick and a $250, 000 fine for the Patriots. The team also forfeited a first-round draft pick.

A few voters of the ant i-craft have told ESPN that the craft has long been concerned that the craft may have known much more than he had acknowledged. 。 "Some voters believe that he was part of the largest fraudulent scandal in NFL history," it is very difficult to overcome it. "

Another voter says: "The craft is far from the spy gate case, but it is true that the spy gate case has become a hot topic.

Some voters also pointed out that Guudel ordered NFL's legal advisor to destroy spy gates in a conference room at the Gillet Stadium in September 2007. Gerdel, who supported Kraft in 2006, did not order a thorough investigation. One voter said, "It's an elephant in the room."

'Final cut approval'

Craft has denied the plan. In an Apple TV+documentary, craft again told Berritic, who was trying to steal the sign, that it was a "rag". He also stated that Velitic had competed with the League secretariat so that he would not be able to stop participating alone.

Polian said that he had a fiv e-minute presentation last summer as a craft agent and tried to face his colleagues from the front. "I said in advance that Kraft did not know anything about Spy Gate," Polian says. "

Some voters said that Kraft was one of the factors that was charged with a massage parlor after Kraft visited Orkids of Asia twice in February 2019. The prosecutor finally withdrawn the complaint. "It would be necessary to keep a little distance between the massage parlor and the Hall of Fame," remembered what he had told James soon.

However, Peter King, a 6 7-yea r-old retired NFL writer and a powerful Hall of Fame, who has been supporting craft candidates for many years, said, "Everyone in the Hall of Fame has" Abata ".

"Is there a player, coach, owner, and commissioner who have a perfect career? Did anyone have never done bad things? King said." Look at Joe Namas. He throws more intercept than touchdown and is in the Hall of Fame.

Another hurdle for craft is structural. Until now, the owner and the coaches were considered together, and voters emphasized coaches. "It's the difference between apple and orange, not correct," said Polian. "This is a way to take the owner's chance.

Five years since Bolen entered the Hall of Fame, Kraft in "Coach and Contributor" in 2020 in 2020, Raiders 'Tom Flores Coach and Stillers' building in 2021. He was overtaken by Nans Cout, Dick Bermail coach of Eagles in 2022, referee art mc narley, and Corerners Don Coriel's coach in 2023.

When the McNally was selected, James was fraudulent that the voters were selected for some reason, which seemed to be the best in history, rather than those who believed they were the best owners in history. Last year, Baddy Parker, who achieved the NFL victory as a Lions coach in the 1950s, had been holding down craft as the final candidate, but all committees could not enter the Hall of Fame.

"One of the hardest calls was to call Craft and apologize for not doing well." He was generous and tremendous. I'm still sorry.

"ESPN NFL reporter, Sal Paorantonio, who has been supporting the Hall of Fame for many years, said," I'm sad. In my opinion, craft is worth the Hall of Fame.

The six voters pointed out James's lobby activities as another intangible element in the campaign with the craft Hall of Fame. With each age, James is more persistent and impressive.

"I have been rebounding in the idea of doing anything to get your votes," said a lon g-standing voter. "It wasn't clearly told, but I felt so. I don't need to talk to anyone. I can decide on my own."

One of the voters in the Hall of Fame has urged James and other supporters of Craft to "go with a light feeling."

"I have said to Stacey James before," I don't think it should be an overwhelming position with information like mountains and pushing. I have seen it works. It is nothing, "he told him."

"Delications walk on a long way"

A craft that talks to Quarter Back's Tom Brady after Patriotz has won Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl LI in an extra-extension of 34-28. Kevin C. COX/Getty Images

When "BENEDICT'S BOOK" was published on September 1, 2020, Craft accepted it enthusiastically. One book was distributed to everyone with Patriotz season tickets and appeared on the bes t-selling New York Times. At a signing session in the Patriot Place of Foxbowl, Benedict signing hundreds of fans and smiled. On the other hand, some people close to Belitic believe that the book is a transparent bidding for the Hall of Fame.

Immediately after the book was published, Benedict came up with a documentary for multiple parts. He contacted Alex Gibney, a documentary film director who has won the Academy Awards and has won the Academy Awards. Benedict and Gibney had a history. They were highly praised in HBO, a tw o-part work depicting Tiger Woods, based on Benedict's bes t-selling books (c o-authored with Armen Katean). According to project officials, Tiger's books and HBO films were "unauthorized" and Woods did not receive a performance fee.

But this time is different. According to the pitch memo obtained by ESPN, the Dynasty created by Gibney and Benedict is an al l-access documentary that summarizes o n-camera interviews with Veritic, Brady and Craft Patriots trio in 10 episodes. Benedict has concluded a "shopping contract" with Gibney and acknowledged that Benedict would own the full rights of his book, including the options of television / documentary films, and to sell the project together.

Gibney visited a craft's home several times on the BRECL E-in, Massachusetts. The purpose was to know and trust Craft to know and trust the 7 0-yea r-old film director. Gibney is known for his hard documentaries, such as "Enron: the wise guys in the room" and the "taxi to the Dark Side", which depicts the actual situation of American torture and interrogation in the Afghan War. Craft and Patriotz also had hundreds of hours behind the scenes that Gibney wanted to use.

Craft was positive for this idea. Initially, Craft suggested to omit the massage parlor scandal. Benedict's book has a six paragraphs.

After bidding from Netflix, Amazon, ESPN, and Apple one after another, Apple acquired the documentary for $ 27. 5 million (the highest ever sports documentary at the time).

Immediately after the contract was concluded, Craft hired a powerful entertainment lawyer called Lawrence Chaire and spoke his interests.

Benedict is a signed contract with Gibney, and although Benedict's agent Richard Pine in April 2021, Benedict's agent Richard Pine, despite claiming that he owns his book's television broadcasting rights and filmization rights. E-mail on the 23rd stated that his client has approved Robert Craft on all transactions related to the license and sales of his books / television broadcasting rights. "

Gibney and his agent were stunned to know the craft, but James said Craft's "his name, image, portrait, and additional use of the brand he built up." He said that was a standard.

According to the documents, Kraft, through Shire, asked for an equal split of profits from the documentary between Kraft, Benedict and Gibney.

Editorial control of the documentary became a major sticking point between Gibney and Kraft. Shire demanded creative approval "to ensure the integrity of the documentary's stories match those depicted in the book." It also asked for the right to challenge any material that Kraft and his representatives concluded was "inaccurate, disparaging or harmful to Kraft Group."

"The ultimate interest here is to protect [Kraft Group's] image/brand," a Kraft representative said in an email. Industry sources said such stipulations are becoming increasingly routine in celebrity filmmaking that is promoted as a documentary.

When Kraft and his lawyers insisted on "final cut approval" of the film, Gibney refused, according to the documents and sources with direct knowledge.

On May 21, 2021, Kraft and Gibney spoke by phone, including Shire. According to Gibney's notes obtained by ESPN from a third-party source, the call was about trying to find common ground.

'A little disappointed'

"I prefaced Robert by saying that I passed the NY Times test," Gibney wrote. "His answer was: Who cares about the NY Times? They're wrong about a lot of things.'

During the call, Robert gave me zero negative options. I had "editorial control," but the right to remove anything I deemed damaging to the Patriots' "brand.' I told Apple they had to do that." Gibney explained that, as a financial backer, Apple had the right to be informed of any cuts or to be allowed to suggest them, according to the notes.

"This is between you and me," Kraft told Gibney. "It's just me and you. Apple doesn't need to know."

Kraft continued to insist and seemed "increasingly angrier," Gibney wrote.

"Alex, it seems to me... that you like Apple more than I do," Kraft said, Gibney's memo said.

Shire, who did not respond to ESPN's request for comment, interjected, agreeing with Gibney that the filmmaker couldn't hide Kraft's opinions. The call ended without a resolution, according to the memo.

In a statement to ESPN, James downplayed the conversation between Kraft and Gibney. "The question was insulting. It's outrageous that Kraft would ask something so deliberately deceptive," he said.

According to documents, Gibney refused to give up editing, and craft and Gibney negotiations were discontinued.

Later, Gibney wrote in email to Shire: "We discussed the problem of the steward ship, and agreed that it is neither wise, appropriate or reliable for the film subject Robert to edit. As a creative producer, I manage my budget and final cut. "

James said craft that he had stopped the negotiations, saying, "I was very disappointed with Gibney."

'A silly misstep'

An unfounded claim created from unrelated information, due to the obvious negotiations with people who are dissatisfied, is Apple's exclusive right owner of the Dynasty series and Imagine. James should not be used as a fact as entertainment has the final decisio n-making right, "James told ESPN.

Gibney avoided comments on transactions with Craft. However, in the statement to ESPN, he can judge the value of autobiography and s o-called "official biography".

"However, it is dangerous to say that both filmmakers and distributed companies have created objective documentaries. That kind of movie-a well-made celebrity commercial-the truth of the advertisement. I need sex. "

Craft and Benedict looked for a new production company when the contract with Gibney broke. In a few weeks, Craft signed a contract with Brian Graser's Imagine Entertainment, creating Dynasty for Apple TV +.

According to multiple sources that know the agreement directly, the profit distribution of films directed by Graser reflects the conditions of Gibney's failed negotiations. According to the sources, it is unknown whether the craft has maintained the right to edit in a movie produced by his best friend Graser.

Some voters say that Brady, who has won unprecedented championship, and the craft that combined Bill Berritic, a head coach, deserve praise. According to the AP Photo/Stephan Savoia < SPAN> document, Gibney refused to give up editing, and craft and Gibney negotiations were cut off.