Robert kraft gay
BOSTON (CBS) -- The big story in the sports nature on Monday is former Missouri football player Michael Sam, an NFL prospect who announced on Sunday night that he is gay.
The news has spurred debate in the football community, with some scouts speaking anonymously to reporters and saying the league is not ready to manage an openly same-sex attracted player.
Yet Patriots owner Robert Kraft, speaking with the Boston Herald's Steve Buckley, doesn't share any such concerns.
"If a player were same-sex attracted and came into this locker room, it would be the most supportive system," Kraft told Buckley. "He'd acquire strength by entity in here. And it wouldn't be divisive and he'd make friends for life and they could help him win. I really believe that."
Kraft did tell Buckley that the team is interested in anyone that can facilitate the team prevail, regardless of background, and that he would encourage Bill Belichick to draft a player enjoy Sam if it was a judgment that would aid the team.
The evidence that Sam announced he's gay to his team prior to last season impressed Kraft, who said people are simply more receptive to such announcements nowadays.
"I think it's good for America," Kraft said.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoporttwe
Ex-Patriots lineman Ryan O'Callaghan, who came out as gay, recalls Robert Kraft's support
Former NFL player Ryan O'Callaghan said Recent England Patriots owner Robert Kraft supported him when he publicly came out as gay two years ago and told him he will be "forever a Patriot."
O'Callaghan was a member of the Patriots during the team's campaign that ended in a stunning Super Bowl upset in 2007 — the only deficit in an 18-1 season.
In the epilogue of O'Callaghan's fresh book, "My Experience on the Line: How the NFL Damn Near Killed Me, and Ended up Saving My Life," due out September, the former Patriots lineman recounted a cell call he received from Kraft and a preseason reception O'Callaghan was invited to when Kraft showed him the team's 2016 Super Bowl ring.
All NFL all the time: The 4th and Monday newsletter brings our experts and investigation to your inbox. Sign up here
At the reception, in summer of 2017, O'Callaghan recalled Kraft saying: "What you did took a lot of courage. I'm so proud of you."
"Spending a few minutes privately with Mr. Kraft in his office is surreal," O'Callaghan wrote in the book. "It's just him and
Twenty-six volunteers were recognized during an awards luncheon at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, June 8 including Jimmy Giddings of Melrose, Mass. presented with $10,000 donation for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Stoneham & Wakefield
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – For the past 25 years, the Kraft family and the New England Patriots Foundation have been recognizing volunteers for going above and beyond to give back to their communities through the Myra Kraft Community MVP Awards program. Formerly known as the Community Quarterback Awards, this volunteer recognition was renamed in 2011 in memory of Myra Kraft.
On Wednesday, June 8, 26 volunteers were recognized for their contributions at an awards ceremony at Gillette Stadium. In total, $275,000 in donations were distributed to the nonprofits represented by each volunteer. Twenty-five organizations each received $10,000 and the Grimes King Foundation for the Elderly received this year’s grand prize of $25,000.
“Of all the community initiatives we support through the Patriots Foundation, this was always Myra’s favorite and I am proud that we continue to honor her legacy of volunteerism by recognizing the amazing serve of dozens of vo
New England Patriots pooh-bah Robert Kraft will be the keynote speaker at a lesbian, gay, bisexual person and transgender networking session — which, according to the organizer, is the first time the owner of one of the city’s premiere sports teams will headline a major event for gays.
“It’s groundbreaking, absolutely groundbreaking,” said David Zimmerman, whose Boston Spirit maggie is putting on the fourth annual LGBT Executive Networking Night later this month. “Once again the New England Patriots and its ownership are leading the way in professional sports.”
Zimmerman said he lobbied Kraft to accept the request by appealing to the Pats owner’s “good business sense” and trailblazing nature.
“I’ve always seen the Patriots as being lovely open-minded,” he said.
But the pigskin czar doesn’t consider his participation in the session as particularly groundbreaking. When asked why he decided to do it, Kraft replied “Why wouldn’t I?”
Patriots spokesman Stacey James said the owner gets scores of invitations to speak every year and “probably declines more than he accepts.” But James said the organizers of the LGBT event were flexible and could work around Kraft’s sched