Newscasters cleared the shelf of Jussie Smollett updates with a breaking news item in Friday’s mid-morning hours.
Police in Jupiter, Fla., announced that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 77, had been caught swinging in one of the devil’s playgrounds, a spa called Orchids of Asia, a massage parlor in a small storefront in a strip center that presumably specializes in special endings.
The news left us in shock: Why is a billionaire going into a small storefront for an afternoon delight?
Was the delivery charge for such services prohibitive?
The bad news for Kraft: Authorities said he was being charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting sex as part of what has been reported as being a wide-ranging investigation into prostitution and suspected human trafficking in South Florida.
Worse, some reports indicate that police have video of Kraft engaging in some sort of hanky-panky. On behalf of jurors everywhere, Mr. Kraft, please take the plea deal. No one needs to see that.
Police said the number of those facing charges in the Kraft investigation is almost 200. Moreover, the Twitterverse speculated that Kraft’s was not even the biggest name caught up in this.
Hmmmm.
Human trafficking is a much more serious matter than the seemingly more victimless crime of $50 for massage add-ons.
There has been no indication that Kraft was involved with any of that, though this is far less funny to the cynics if his therapist paramour was an enslaved sex mistress.
Therein lies the potential tragedy of this story.
Nothing will come of this for Kraft except embarrassment and some fines that equate to a trip to break room for you and me. And who knows … perhaps a suspension.
In his future will be another visit to the office of Principal Roger Goodell to talk about any violation to the league’s personal conduct policy. He should expect a ruler over the hand for conduct that compromises public respect and support for the NFL and otherwise damages the reputation of the league or his club, the Patriots, who have a well-documented reputation for pushing the NFL’s guide of best practices to the limits.
It’s important to remember that the accused enjoy the presumption of innocence in a court of law. Spokesmen or spokeswomen have denied Kraft engaged in any criminal activity.
Perhaps there was a miscommunication and it really was a manicure he was trying to line up.
Unfortunately, that’s not something he’ll be granted on the home front.
The first order of business in spin control likely involves a jewelry store to make amends with Ricki Noel, Kraft’s 39-year-old companion.
By first impressions, it doesn’t appear anything has happened here that some diamonds and a girls month in Greece can’t remedy.
