CONTACT INFORMATION
Manager, Public Relations
Phone: (201) 735-4721
Email:
Division: CNBC

When: Wednesday, May 14th at 8AM
Where: "Squawk Box"
Following is the unofficial transcript of a FIRST ON CNBC interview with Robert Kraft, Chairman & CEO of the New England Patriots.
All references must be sourced to CNBC.
QUINTANILLA: JOINING US WITH THE STORY AND A VERY SPECIAL GUEST IS OUR OWN SCOTT WAPNER.
WAPNER: ROBERT KRAFT IS THE CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AND HE'S GOING TO JOIN US FIRST ON CNBC THIS MORNING.MR. KRAFT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
KRAFT: THANK YOU, SCOTT, I WATCH ALL OF YOU IN THE MORNING.
WAPNER: WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON FIRST ON CNBC THIS MORNING.THE HEADLINE AT THE BOSTON HERALD SAYS IT ALL, IT SAYS SORRY, PATS, THIS IS A PAPER THAT REPORTED THE STORY BACK ON FEBRUARY 2, SAYING THAT THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS VIDEOTAPED A WALK THROUGH BEFORE SUPER BOWL 36 AGAINST THE ST. LOUIS RAMS, IT NOW SAYS THE STORY IS NOT TRUE.DO YOU FEEL VINDICATED THIS MORNING?
KRAFT: I FELT VERY GOOD SEEING THIS PAPER BECAUSE WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD OVER THE LAST DECADE AND A HALF TO ESTABLISH A STRONG BOND WITH OUR FANS WHERE THEY COULD TRUST AND BELIEVE IN THE INTEGRITY OF THE TEAM AND THIS STORY COMING OUT THE DAY BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL, THE BIGGEST GAME IN OUR HISTORY, GOING FOR A PERFECT SEASON WAS VERY DAMAGING AND PUT A CLOUD OVER US FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 MONTHS.AND I'M GLAD IT'S FINALLY COME TO AN END.
WAPNER: LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS HUNG OVER YOUR FRANCHISE FOR MORE THAN 100 DAYS.WHAT DO YOU THINK THE RESIDUAL DAMAGE HAS BEEN TO YOUR BRAND OF THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS?
KRAFT: WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE PARTNERED WITH US OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS KNOW THAT WE PUT INDIVIDUAL EFFORT, WE SUBJUGATE THAT BACK TO THE TEAM, WE WORK HARD IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE WANT OUR SPONSORS TO BE ABLE TO EMOTIONALLY ATTACH THEMSELVES TO US AND KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET A VERY HIGH PERFORMANCE, HIGH GRADE PRODUCT.AND WE HAVE HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL THOSE PEOPLE OVER THIS TIME PERIOD.AND THIS ERRONEOUS STORY COMING OUT WAS REALLY HARMFUL.AND WHAT BOTHERS ME MORE ABOUT THIS STORY IS WHERE IT WENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW US AS WELL.AND UNFORTUNATELY, NOW, THEY WON'T SEE THIS RETRACTION.BUT PEOPLE WHO KNOW US, KNOW WHAT WE'RE ABOUT.
WAPNER: YOU RAISE A GOOD POINT, BECAUSE THERE CLEARLY ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE GOING TO LOOK AT YOUR FRANCHISE DIFFERENTLY FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT?


