Dennis Kozlowski’s over-the-top Roman themed birthday bash for his wife in Sardina. The Enron corporate headquarters. The Blackstone IPO. All of these were, in retrospect, signs of a market top. Should we add Patriot Place to the list?
I have been thinking about that since I saw the previews over the summer. According to the Kraft’s,
Patriot Place promises to become one of New England’s most popular daily, year-round destinations. Adjacent to Gillette Stadium, this amazing development will feature more than 1.3 million square feet of shopping, entertainment and commercial uses. You will find major fashion retailers, live and interactive entertainment, eateries, a four-star hotel, state of the art theatre and much, much more.
Have the Kraft’s and all their dreams and ambitions jumped the shark? With Tom Brady’s injury, this comes into sharper focus. Jay Fitz at Hub Blog writes,
‘Autumn of his career’
I had the sense we were witnessing the slow end of the Brady era, similar to the end of the Bird era. After all, Brady’s now 31, banged up, and, believe it or not, has led the Pats through almost an entire decade. But yesterday’s injury still came as a shock. I expected a series of nagging injuries would mark his last two or three seasons. Not this.
We will soon see just how valuable Brady has been to the franchise. Add in the fact that Belichick can’t coach forever and I think it is legit to wonder what the Kraft’s can do in a world without the dynamic duo. The Brady-Belichick era is a finite resource. It cannot last forever.
One other potential warning sign for the Kraft’s is that there is a feeling among many season ticket holders that they are being abused, with outrageous increases to tickets, refreshments and especially parking. I have heard grumblings from many. How much will they be willing to put up with when the product on the field is no longer as elite as it has been during the Brady era?
Will we look back at the 2008 birth of Patriot Place as a sign of a top for the franchise? I think it is very likely.