The Patriots Will Go On, With Or Without Robert Kraft

"Bob, we've gotta stop meeting like this."

"Roger, it may soon be out of either of our hands."

For the moment, let us presume that there is nothing worse about the criminal case against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft than what we already know. Let us presume that he had no knowledge of any human trafficking.

That, of course, may turn out not to be the case, but unless and until it does, let's assume that the worst has already been revealed.

How does this affect the Patriots? Recall that other team owners have been forced to step down for things roughly as bad. Even with the Patriots. The reason Kraft is the owner in the first place is that Victor Kiam had to sell the team, to James Orthwein, who later sold out to Kraft.

We've also seen Jerry Richardson forced out of the Carolina Panthers, the team he founded. We've also seen Eddie DeBartolo Jr. forced out of the ownership of the San Francisco 49ers, handing them over to his sister Denise and her husband Jed York.

If Kraft -- who is 77 years old, and advancing age may force his hand even if neither the NFL nor the law does -- hands the team over to his son, Jonathan Kraft, about to turn 55 and already team president, that really won't change anything.

As long as Bill Belichick is the head coach, the Patriots are going to continue to win, possibly cheating to do so. Belichick, though soon to turn 67, is likely to remain the head coach for some time to come. And Tom Brady, who will be 42 before the 2019 NFL season kicks off, is likely to remain the starting quarterback for at least one more season.

So unless NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell punishes the Patriots organization, not just Kraft himself, nothing is really going to change. Barring outright bankruptcy, and a sale to someone who can afford to buy the team, a sale which could take a while to complete for various reasons, the operating owner of the Patriots is not the key man. Belichick is the key man.

And he will be allowed to continue to do what he does, without being punished, unless and until he gets caught up in something, criminal, as Kraft has.

Who knows? Maybe the alleged "bigger name" in this scandal isn't, as many are hoping, Donald Trump. Maybe it's Belichick.

I find that hard to believe.

But then, until now, I wouldn't have believed it of Kraft, either. Unlike his coach, his quarterback, and many of his other players, he seemed to be a classy individual.

That is one fumble he can, now, never recover.