Super Bowl owners Kraft, Mara forge bond

Bob Kraft and John Mara worked together last summer to salvage a football season, so it's only fitting the owners of the New England Patriots and the New York Giants are here to revel in their club's Super accomplishments.

When the NFL's 130-day labor dispute ended July 25, Kraft and Mara took turns at the microphone in a spirit of conciliation with players who had been barred from their franchise's facilities.

Months of harsh rhetoric dissolved as Colts player rep Jeff Saturday hugged Kraft for his dedication in finding common ground, even as his wife of 48 years, Myra, tried to fight off the cancer that took her life only five days before the lockout ended. As Saturday wrapped an arm around Kraft, whose eyes welled with tears, Mara stood a few feet away, also brimming with emotion.

"John Mara and Robert Kraft were two of the most critical individuals in the entire labor process,'' Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer said. "We would not have had a Super Bowl without the tireless efforts of those two owners.''

Six months later, Mara and Kraft have been reunited during Super Bowl week as the NFC champion Giants prepare to meet the AFC champion Patriots on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"I'm not necessarily happy to be playing Bill Belichick and Tom Brady,'' Mara said, "but I'm very happy for Bob because he put his heart and soul into those negotiations during a very difficult time for his family.''

Kraft credits his players and coaches for providing comfort through the grieving process.

After a late-season victory against Miami, Patriot players presented Kraft with an oil painting in honor of Myra.

"It's been a tough year,'' Kraft acknowledged. "I believe in spirituality and this team has really saved me personally. All 53 guys have bonded together and have been like sons to me. People use the word 'family.' In a family, you don't cut players. The unfortunate part is you can't keep everyone you want.

"We try to differentiate by creating a family environment. People there know that I love my wife dearly. They knew she was the real deal. They felt my pain and they've tried to comfort me. In a way, it's created a unique bond in the locker room.''

By the time Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1994, the Mara family had owned the Giants for several generations.

Tim Mara founded the Giants in 1925 and John's father, Wellington, was New York's owner from 1959 until his death in 2005.

Under John Mara, the Giants have enhanced their reputation as one of the league's most stable franchises.

When coach Tom Coughlin was pilloried in the New York tabloids as the Giants struggled in December, John Mara publicly supported his 7-7 coach, quickly snuffing out any lingering speculation about Coughlin's job security.

"We have great ownership,'' Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. "During the lockout, my mother opened my eyes that we have some outstanding owners, owners with a heart. That's something you have to be appreciative of. It's not all about football.''

Mara, 57, said he never seriously considered firing Coughlin before the Giants reeled off a five-game winning streak that has vaulted them into the Super Bowl for a fifth time.

"When we were sitting there at 7-7, it's hard for me to tell you I expected us to be here as a participant,'' Mara said. "But I also knew that if we could just get in the playoffs, like we did in 2007, anything could happen.''

Kraft, 70, has become accustomed to postseason play since 2000, when he hired Belichick, the man he touts as "the finest coach in the history of the modern game.''

Anytime Kraft is lauded for helping to bridge the differences between owners and players last summer, he cedes much of the credit to men like Mara and Saturday.

"John Mara worked hard, too,'' Kraft said, "and I developed a new friend in Jeff Saturday. I never thought I would grow to love and respect the guy that Peyton Manning puts his hand on his tush every day. It was a tough time in my life because my sweetheart was ill with cancer. That's the only thing I ever left her side for.

"When things got a little cuckoo with the lawyers, I wasn't going to waste my time. I think the players and (NFLPA executive director) DeMaurice Smith understood that. I hope, in a small way, that helped us to get a resolution.''