Robert Kraft exchanges pleasantries with Beyonce at The 40/40 Club 10 year anniversary. (Getty Images)
This whole New York-Boston rivalry stuff is played, right?
That Knicks-Celtics series had its moments. But in the end, it was Carmelo Anthony beating up on a bunch of old guys. Then the Knicks got dumped a round later, so who really cares? First round series’ rarely sprout true rivalries.
That Rangers-Bruins series was painfully boring. It went five games, about four and a half too long, as New York was so bad that it ended up firing its coach.
Red Sox-Yankees? The Red Sox have more hatred these days for the Tampa Bay Rays and the guys on the Yankees that Red Sox fans usually dump on are all hurt. It’s going to take a couple of Varitek/A-Rod -type basebrawls this summer to get things brewing again. Chances are, however, in the rare chance that these two teams do throw down again it will likely involve the likes of Daniel Nava and Lyle Overbay – not exactly a box-office attraction.
So how do we get things cranked up again? Maybe Patriots owner Robert Kraft can help. In an age where billionaires do everything they can to stay out of the headlines it seems that Kraft is in some stage of a late-life crisis and actually WANTS IN on the US Weekly, TMZ culture. Last July, Kraft was involved in some shoddy acting scene, that would have made Farrah Abraham blush, with 30-something-year-old gal pal Ricki Noel Lander. That was disturbing enough for many conservative Patriots fans as Kraft’s wife Myra had passed away just a year earlier and the Patriots had dedicated their season to her throughout 2011.
Just this week, Kraft seemed to want a full-fleged war with Russia after he poked the KGB bear by reminding people that Vladimir Putin stole his Patriots Super Bowl ring eight years ago.
Now for the latest: Kraft appeared with Noel Lander (who had not been seen alongside Kraft as of late) at Jay-Z’s 10-year anniversary party of his 40/40 clubs (chain of sports bars). The 40/40 clubs already have a Boston-New York backstory as Jay-Z and Red Sox slugger David Ortiz battled over naming rights in recent years (Ortiz had opened up a club in the Dominican Republic with the same name) with the duo eventually settling out of court.
Kraft, who has professed his love for Grey Goose in the past, appears quite loose in the photo above and certainly seemed to be hitting it off with Mrs. Shawn Carter. It’s actually surprising that Kraft didn’t give her the patented Kraft double-kiss, that he once fooled an unsuspecting Drew Bledsoe with. Or the patented Kraft sneaky pat that he once fooled an unsuspecting Aly Raisman with. As long as Kraft steered clear of the high-five, he could very well have a chance with Beyonce down the road and eventually break up the music world’s “happiest couple.” Kraft is that smooth.
New York’s most famous billionaire vs. one of (Ok, probably) Boston’s most famous billionaire. Let’s make it happen fellas. The rivalry needs you.
Follow Metro Boston sports editor and columnist Matt Burke on Twitter @BurkeMetroBOS
