Though the rivalry between Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie might seem all fun and games, there are raw emotions under the surface. Kraft has beaten Lurie where it mattered most two different times: for Patriots ownership in 1994 and in the 2005 Super Bowl. This weekend, at Super Bowl 52, the two meet again in an all-or-nothing scrap that will generate more ownership pay and excitement. Kraft has five Super Bowl trophies and is reaching for a sixth. He thinks Spygate and Deflategate and all other conspiracy theories and issues the Patriots faced were the result of envy and of ownership mudslinging. Kraft has a thick skin. Lurie, meanwhile, represents the rest of the owners in the league. They all want to see Kraft and the Patriots humbled. Both owners are from Boston, and both wanted to buy the Patriots back in 1994. Kraft already owned the land and the stadium, so he had the upper hand. He bought the team for $175 million. It is now estimated at nearly $4 billion. Lurie went on to buy the Eagles three months later for $195 million. It is now estimated at $3 billion. The loss of the Patriots for Lurie was brutal, but he found a loyal fan base in Philadelphia and built up a team and a brand. He has been chasing Kraft and the Patriots ever since, getting knocked down in 2005. The Eagles have never won a Super Bowl and last won an NFL title in 1960. Is Sunday Lurie’s chance?
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