Did Pats violate their standards with Haynesworth? YEA

One of the more dramatic character changes in “Citizen Kane” occurs when idealistic newsman Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) drafts his “Declaration of Principles,” but ends up destroying that noble list of principles when they serve detrimental to his purposes.Today, we have “Citizen Kraft” – Bob, owner of the New England Patriots – who has cast aside the principles he once claimed to hold so dear by acquiring controversial defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth.Back in 1996, you may recall, Bill Parcells drafted Christian Peter of Nebraska, who had been accused of raping a freshman twice in two days. There were also charges of sexual assault and violence against women. Kraft’s wife, Myra, persuaded him to release Peter.Myra died July 20. She had a reputation as the moral compass of the Patriots. Now however, it seems the organizational compass has shifted.Fans of Haynesworth’s two former teams, the Tennessee Titans and (more recently) Washington Redskins, may not rue his departure. As a Titan, Haynesworth stomped on the face of Andre Gurode of the Dallas Cowboys while Gurode’s helmet was off. With the Redskins, Haynesworth allegedly slid a credit card down the front of his server’s dress at a Washington hotel before groping her.Perhaps it was inevitable that the Pats would go after a Haynesworth. (They have selected troubled players before, from Randy Moss to Brandon Meriweather.) Football is all about winning, and given that the New York Jets solved the Pats’ defense in the divisional round last year, you see how “competition” can outstrip “character” among front-office motives.Maybe we should remain grateful the Pats haven’t completely stocked their roster with felons, like the Cincinnati Bengals. And maybe we should look at Bill Belichick’s past reclamation projects (Corey Dillon, Moss) and see the addition of Haynesworth as a way to give him a second chance to become a productive member of society.But, you know, when Citizen Kane tossed aside his principles, it marked a character shift in the wrong direction. I’m afraid the same goes for Citizen Kraft.Rich Tenorio is a sports copy editor at The Item