New England Patriots - NESN.com
Those watching could sense the awkwardness between Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick during a cringeworthy moment late in “The Roast of Tom Brady.”
But to hear Julian Edelman and Drew Bledsoe tell it, and to hear what they recalled from the green room well before Kraft’s public praise of Belichick and the ensuing on-stage shot, well, it all but confirms the tension.
“Bill’s opening up, he’s having fun,” Edelman said of the backstage moment while hosting Bledsoe on his “Games with Names” podcast released Monday. “He’s talking war stories, talking rookie skits, talking fun (expletive) — doing the (expletive) we know Bill is all about. But it was like amplified because he was excited to see guys, cause he doesn’t have a job anymore.”
Edelman said Randy Moss and Rob Gronkowski joined him in the room, along with Bledsoe, Bledsoe’s brother and friend, among others.
“And then Kraft walks in,” Bledsoe said. “Belichick’s kind of holding court, as he’s in the middle of the story, Kraft walks in and you guys all go over to say hi to Kraft. And the last man standing, to hear him tell it, is my bro.
“He’s like, ‘Well, Bill’s telling this story, if I leave then he’s telling the story to nobody because everybody is saying hi to Kraft.'”
Edelman humorously said he tried to give Belichick the heads up that Kraft walked in. But when the Patriots owner stepped into the green room, Edelman said he remained exactly where he was.
The tension in that room, though, could cut (expletive) glass.
Julian Edelman on ‘Games with Names’
“The tension in that room, though, could cut (expletive) glass,” Edelman said. “I was so awkward. … I was like, ‘Oh (expletive), there’s going to be some fireworks.’ I just walked away. I didn’t want to get in there.”
Bledsoe added: “It was. It was real. … That was some crazy (expletive), man.”
Bledsoe said Kraft and Belichick chatted just the two of them for “at least” 10 minutes. However, Belichick’s reference to “The Dynasty” documentary, which he referred to as the “roast of Bill Belichick” more or less confirms his current feelings.
