Kettani left lasting image with Kraft

The painting hangs prominently in the private office of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Titled “Wide Left,” it shows an oversized football, a tiny goal post and the final score of 23-20, collectively representing the end of last year’s AFC championship game, won by the Patriots on former Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff’s botched, last-minute 32-yard field-goal attempt. The artist who created the colorful 4-foot-by-4-foot painting laughs at the irony of what happened after he gave it to Kraft. A little more than a month after Eric Kettani, then trying to win a spot on the Patriots’ roster, presented Kraft with the painting at a ceremony during training camp last summer, the former Navy fullback and budding artist was cut. After being brought back a few days later, Kettani was cut again the following week and joined the practice squad of the Washington Redskins for the 2012 season. While rooming with long snapper Nick Sundberg near the practice facility in Ashburn, Va., Kettani became friends with Cundiff, who was trying to resurrect his own career in Washington after he, too, was cut by the Ravens. Kettani said he never mentioned the painting to Cundiff, though Sundberg was aware of it and constantly kidded Kettani about it.