Poor Rob Gronkowski.
The ultra-talented tight end spent nine seasons with the Patriots, in which he won three Super Bowls and cemented himself as a cultural fixture. Gronk Inc. became big business: there was a Gronk party bus, Gronk party cruise and Gronk Fitness. His brothers went on “Shark Tank” to pitch the Gronk Ice Shaker, which exploded from $80,000 in sales to over $3 million in less than a year after the show’s airing.
tom Brady's broadcasting career is already a failure
Despite not playing football last season, Gronkowski remains a hot commodity. He’s a go-to guest on the myriad of national sports talk shows that feed the content machine.
Unfortunately, he often uses those appearances as a platform to whine about his experience with the Patriots. Gronk’s latest complaint came this week on Kay Adams’ FanDuel show. The five-time Pro Bowler said his time in New England was often depressing.
“A regular-season game with the Patriots actually, throughout my 20s, if we won a game, the next day it felt like we still lost a game,” he said. “And if we lost a game, it felt like you were in super depression for like two days — or like for the whole week.”
How horrible. Bill Belichick’s austerity sometimes dampened Gronk’s good vibes. The Patriots prioritized winning over fun.
Somebody should tell Gronk the winning is why he’s still relevant today.
It’s apparent that Gronkowski soured on Belichick’s methods during his final years with the Patriots, following Tom Brady’s lead. Gronkowski was so unhappy at the end, he reportedly thought about retiring before the 2017 season.
It’s a good thing he didn’t. The Patriots reached the Super Bowl in Gronkowski’s final two seasons, and won another one. Gronkowski added to his legend in Super Bowl LIII: he caught a 29-yard pass down the left sideline that set up the Patriots’ game-winning score.
All the while, Gronkowski still developed his brand. There was no shortage of Gronk Spikes and “69” jokes at Gillette Stadium while he was around.
There’s no doubt that Gronkowski sacrificed his body for the Patriots. He underwent at least nine surgeries — including three back procedures — and suffered numerous concussions. This wasn’t a one-way partnership. It was mutually beneficial.
Maybe one day Gronk will see that.