It’s official. “Gronk Watch” is over.
For now.
Rob Gronkowski has until Nov. 30 — the day before the New England Patriots’ Week 13 game in Houston — to file for reinstatement if he wants to play this season. But he made it pretty clear in an “announcement” on Tuesday that we won’t be seeing him on the field anytime soon.
Last weekend, Gronkowski teased a “big announcement” on social media. And on Tuesday morning, he released a two-minute video in which he revealed news of “Gronk Beach”: a party in Miami the day before Super Bowl LIV.
This would mark the second time that Gronkowski failed to deliver a Patriots return with a purposely hyped-up announcement. The previous announcement he made came back in August, when he revealed his partnership with a CBD company.
Throughout the season, Gronkowski has kept the door open to playing football again. Well, now we know why he refuses to slam that door shut. He uses it to create buzz around his personal business ventures. Whether it’s an investment in CBD, or an open-bar beach bash in Miami, Gronk Inc. has decided that using football is better than playing football. And by using football, he’s also using football fans — specifically, Patriots fans — in the process.
From a business perspective, it’s a brilliant strategy. Many people believe that Gronkowski — at 30 years old — left the game far too early. There’s also the idea of a public negotiation taking place between Grownkowski and Bill Belichick, as in, Gronkowski and his agent Drew Rosenhaus are finally sticking to their guns about wanting to be paid for what Gronkowski is: one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the history of the NFL.
So why not keep that door open and continue to pull at the heart strings of every Patriots fan in the world, if it means you’ll have everyone’s attention when it comes time to drop the hammer on the next non-football-related business venture? As long as Gronkowski keeps that door open, publicly, he’ll have the football world eating out of his hand the next time he decides to make an announcement.
From a football perspective, the more time he spends teasing a return and then not delivering on that tease, the more people — in New England, at least — will become frustrated with his previously-brilliant business-like approach. Gronkowski didn’t lose any fans this week with the “Gronk Beach” announcement, but he definitely didn’t garner the same sympathy he received after his CBD promotional ad over the summer.
The Patriots’ offense could use Gronkowski’s services right now, perhaps more than ever before. Instead of answering the call to possibly play in Super Bowl LIV, he’s choosing to throw a bender the day before, putting “Gronk Watch” to bed, for now.
For now? Yes, for now.
What, you think Gronkowski isn’t going to tease a return to the Patriots in the offseason? Of course he’s going to. It’s his new business model. Heck, he’s already laying the ground work for the publicity of his next announcement.
“I wouldn’t say ‘never coming back,’” Gronkowski told ESPN on Tuesday. “I’m 30 years old. I’m young. I still stay fit, still watch the game whenever I can, still enjoy it. I’m feeling good, but you know, one year off could possibly be the case. Or maybe two years off, man.”
Is that Gronk Inc. or Gronk the Patriot talking? Perhaps we’ll find out when he announces his new reality TV series “Gronk Life” debuting next fall.
Either way, whether you’re frustrated with Gronkowski or not, I’m just here to tell you he’ll be making another announcement in the offseason.
And before he does, whether we like it or not, and whether we admit it or not, we’ll all be back on “Gronk Watch” once again like the suckers he knows we are.
Listen to “The Danny Picard Show” on iTunes and Spotify, and anywhere else podcasts are available. Watch “dPs LIVE” on YouTube. Follow him on Twitter @DannyPicard. Check out all his work at dannypicard.com.
