Gronk being Gronk
Around the same time Joe Flacco and his teammates were standing under confetti in New Orleans, Rob Gronkowski was strutting his stuff on a stage at a Vegas night club.
When I first saw the TMZ video on Tuesday, I thought, “My God, this is Chippendales on steroids!”
Gronkowski has this thing about taking his shirt off in public, which is harmless. The Patriots tight end has an impressive upper body, not to mention some good moves for a white guy from Buffalo.
The only attire he was wearing from the waist up was a long black cast on his left arm, which in no way impeded his dance routine. It was all good until Gronk ended the exhibition by body slamming his dance partner to the stage floor, then toppling over him. Good thing he had that cast on to break his fall.
This is not the first time we’ve seen Gronk tearing up a dance floor while injured. Last year he was caught by camera at a party just hours after the Patriot’s loss to the Giants in Indy. Despite that high ankle sprain which would require surgery any day, Gronk jumped up and down on the dance floor like a pogo stick. He was obviously feeling no pain.
All of New England knows that Gronk is a big, tough, nimble athlete. He is also 23 years old.
I have a 20-year-old son, which makes me old enough to be Gronk’s mother, so I am taking this opportunity to offer Gronk some motherly advice.
When my son is on his way out the door to meet his friends, I say, “Have fun, and stay out of trouble.” This advice is not foolproof, but I always feel better after offering it.
As a mom I would also tell Gronk that there isn’t anywhere he can go where there isn’t a camera. We live in a world where our every move can be recorded in public or private places. As an athlete and celebrity this is magnified one thousand percent.
The only truly private place Rob Gronkowski can dance like that with his shirt off is in front of his own bathroom mirror.
But what fun would that be? The whole point is that Gronk wants to dance and party with other people. Which is fine. He just can’t do it with a cast on or with a bad ankle that requires surgery.
Personally, as a fan of football, I want Gronk to keep being Gronk. I love that he showed up shirtless at a college bar in Baton Rouge during Super Bowl week. What’s the big deal if nobody’s getting hurt? To shut down this guy’s zest for life would be cruel. At some point Gronk will be 30, maybe have a wife and a couple kids, and settle down. That’s when he can get boring. Remember when Tom Brady used to hang out and party with the likes of bad girl Tara Reid?” These days Brady is a father of three, changes diapers, goes for family bike rides and gives his kids piggy-back rides. Ho hum.
Chances are Gronk is headed to the woodshed with his boss and coach. Hopefully they will go easy on him.
I showed the TMZ video to my 17 year old daughter and husband.
My daughter said, “That song he’s dancing to is by 2 Chainz.”
My husband said, “ Two Chains is exactly what Belichick is going to put around his ankles.”
A slap on the wrist would be better. Just make it the right wrist- the one without the cast on it.
