Sports Illustrated Columnist Laments 'Free Pass' Given To Rob Gronkowski
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- In the week that has passed since Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from football, most of the coverage focusing on the all-world player has been positive. It's largely been a celebration of some of the most jaw-dropping plays from Gronkowski's Hall of Fame career.
That may have just been too much for Andrew Brandt, a former Green Bay Packers executive who now writes a "Business of Football" column for Sports Illustrated. In that column space this week, Brandt dedicated some words to Gronkowski, though not in the way most people have been gabbing about the now-retired tight end.
Instead, Brandt opted to lament the fact that a double standard was applied to Gronkowski, that a "free pass" was given to Gronkowski for some of his "behavior" which was "certainly not admirable," and that Gronkowski probably could have been a more productive football player if only he hadn't chugged all those beers.
(Perhaps most controversially of all, Brandt only said that Gronkowski is "probably" a Hall of Famer. Aca-scuse me?)
Here's what Brandt said:
I look back shaking my head at the free pass that Gronk constantly received from fans and media, even beyond New England. "Gronk being Gronk" became an easy catchphrase and rationalization about behavior that (1) was certainly not admirable and (2) would not create the same response for other players.
...
I ask you to pick another player, any player; I will not pick one for you, as that would skew this experiment. Now imagine that player shown slamming beers, partying regularly with bikini-clad women and generally promoting a hard-party lifestyle. Would we say it's just "him being him" and let him have his fun? I doubt it.
Then came the real whopper:
But consider this: It is a fair question to ask whether Gronk would have been injured less and had a more productive career had he partied less.
Brandt cautioned against any naysaying of his column by admitting that it's not a popular stance to raise such questions about "a goofy and likeable meathead."
But ... did the former vice president of the Packers just suggest that a few Bud Lights in June could have led to a lack of productivity in November?
Was that a real suggestion that hanging around with women wearing bikinis ... led ... to ... more ... injuries?
Would Gronkowski have been safer from a flying helmet tearing apart his knee ligaments if the ladies had been wearing one-pieces instead of bikinis? Perhaps if those gals had shown some more decency by covering up with a sarong, Gronkowski's spine would have been able to better handle the rigors of getting hit by NFL linebackers and safeties. Same goes for his head being protected from a concussion, or his forearm snapping.
To think, it all could have been avoided if only he had chosen better company (in terms of their wardrobe choice). Curse you, bikinis!
(Can we now, as individuals, pin all of our own personal shortcomings on our own trips to the beach, where we've certainly been surrounded by ladies wearing bikinis? Makes you think.)
On a realer note, Brandt's suggestion that "fans and media usually don't laugh off his kind of off-field persona the way they have with Gronk" is a pretty wild one. The young man did enjoy a frothy brew from time to time in front of the cameras, but he never once in his career appeared to be out of shape. Look only to the end of the 2015 AFC Championship Game in the thin air of Denver, when the then-26-year-old tight end fought through the fatigue and exhaustion to make a 40-yard catch on fourth-and-10 and then run free in the end zone for a touchdown reception on New England's final drive.
That was just one drive, but Gronkowski physically always appeared to be as fit as can be. To think that the most productive tight end of all time could have been more productive, based on speculation about "partying regularly with bikini-clad women" is a rather specious suggestion.
Brandt also added that "Gronk's behavior led to rationalization, whereas the same behavior coming from others would typically lead to excoriation." It'd be a fair point if there were some examples provided of a player getting ripped by fans and media for, say, attending parties in the offseason, or chugging a beer during a Super Bowl parade. Alas, there are only countless examples of players doing those exact things without receiving any criticism from anybody. (The only people that come to mind were the 2016 Giants receivers, who managed to squeeze in their boat party in Miami after their Week 17 win, less than a week before their playoff game, which they ended up losing.)
To say "the same behavior coming from others would typically lead to excoriation" without providing any examples of that excoriation feels a bit thin.
NFL players have come under fire for physically and/or sexually assaulting women, for driving recklessly, for child abuse, for weapon possession, for driving drunk, and a whole litany of actual criminal behavior.
As far as we can tell, Gronkowski has only had the audacity of enjoying the ride during his nine-year NFL career. It's actually quite sensible why he doesn't get "excoriated" for his "not admirable" behavior.
But, really, he's "probably" a Hall of Famer? Probably?! That's the most egregious take of them all.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.