NFLWeird But True

A Shirtless Rob Gronkowski Took The Stage With LMFAO After The Super Bowl

Much of the two-week period leading up to the Super Bowl was dominated by talk of Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, and whether he’d be healthy enough to play against the Giants after sustaining an injury during the AFC championship game. This despite the fct that, as far as wel could tell, no one ever really expected Gronkowski to miss the game – and sure enough, he played. And now, thanks to this photo, there’ll be plenty of Gronk talk after the big game (when everyone’s even more desperate for talking points since there’s no actual game coming up), too:

Yes, that’s Gronkowski, doing his thing (shirtless) on stage with LMFAO after the game (his brothers were there too). There’s one reason above all else you’re already seeing so much said about this subject: the Patriots lost. When an athlete wins the big game, just about any amount of partying will be not only tolerated but celebrated (Exhibit A). But we like our losing athletes disconsolate. Gronkowski, in that photo above, looks like he’s doing just fine. And some will probably hold that against him.

Is any of that fair? Not really. It’s hard to argue a guy who’s put in enough work on his game that he caught 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns as a tight end, and played last night despite not being 100 percent (and managed two catches for 26 yards), doesn’t care. But the fact is, plenty of Pats fans were in no mood to party rock last night…and, from the sound of it, neither was Tom Brady.

Brady might be an unfair comparison (especially as someone who’s been around a lot longer, has less career left, and has previously tasted the ultimate victory as well as defeat), but he’s the standard of greatness. Gronkowski has the potential to be that same type of standard-bearer for tight ends. And despite the fact that whether he parties the night of a tough loss ultimately has nothing to do with that in reality, it will in the minds of some. And Gronkowski’s probably already figuring that out.

Photo via Twitter