In the past week alone, Rob Gronkowski has invaded the ring at WrestleMania and been tackled by Tom Brady on the Fenway Park infield.
Before that, he was slamming beers along the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl parade route and dropping “69” references at the Daytona 500.
Yeah, Gronk likes to have a good time. He always has. And since his hijinks haven’t gotten him in any trouble with the law, nobody really seems to care.
There apparently are some NFL players, however, who believe the tight end might be vilified for his off-the-field antics if he was not, well, Rob Gronkowski.
Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman wrote about this topic Wednesday in his “10-Point Stance” column. Though he made it very clear he has no issue with Gronkowksi’s prolific partying, Freeman cited four players who pondered whether the Patriots star is “held to a different standard than others in the league.”
From Freeman:
“What sets Gronk apart from other players is how he parties in a highly public manner. It isn’t hard to find a long list of such moments.Â
“That’s great. I wish all players did this. They should be allowed to party as much as they want and be as public as they want.
“However, I recently heard from four players, two from each conference, who all wondered if Gronkowski is held to a different standard than others in the league.
“None wanted to be quoted, even on an off-the-record basis, but each made the point that they didn’t think a player such as Cam Newton could do what Gronk does without public backlash.”
Gronkowski has every reason to enjoy life. He’s now a two-time Super Bowl winner, and although he missed the final two months of this past season after undergoing back surgery, he remains the best tight end in the NFL when healthy.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
