NFL fans were caught in another bait-and-switch Thursday.
Twitter was in an uproar after Rob Gronkowski tweeted he was “kinda bored” Wednesday. Multiple fan bases wanted the retired tight end and FOX Sports analyst to come back to their team, especially the New England Patriots or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gronkowski followed up his tweet with a video that was, predictably, a sponsored post announcing his partnership with FanDuel. The caption for the video was “I’ve been waiting for this call.”
“I’m bored,” Gronkowski said. “I may go back and play. Just kidding but I really need something to do.”
It seemed obvious the tweet was a tease for a partnership deal, but NFL fans seemingly haven’t learned their lesson from the Drew Brees situation.
The retired quarterback apparently was struck by lightning in a viral video posted on Dec. 2. The footage was vague enough to look real for some, which created concern among fans for Brees’ wellbeing.
The incident turned out to be a marketing stunt, but New Orleans Saints reporters still had to reassure everyone Brees was fine.
It’s not the first time companies have used viral stunts or social media to promote themselves or partnership deals. And as long as people fall for them, it won’t be the last time these kinds of situations will happen.
