PatsFanStnfrd
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2009
- Messages
- 540
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- 4
Sadly, we already have early word leaked from Team Gronk (via that flake who is confirmed Rosenhaus mouthpiece Florio) that Gronk will be unavailable for Week 7 game vs. Jets.
"The early word, according to Pro Football Talk, is that Gronkowski is not expected to play this weekend against the New York Jets."
--reported by Nick Underhill Tom Brady: Patriots hold no resentment toward Rob Gronkowski | masslive.com
So who's surprised. Last week, Gronk was in Tom Brady's words the "best player in weeklong practices". They kept up the pretense thru Saturday evening, that they were waiting for clearance from Dr Andrews-- a call that never came.
Heck, who is kidding whom. Nearly 5 months after the surgery and after 6 weeks of practice eligibility, there are no additional scans that are going to help a remote surgeon "clear you". Dr. Andrews is simply the FRONT MAN behind whom Gronk himself is the decider. And of course, helping Gronk is his Dad. Dad seems to be urging Gronk to employ the full Derrick Rose playbook.
Florio -- usually a skeptic and muckracker but now beholden to Rosenhaus-- is staunchly defending Gronk and acting as unofficial spokeman for Team Gronk. Bedard and others are applauding the use of independent physicians.
But what happens when you have a player basically using the system to declare himself out for selfish reasons? What are the protections for the team? As far as I know, other than peer pressure, the team has no option.
By contrast, the Patriots have a lot of heroes. Danny Amendola suffered thru a groin tear and enormous pain to play, missing just 3 games when Florio was forecasting 6 weeks absence. Julian Edelman has played thru nicks and injuries. Bolden, Ridley, Wendel, I could go on and on. Every1 on the Pats -- indeed most football players in the NFL-- play thru some kind of injury.
Peter King of SI and Ben Volin of the Globe are the exceptions for calling Gronk out. Both cite teammates who are aware of what they see and know. In a team sport, the last thing u want to be known as is "a selfish person" looking out for self. Gronk's absence is a slap in the face of every member of the Pats who suits up to play -- even though they are NOT 100%.
And yes, Team Gronk, know this. There are NO guarantees against injury in the NFL. None. With your attitude, I foresee, Gronk getting nicked on the second or 3rd time he is tackled. He comes out. He is tended to by the independent doctors who are flown in to be on the sidelines. They declare him unfit to continue. He misses several more games before he is fit (or actually has the nerve) to play again. That's the pattern I see. I may be wrong. But I don't see this relationship ending well. The logic of Gronk says he is no longer about team.
I would be happy to be proven wrong.
"The early word, according to Pro Football Talk, is that Gronkowski is not expected to play this weekend against the New York Jets."
--reported by Nick Underhill Tom Brady: Patriots hold no resentment toward Rob Gronkowski | masslive.com
So who's surprised. Last week, Gronk was in Tom Brady's words the "best player in weeklong practices". They kept up the pretense thru Saturday evening, that they were waiting for clearance from Dr Andrews-- a call that never came.
Heck, who is kidding whom. Nearly 5 months after the surgery and after 6 weeks of practice eligibility, there are no additional scans that are going to help a remote surgeon "clear you". Dr. Andrews is simply the FRONT MAN behind whom Gronk himself is the decider. And of course, helping Gronk is his Dad. Dad seems to be urging Gronk to employ the full Derrick Rose playbook.
Florio -- usually a skeptic and muckracker but now beholden to Rosenhaus-- is staunchly defending Gronk and acting as unofficial spokeman for Team Gronk. Bedard and others are applauding the use of independent physicians.
But what happens when you have a player basically using the system to declare himself out for selfish reasons? What are the protections for the team? As far as I know, other than peer pressure, the team has no option.
By contrast, the Patriots have a lot of heroes. Danny Amendola suffered thru a groin tear and enormous pain to play, missing just 3 games when Florio was forecasting 6 weeks absence. Julian Edelman has played thru nicks and injuries. Bolden, Ridley, Wendel, I could go on and on. Every1 on the Pats -- indeed most football players in the NFL-- play thru some kind of injury.
Peter King of SI and Ben Volin of the Globe are the exceptions for calling Gronk out. Both cite teammates who are aware of what they see and know. In a team sport, the last thing u want to be known as is "a selfish person" looking out for self. Gronk's absence is a slap in the face of every member of the Pats who suits up to play -- even though they are NOT 100%.
And yes, Team Gronk, know this. There are NO guarantees against injury in the NFL. None. With your attitude, I foresee, Gronk getting nicked on the second or 3rd time he is tackled. He comes out. He is tended to by the independent doctors who are flown in to be on the sidelines. They declare him unfit to continue. He misses several more games before he is fit (or actually has the nerve) to play again. That's the pattern I see. I may be wrong. But I don't see this relationship ending well. The logic of Gronk says he is no longer about team.
I would be happy to be proven wrong.
