I didn't read the latest bash from ESPN, nor will I. I agree with Deus:
Gronk has said almost nothing about this, and has reportedly been working out at the facility. Naturally, that hasn't stopped posters from saying all manner of stupid things impugning the big guy.
Look, playing for BB has to be extremely difficult, I am dead serious. The amount of singular mental focus it must take to stay at the very high level he demands must be exhausting. There's a reason guys are considered "once in a generation". They are special, and they care only about one thing: winning football games. It consumes them. Perhaps Gronk is mentally tired of the grind. Abused by defenders. Ridden by the coaches. Fans who want a piece of him. Everyone around him chasing dollar signs. His HoF QB talking about the end game. I would think the guy would just like to be a 28 year old guy, sit on a beach and chill. Enjoy some of the "trappings" that come with being a successful, single athlete built like a Greek God. Perhaps that frustration spilled out on that nasty BS cheap shot he did on Tre'Davious White.
I'm not saying that his life sucks. Quite the contrary. He's never lived check to check, never had to worry about paying the rent or buying groceries. But that doesn't mean it's not a stressful, tiresome grind. He certainly could go play for another team, where he could relax mentally and just play the game. But I am willing to bet good money that he knows that the Gronk Persona he's created thrives here in Foxboro. It makes him more money later if he's here now. In pretty much any other NFL city, he's just another great athlete. I am also willing to be that he looks at a place South Beach or Southern California and thinks "man, that would be great. Play football, get paid, have no stress." Bur deep down, he knows as long as Brady is here, this is the place to be. I would add: we all suspect Brady might also be frustrated, and that must affect Gronk as well.
I am not gonna bash the guy because the grind might be wearing thin. If he's vocal about it, that's how guys get traded out of here. It might happen. Then again, he might just shut up and take it. If he's vocal, and he's a contrarian voice in the locker room, then he
should be traded. If he's a good soldier, then he'll shut up and Do His Job.
That was a novel, compared to most of my posts.
