Gronkowski May Have Put Himself in Harms Way For Rematch With Bills

[yukon cornelius]

And, I repeat my comment. He could bring in a three hour appeal tape and it won't change a thing.

If he gets one game, he should just take it and sit out next week. It it's a two week suspension that would have him out for the Steelers' game, it might be worth going through the charade you describe if there's a chance he could serve the suspension during the final two weeks of the season during home games that they should win.

But, no matter how you cut it, he's going to have to serve the suspension he's given...just a question of when it's in the Pats best interests for him to do so.

It was a vicious, unnecessary hit on a defenseless player OB and on the ground for a couple of seconds already. No one is going to listen to his complaining that he "gets held" or otherwise impeded on many plays. He's the top professional at his position in the League and no one is going to let him off the hook...and I doubt very much that Gronk would whine to the League in the first place. If he didn't feel he had something for which to apologize, he wouldn't have apologized in the first place.

you're wrong on all counts, sorry

 

[PatsFanSince74]

you're wrong on all counts, sorry

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.
Have a nice day.

 

[brdmaverick]

If we had a rational commissioner (I know, I jest) one appropriate reaction to heat of the moment intent to harm could be suspension for the next game vs the Bills.

Trust me, it makes complete sense to me, but I can see how it would lead to a slippery slope if the commish can pick which game a player will be suspended (other than 'the next one').

After all, imagine if today it is announced that Gronk is suspended for 1 game, but that it will be the Steelers game and not this week's Dolphins game.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Trust me, it makes complete sense to me, but I can see how it would lead to a slippery slope if the commish can pick which game a player will be suspended (other than 'the next one').

After all, imagine if today it is announced that Gronk is suspended for 1 game, but that it will be the Steelers game and not this week's Dolphins game.

Your point is well taken

 

[Pats1989]

Here's the question: Would you rather play the AFCCG at home without Gronk or would you rather go to Pittsburgh and play it with Gronk? Sure, they were able to beat Pitt at home last year without Gronk. But that was with a healthy Edelman & company.

Furthermore, if you beat the Steelers on the 17th, you could sit Gronk & Brady for Xmas eve ( likely lose), but then bring them back to still wrap up 1st place on New Year's vs the Jets.

Your risking your season by trotting both of them out vs Buffalo. It's not worth it.

 

[Pats1989]

you don't sit anyone because they might be targeted......Gronk will get a game and the Bills will get a warning about what they said....and if the Bills still do something about it, then we will have a new bountygate to watch

Cool. But your season is done without Brady and Gronk. Next year, both teams will have new players. Edelman will be back. Losing Gronk won't be a killer ( see 2016) if you get a decent replacement TE.

 

[archstanton543]

Jesus Marimba, Gronk is not the only guy to cheap shot someone and it's not like guys don't do it all the time. We're not used to it 'round here because BB runs a tight ship. But they're football players, they'll handle it.

This fainting couch nonsense ("Oh my stars and garters! What if they target Gronk?!?!) is pathetic. I thought we as fans were smarter than that.

 

[rochrist]

Despite what Gronk did this definitely needs to be brought up to the league and reminders sent to the Refs about calling this **** fairly. I have no doubt that every other team is going to try this now in hopes of getting away with it since the Refs seem to overlook it.

They already do.

 

[mosslost]

what Gronk did was not football, not a play, or even an action in the course of football. And whining about the holding and PI as some sort of excuse for Gronk's attack is absurd.

@rochrist 4 Q

 

[IllegalContact]

Cool. But your season is done without Brady and Gronk. Next year, both teams will have new players. Edelman will be back. Losing Gronk won't be a killer ( see 2016) if you get a decent replacement TE.

 

[brdmaverick]

Your point is well taken

And yours is a good point as well.

After all, if some team is going to gain an advantage from Gronk's suspension, why not let it be the team that was the target of Gronk's actions?

 

[varjao]

When you've got a guy like Gronkowski who is very hard to bring down, the league's going to go easier on defenders who make some gray area moves. We saw Travis Kelce famously throw a tantrum to the refs in a similer situation a few years back because he got facemasked and the refs let it go. Big muscular guys who can break tackles, the league is going to go easier on defenders who get "creative" in finding ways to bring them down.

So it's a question of either holding up the game and changing the outcome to charge defenders for every little ticky tack call on a guy like that in complete disregard of THEIR emotions, or let a few things go as long as the big guy isn't getting hurt.

It's probably not fair, but refs are human beings too, they know the defensive guys are playing as hard as they can and a guy who can muscle his way out of triple coverage, the defense is going to get desperate to find a way to deal with that. It's one of those "enforcing the letter of the rules or managing the tone of the game" decisions a ref should never have to make in an ideal world, but sometimes does.

The point is, this has been happening to Gronk his whole career. I don't blame him for flipping out, but I do blame him for doing it in a way that hurt another NFL player and possibly put him in concussion protocol, and I would understand up to a 3 game suspension on this guy for that deliberate, unnecessary, absolutely avoidable contact with clear intent to hurt if not injure. Losing your cool and injuring another player is NEVER OK, no matter how frustrated you are. If that hurts the Patriots in the long run -- well, Gronk should have kept his cool, shouldn't he? Refs or no refs, what he did is 100% on him.

This is the Patriots, you do your job and leave the rest to the team, you absolutely don't take it upon yourself to do this kind of thing here, no one should know that better than Gronk.

What? The guy is big, fast, has football skills to play it at the highest level, can put it all together and then you're saying it's OK to defend him going against the rules because otherwise would be unfair given how great a football player he is?

Every team had a chance to draft him and passed, a few teams twice, **** THEM ALL.

What happened yesterday is on the refs (and Gronk, of course). Gronk did a mistake, there is no other way to look at this and if TJ Ward did this to Gronk, we would be asking for death penalty. So I'm ok if he gets suspended for 1 or 2 games, BUT, the refs were acting in bad faith yesterday. I don't even want to hear about tick tacky calls, IT WAS NOT, they were on a mission, after that offensive PI on him still early in the game I knew that he was going to get held all game, like it happened. These refs are calling a game with huge responsibility and acting like spoiled kids.

It's a shame that this is not being discussed on the media today, I bet the mediots watch one or 2 game per week and then watch only highlights of the other games so there's a lot of talking without knowing the context of what happened, it was not only that play, Gronk lost it after being ****ed all game. A 8 year veteran that never showed any sign of being dirty, god forbid something serious had happened with White, the reasons for that outrage should be brought to light. Considering that we are living in CTE times in the NFL, and one of the areas of the brain that this disease attacks is the part where one controls the anger , if this league had a serious front office they should be in a meeting this morning asking Why the **** did this happen? But no, I bet Goodell was licking his chops yesterday thinking how he would **** the Patriots again and not a bit worried about the quality of the refs, what lead Gronk to do this and also White's health.

 

[mosslost]

And yours is a good point as well.

After all, if some team is going to gain an advantage from Gronk's suspension, why not let it be the team that was the target of Gronk's actions?

Suspension is to punish the Pats

 

[PatriotsReign]

that's nonsense

But, it makes sense!

 

[PatriotsReign]

you're wrong on all counts, sorry

Thanks for your OPINION

 

[patman12]

Meh, it's Buffalo. They'd find a way to screw up the payback and mistakenly take out 2 of their own.

 

[reflexblue]

Does anybody remember the game in buffalo about 10 years ago where brady scambled and then gave himself up. There were three bills defenders standing over him they hesitated like they couldn't decide what to do even though all they had to do was tag him. Alll three proceeded to dive on him similar to what gronk did. They got a roughing the passer or unsportsman like conduct for 15 yards. Its one of the more bizarre plays ive seen.

 

[cupofjoe1962]

Do not see BB holding Gronk back, unless the NFL decides otherwise, the Pats/Gronk need to face this thing head on and not run from it..

Stupid mistake, stupid penalty.. deal with it and all of its consequences..

Brady might be more at risk than Gronkowski for a cheap hit..

I agree he will play, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Gronk got an early seat early in the second half if we are up 3 touchdowns.

It would be the smart move.

 

[IllegalContact]

But, it makes sense!

no....if there is something to play for then it makes zero sense

 

[brdmaverick]

Suspension is to punish the Pats

Well, obviously, but at the same time it's an advantage to someone else. Like when Laveon Bell was suspended in the game against the Pats in 2015. I know, that's the breaks (just like there was a huge difference if you were scheduled to play the Pats early or late this season, Rodgers vs no Rodgers)