UPDATE: The Asian Guy Gronk Supposedly Slurred Has No Problems With Him and They're Old Friends

TMZ – New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski did NOT offend an Asian fan with his fried rice joke earlier this week … so says the Asian fan himself, who tells TMZ Sports, he laughed along with the rest of the crowd. The 41-year-old (who wished to be identified only by his first name Joe) tells us, when Gronk poked fun at him at Sunday’s Q&A event in Foxborough, MA — saying, “They told me he could only cook fried rice!” — he wasn’t bothered by it … in fact, he thought it was funny. Joe says he’s been buddies with Gronk for more than a year and a fan for more than 15, so a little teasing here and there is all in good fun. He says he knows Gronk meant no harm by the jokes, which also included calling Joe “Leslie Chow” … aka Ken Jeong’s character from “The Hangover.” Joe tells us, he feels partly responsible for the firestorm around the fried rice joke because he hammed up his dance moves for the camera, and generally acted silly when he probably shouldn’t have. Joe says he reconnected with Gronk Wednesday night at an autograph signing, and the tight end expressed regret over the whole incident — but as far as Joe is concerned, it’s all water under the bridge.

So that explains that.  Gronk and Joe are old pals of 15 years.  How they became friends when Gronk was 9 years old is erroneous.  The fact is they’re friends and were just bustin’ balls like buddies do.  Joe has no problem with Gronk’s friendly kidding around, so neither should anyone else.  So all the trolls who’ve been demagoguing this and saying the Patriots need to reign their boy in or even (snicker) cut him, better take it back.  Now I hope Gronk just pulls a Michael Corleone, goes up to the reporters at his locker and says “ I challenge this committee to produce any witness or evidence against me and if they do not I hope they will have the decency to clear my name with the same publicity with which they now have besmirched it.”  But neither he nor I will hold our breath.  The media has it out for him and they’ll continue to use anything they can against him. I mean, just to prove the point of the rampant hypocrisy here, this was the TMZ’s own headline:

Advertisement

Gronkowski’s Asian Fan No Hot & Sour Feelings After Fried Rice Joke

So who’s the real racists?  According to Joe… the only one who’s opinion counts… it ain’t Gronk.  There’s nothing to see here.  Please disburse.  Nothing to see here…

@JerryThornton1