Gronk Says He and the Patriots are on the Same Page

The Herald – Rob Gronkowski said today he would play football on Sunday in games “when I’m ready.” Asked if the team was putting any pressure on him to play in wake of Herald reports of a divide between his camp and the Patriots, Gronk claimed that wasn’t the case. ”No . . . not at all. Everything’s great around here,” he said. ”I’m just going out to practice with the team. It’s helpful every single week to get chemistry back down, to get the timing of football down. And being out of football, the first couple days out there, I can’t lie, it was like, ‘Wow, I felt like a rookie. The speed was so quick.’ But everything’s catching back up… When I’m ready, I’m ready. I mean, if it’s this Sunday, next Sunday, or the Sunday after, it’s just going day-by-day,” he said… Asked if everyone was on the same page with his recovery and timetable for return, Gronkowski once again indicated there wasn’t a problem. ”We were on the same page from the very get-go. We’re still on the same page,” he said. ”It’s going good. I’m progressing every week. I’m feeling better every week, getting stronger every week, and getting in better condition every week. I’m still sticking to the motto, day-by-day . . . it’s going good.”

Well that settles that.  So much for all these reports about the Patriots pushing Gronk to return before he’s ready and his teammates getting frustrated that he’s not back already and Gordy Gronkowski holding him out like he’s the fully-loaded Chinkook of helicopter parents.  Because none of it is true.  We’ve got the real story right here from the horse’s mouth:  The Patriots and the the Gronks are on the same page and have been from the jump.  Of course this’ll be ignored by the press because it doesn’t fit their usual story line that there’s some monkeyshines going on here.  It’s the same load of horseshit they trot out with everything that goes on between Gronk and the Pats:

*He gets hurt blocking on an extra point in a blowout?  The coach would’ve pulled him from the game if he wasn’t such an arrogant little prick.

*He gets cleared to play and reinjures himself?  The team pressured him to come back too soon because they have total disregard for their players.

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*His arm gets infected?  He drinks and parties too much.

*He needs back surgery?  The team knew damn well he’s injury prone and this just proves they don’t know how to draft.

*He’s not back by Week 4?  The team doctor is a bungling idiot and Mr. Gronk had to come in and rescue his boy from this malpracticing hack.

It’s like I’ve said before, the Pats are the only team in all of sports where player injuries are a reflection of the moral failings of the organization.  I mean, last year Jimmy Graham missed more time than Gronk did, but all they said in New Orleans was “Gee, that sucks.”  No one psychoanalyzed the coach or claimed Graham’s lifestyle was the reason he wasn’t playing.  God knows around here the media isn’t going to let a little thing like Gronk saying he’s been completely on the same page as the team all along get in the way of a good controversy.  But the fact of the matter is, there’s nothing to see here.  Disburse, citizens.  Nothing to see here.  @JerryThornton1