Gronk Bared His Soul a Little on 'The Shop' and it Was Compelling TV

Last night was the debut of the episode of HBO’s “The Shop,” that featured Rob Gronkowski, Kevin Hart, Li’l Nas X, Kevin Love CJ McCollum and a couple of others. I’m not predisposed to watching anything produced by Lebron James, so I’ll admit this is the first episode I’ve ever watched. And I’m still a little unclear on the concept of why it’s set in a barbershop. I mean, why can’t it just be men sitting in a circle drinking wine and talking without someone moving around behind them with clippers so the whole conversation sounds like it’s being watched by a woman working a vibrator? I guess it resonates with somebody, but I go to the kinds of barbershops where everyone just stares into their phones or old issues of Field & Stream. So what do I know?

Anyway, the whole conceit sort of works. At least it did in this one. If you’re interested in how competitive, creative people deal with fame, pressure, pain and the stress of succeeding/failing in the public eye – which I am – there’s a lot of meat on this bone. Kevin Love talking about hiding out in his apartment in Cleveland with crippling social anxiety alone was worth the half hour. It’s a side to these guys you rarely get to see and it humanizes guys we normally look at as stat lines or as making more money in one game than we do from working all year.

But needless to say, I was there for Gronk. And he did not disappoint. There’s been a lot said since his announcement about getting into CDB pain management, where he got emotional talking about the toll football was taking on him:

And in that clip at the top, he expands on it. The physical pounding he was taking. How he found himself getting run over by rookies. How even winning Super Bowls wasn’t giving him the satisfaction he was looking for, so he needed to get away from the game. I especially appreciated the insight into the demands of playing for this coach and this quarterback and how relentless they are in their desire to work harder, to get better, to win more. It gives you even more respect for all they’ve accomplished. And it’s not for everyone. At least it’s not for everyone forever. Eventually you burn out, as Gronk did after 10 years. It’s rare that you get a guy who can take the constant pressure to improve for years on end, like a Devin McCourty, a Matt Light or a Vince Wilfork.

Finally, the show was worth it just for this Kevin Hart story about meeting Belichick. We’ve heard variations on the theme a million times before. But it’s some of Hart’s best work since “Ride Along 2.”

I’m not about to let go of the dream of a rested, refreshed and ready Rob Gronkowski coming back in December to wreak postseason havoc. But if it doesn’t happen, I could live with him doing more candid TV like this. We learned more in 30 minutes than in all his postgame pressers combined.