New England’s Sub Zero No. 87 was the brightest of Patriot stars at yesterday’s Super Bowl Media festival.
Seated at station No. 1 facing a couple of dozen tripods and scores of reporters, Gronkowski was polite, funny, bilingual, cooperative, and downright Gronk-olicious for the full hour of inanity. He modeled a goofy tricornered red Patriot cap, explained that he got Bs in high school Spanish, and successfully named three Kardashian sisters (Kim, Khloe, Kourtney).
The only thing he didn’t answer was the question about his high left ankle sprain, a serious injury suffered in the AFC Championship Game against Baltimore. After sustaining the injury in the third quarter, Gronk came back for some late-game snaps against the Ravens. He hasn’t practiced in 10 days and arrived in Indianapolis wearing a protective boot on his left foot.
The boot was gone yesterday, but Gronk wouldn’t put a percentage on his chances of playing - or playing well - against the Giants. When a reporter asked him to describe the pain of a high ankle sprain, he thought for a moment, rubbed his frying-pan-hands together, and said, “Let me give you one.’’
No thanks.
On a team with Tom Brady, Chad Ochocinco, Wes Welker, and Vince Wilfork, Gronk has emerged as a media go-to guy. He looks like the inflated bodybuilder who says “I pick things up and put them down’’ in Planet Fitness commercials, but Gronk might soon be auditioning to play “The Most Interesting Man in the World.’’
In a moment that went viral on the web, Gronk was interviewed by ESPN Deportes’ John Sutcliffe after winning the AFC Championship. New England’s all-world tight end unleashed some broken Spanish (“repeat-o’’ was a good one) and when asked how he planned to celebrate, wound up saying, “Yo soy fiesta.’’
Which translates, of course, to “I am party.’’
“I wasn’t really trying to say that, but that’s just how it came out and it worked out well,’’ Gronk said yesterday.
