No fools, those Patriots. They knew Gronkowski would be an obvious focus yesterday. They subsequently sent him into public without his protective boot. Brady all but encouraged people to take pictures of Gronkowski’s feet – which we did – while Gronkowski emphasized, over and over again, that he is taking things day by day.
Clearly, the detail-oriented Bill Belichick wanted it out there that Gronkowski’s status is improving.
We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again: Gronkowski will likely play Sunday. The question is how effectively and for how long, something that Belichick and the Patriots knew days ago. The moment Gronkowski went down in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium, anyone with half a brain knew that the colossus who serves as New England’s all-galaxy tight end had suffered a high ankle sprain – or worse.
Since that time, it has been reported that Gronkowski had at least “some” ligament damage and that he will likely need surgery to repair his ankle after the Super Bowl. And yet, there was Gronkowski yesterday, questioned by everyone from Maria Menounos to Dan Shaughnessy - now there’s a spectrum for you - about the health of a left ankle that might as well have been propped up on a chair.
Why didn’t the Patriots just hand out results of Gronkowski’s X-rays or medical reports? Couldn’t he have at least taken his socks off?
We all know what Gronkowski means to the Patriots offense. If and when a movie is made about the 2011 Patriots, the lovable Gronkowski would be played by Dolph Lundgren. This season, Gronkowski had the greatest season ever put forth by a tight end in the history of the NFL. He is the prototype for what a tight end should be. Gronkowski is so big, fast, strong, quick and tough that one cannot help but wonder if, at birth, his mother held him by the back of the ankles and dipped him in to the river Styx.
Nonetheless – and unfortunately – Gronkowski is human, ultimately vulnerable to the same injuries and pitfalls as any man.
