As soon as Sunday’s game ended, the Patriots’ official twitter account congratulated “the greatest of all time.” That, of course, was meant for Tom Brady. The Patriots followed that with a warning: “And Gronk, be careful with that trophy...”
Rob Gronkowski dented the Patriots’ most recent Lombardi Trophy by using it as a baseball bat during a celebration at Fenway Park after the team’s Super Bowl LIII victory over the Rams. The Patriots did not have the trophy repaired.
Maybe that explains why Gronkowski has yet to touch the Super Bowl LV Lombardi Trophy won by the Buccaneers.
“That was dangerous how I dented that trophy, but I always blame that on Julian [Edelman]. He threw me the pitch,” Gronkowski told ESPN on Monday. “I haven’t even touched the Lombardi Trophy. I’m not sure if it’s for a reason, if the Buccaneers organization is trying to keep it away from it, but it would be pretty cool just to even see it. I just saw it from about 30 yards away yesterday, but I have not touched it yet. Hopefully, I get to soon.”
Gronkowski, who caught six passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns, apparently will treat this Lombardi Trophy with all the reverence it deserves.
“I’m going to give it a big kiss,” Gronkowski said. “I’ve got to pay my respects to it. Give it a big hug. Give it a kiss. Hold it up in the air. Then, I just go with the flow. I just never know what’s going to happen. I really don’t try to plan anything. I just go with the flow and whatever happens happens. I just like being in that moment and thinking of things on the spot.”