Rob Gronkowski Has Surgery … Again
Poor Rob Gronkowski. Late Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Field Yates reported that Rob Gronkowski’s twice-surgically repaired forearm got infected and required another surgery. The Patriots tight end underwent the procedure last week and is expected to be ready for training camp, but I fully expect him to be a go-to sports radio topic this week.
It’s unclear how Gronkowski developed the infection, but I’m sure a vocal faction will blame it on excessive partying. Now, it’s certainly possible that Gronk aggravated the injury while wrestling with his buddies at a club in Las Vegas. But I doubt it. After Tom Brady tore up his knee in 2008, he developed an infection and required multiple surgeries. The situations are completely different, but my point is that clearly bad things can also happen to athletes who aren’t making nightly bar crawls.
I guess I’m just sick of the canned moralizing. Remember: this is the city where fans once criticized former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein for going to a Pearl Jam concert instead of attending a Red Sox-Yankees game. Epstein missed a single game. One game.
Irritatingly, Gronkowski isn’t just being judged for his flourishing social life. This morning, ESPN’s AFC East blog has a headline that says, “Is Rob Gronkowski too injury-prone?” Yes, Gronkowski has a history of injuries. But is the fact that his forearm—which he re-hurt after trying to brace his 265-pound body with it—is infected really a sign that he’s too injury-prone? The brutal nature of NFL football renders every player injury-prone. That includes Gronkowski, who after the week he’s had, probably needs a drink.
