The Chainsmokers, I,
you know, I grew up in the 70s where Chainsmokers was actually
a thing. I did kids today. Don't know what a chain smoker
was. Hey, kids chain-smoker means
they smoked one cigarette and they light the next one
with the last one.
And that's how many cigarettes they are smoking
all day long, and I know that because my father
was one and he somehow made it to 76
despite being in a bar all day long.
Smoking in the second-hand fumes from everyone else and
lighting. His next one
with the last when my dad went to the original
Chainsmokers. He definitely won't be at Grand Beach for
a variety of reasons. Not the least of which he died in 1998.
I digress,
the 97 97 98.
So anyway, Grog beaches back through all that, it took
a very dark. Turn Bronk Beach is back is Gronk back.
He has recently said two things. One, if he
Back, he's playing for the box but to he's not ready to commit
to coming back. And that's fine.
That's fine. Why do it now? Why put yourself through
the offseason program? Especially if Tom Brady's, going to
encourage you guys not to show up for the offseason program.
Like he did last year. Gronckle come back when Grand comes
back, they'll welcome him back. He adds to the team. He doesn't
have to be there for the
offseason program. It doesn't have to put himself through
that. He'll be ready to go when the time comes and for him
the time comes the postseason. That's when he's making his
bones at this point. Who cares about the regular season
have him Ready to go when it's time to get to the single
elimination round and get back to a Super Bowl and try to win
another one.
Definitely. I'm in it doesn't matter. You're right off season
who really gives a crap. Right? I mean, it doesn't matter for
a guy like Gronk, you know, you've played that many plays
that many years, that high of a level.
You it's like riding a bike. For a guy like this. He doesn't
need the offseason and oota. Whoa, seven-on-seven practice
to be hitting on all cylinders
when training camp comes around, but
I will say nonetheless. I'm a mint.
I mean, I'm a little like, I guess shocked to hear him. Say
it's 50/50. I am I thought for sure when Brady was back, it
would mean he was back for sure.
The other thing to Mike is just
I mean, holy crapola. I mean Gronk is still awesome. I mean,
he's awesome. He's still one of the best tight ends in
football.
He is I mean, he's still an unbelievable mismatch in
the middle of the field for anybody that covers them and No, even
last year you look at what he did statistically 55 or
sections for eight hundred and two yards, out of the tight
end position. Holy cow yards per catch. Let alone. We know
what a 4C is In The End Zone. It was only 12 games he played
in
so that's where I guess I'm a little surprised and
you know, I guess Mike I always have a little bit of that
trepidation of you know, when a football player has one foot
out the door. It's usually not good for a football player, but
gronk's a little bit of a different animal and you know,
I don't know.
I'm not as concerned about him. Maybe as I am other guys, that
would be saying this stuff. Here's how I was, he's
different. He's full of crap, a lot of time, he and he says
things for effect, and I'm not making a judgment here. But how
many times have we?
You know, he crosses the line from guy who's telling us what
he really believes in to Entertainer, who's kind of
goofy over-the-top his quote from this weekend, when they
want him to catch passes at a charity event. I know if
I started catching some passes, my head would start turning
like, oh crap. I got to get back out on the field. I mean,
that's part of the gamesmanship. That's part of
the Gronk. Gronk. So he's got a plan deep down. He knows what
he's going to
do. And I don't think we're going to see him back on TV.
Remember, when he had the one year on TV. I think he was
wearing your suit. He got it look like
it. Right, right. He was like, he was like a little kid
putting on Dad's suit because he'd lost so much weight. And
that was one of the big things when he came back.
How long's it going to take for him to get into his, his proper
playing shape. I mean, he was downright skinny in that year
that he stopped playing but he'll be ready to go. When
went Brady activates the Gronk signal, he will be ready to go.
And he will be will play for the bucks
and they'll make another run at it and they may win another
Super Bowl that by the time it's all said and done. Yeah,
you're right. I mean again, it's I would think he's going
to come back to. I mean, why not? It looks like this will be
Brady's last year at least. It seems that way.
Why not? Give it one more shot. The Bucks are so good. You're
still planning a high-level. Gosh, I would think part of
Brady coming back. Was he would have thought, you know, Gronk
is gonna be there, too. Oh definitely.
So it is like if he's not there it makes you think a little
differently of them because you go. Okay. Now they only got
Cameron braid. He's solid but nothing special. We know
you know, Chris Godwin's not going to be ready to go early
in the year. That would be a blow to their football team to
a degree to not have him out there and know God when
especially early on
the other side of it to could be money.
Just because Tom Brady has a contracted pays him 10 million
in change this year and there's been no.
Indication that they're thinking about giving him more
money because they'd want more years, and I don't think he
wants to do more years, because he wants to go wherever he
wants to go next year.
I think maybe maybe
Bronk is thinking, hey, look at all the money that pass
catchers are getting this year. Look at the
tight end market look at, you know, look at what I can do for
a team. You want to pay me and who knows what they want to pay
him, but I'm not doing any discounts. If you want me to
come back and go through the grind of a football.
You gotta pay me.
Look at where the cap is. Look, where the money is.
Look at the stadium. It's full. You want me to be part of this
team? You got to take care of me financially. It's not worth
it to me,
to do it for less than x, and maybe that's what he's,
I wouldn't be hiding for. I wouldn't be shocked. You know,
he doesn't need the money, we've heard time. And again,
he's never spent a penny. Yeah, the money he's made as
a football player. He lives off of his non-football income.
Why do I need to put myself through it? The physical risk,
the toll everything that goes into it? Why do I need? To do
any of that for less than, whatever. My
my hard floor. Is that below that I just won't play and when
you're ready to pay me what I want, then I'll come back, that
could be part of this. I wouldn't be shocked. I mean
again where the market is right now and you know, what was
Gronk
made, what 9 million last year, right? It was somewhere in that
range. If I remember correctly.
I would think he wants more than that, especially with
the way he played and then he's gonna sit there and look at it
and go. Wait, Zach ertz is making 10.5. He's not even in
the same cat
Earth. Our planet has me taste some hills making ten million
dollars
as a tight end. He's going to look at that Dalton Schultz.
He's gonna go not only of these guys not all time greats.
They're not even as good as me right now. This second.
So from that standpoint there,
I could see him. Drawn A Line in the Sand about the number.
He has in his mind as far as what he wants or expects to get
from the Buccaneers.
I think we've kind of tripped on to what may be going on
here. Not that he's going to come out and say it, right?
He's not going to come out and say they're not willing to pay
me. That's not his way.
Way.
That's that's one of the benefits of being Gronk. You
can kind of chuckle your way through whatever. The real
issue is, but why wouldn't it be a real issue? He wants
a certain amount of money
and they either won't or can't give him what he's looking for
his right? And that's that. So I would bet they're offering
them 78
million a year and he's like, what? No way
I'm worth 12,
I had to agree with you. Mike to me. That would be the more
that he's gotten wind of what they kind of want to pay him.
So now it's 5050, you know, if he got the number he liked it.
An 80/20. Yeah, I might come back and play but he got
a number that he didn't like to hear. Anyway, I'm on the fence.
Now. That would be my babies.
It may be, the Buccaneers are just counting on Tommy to keep
working on. Yeah, right on him and working on him to the point
where he says. Okay, fine. I'll do it. Fine, Tom. All right,
let's go do it and it may be one of those things where you
just wait until we get closer to that
point in time that change in the smell of the grass in
the air. It's football season.
It's time for Gronk to go play football with his buddy. Tom
Brady. Yeah, they're not paying me as much as I. I want, but
I still want to go do it. So I'll take your damn offer and I'll
show up for training camp, that
may be exactly what's going on.