Why New England Fans Should be Happy for Brady and Gronk
Throughout my entire life, I have always loved the New England Patriots. I was born in 1997, so I have been alive for all seven of Tom Brady’s Super Bowl victories. I was five when Brady won his first ring in 2002, and I remember the game vividly.
I know there are a lot of Pats fans that are very similar to me in this regard. Following Tampa Bay’s victory in Super Bowl LV, New England fans took to the internet to congratulate or trash the Buccaneers.
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski’s tenure in New England didn’t end with the Disney movie narrative that we would’ve hoped. However, if you’re a New England fan, you should be happy for Brady and Gronk.
Why you ask? Because it’s the right thing to do.
Rob Gronkowski: The Best Tight End in NFL History
Rob Gronkowski is in the conversation for being the most outstanding tight end of all-time. Gronkowski was with the New England Patriots from 2010-2018, and he played a critical role in three Super Bowl runs.
Gronk was a member of the Super Bowl XLIX, LI, and LIII teams in New England. He caught 521 passes for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in the regular season in nine years with New England.
The 31-year-old was also critical in the team’s nine playoff appearances during his time in New England. In the playoffs, Gronk caught 81 passes for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns. Some of Gronk’s playoff catches propelled New England to Super Bowl victories.
Gronk was a four-time First-Team All-Pro in 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2017. He was selected to the NFL 100th Anniversary Team as well as the All-Decade Team of the 2010s.
The future Hall of Famer played a significant role in New England’s success from 2010-2018.
Tom Brady: The GOAT
Rob Gronkowski was a legend in New England, but Tom Brady was a god. Brady spent 20 seasons with the Patriots, where he carried the team to six Super Bowl victories in nine appearances.
Brady started for 18 of his 20 seasons with the Patriots. He served as Drew Bledsoe’s backup in his rookie year, and he missed a full season in 2008 after suffering a severe leg injury in Week 1. This means that Brady took his team to the Super Bowl 50% of the time as a Patriot.
Brady was the GOAT before he left New England. The sixth-round pick was never the most talented athlete, but he just outworked his opponents from the minute he set foot in the New England locker room.
Brady won four Super Bowl MVP Awards in six victories for the Patriots. He was named the league’s most valuable player trophy in 2007, 2010, and 2017. In addition to this honor, he was a five-time All-Pro and a fourteen-time Pro Bowl selection.
He has made two NFL All-Decade teams and was a unanimous selection for the NFL 100th Anniversary Team.
Why You Should be Happy for these New England Legends
I’m not going to lie. It sucks seeing Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski win for someone else as a New England fan. Brady is our quarterback, and Gronk is our tight end. It was strange watching them hoist the Lombardi in a Tampa Bay jersey.
However, you should still be happy for Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Gronk had a great outing in Super Bowl LV, but he wasn’t a huge factor throughout the year. Brady was critical for the success of the Buccaneers’ in 2020.
What the future Hall of Famer did in his first season with his new team in a year filled with COVID-19 restrictions is remarkable.
Tom Brady deserves a lot of credit for Tampa Bay’s success.
Tampa Bay may be Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski’s current home, but these two legends were built in New England. If you made a Mount Rushmore of New England sports figures, Tom Brady would be the first person on the monument, and Rob Gronkowski would be an honorable mention selection.
The New England Patriots wouldn’t be where they are now without Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. We need to be happy for their achievements elsewhere because they gave us hundreds of memories over the past twenty years.
