New England Patriots veteran quarterback Tom Brady reacted to the news that former teammate, retired tight end Rob Gronkowski, damaged the Lombardi Trophy after he used it as a bat and bunted a practice pitch by wide receiver Julian Edelman.
On his Twitter account, Brady commented on a story posted by Bleacher Report about the incident with a Graphics Interchange Format or GIF of a shocked face.
The incident happened on April 9 when the Patriots visited Fenway Park where they were honored for winning their sixth Super Bowl trophy. They were also scheduled to throw out the first pitch after the Boston Red Sox received their World Series ring.
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) Abril 17, 2019
The incident happened during Red Sox opener
While waiting for the ring ceremony to finish, several Patriots players, including Gronkowski, Edelman, and a few others were in a tent in the corner of left field. Then, the players decided to practice their pitches so they started throwing against the side of the tent, with Gronkowski's throw damaging the canvas.
Edelman decided that he needed a batter to help his accuracy while Gronkowski obliged to become the imaginary hitter. Then, Gronkowski picked up the Lombardi Trophy and used it as a bat and bunted Edelman's throw. However, the ball left a dent on the Lombardi Trophy. According to Patriots.com, Edelman and Gronkowski offered to take the cost of repairs out of their paychecks, an anonymous player said.
Some players expressed elation that it was Edelman, the Super Bowl MVP, and a future Hall of Famer in Gronkowski, who were behind the incident. “I love that’s how he ends it. It’s going to go down in sports lore: The dent in the Lombardi from Gronk and Edelman said Patriots center Ted Karras.
Krafts receptive after the incident
At first, Stacey James, Patriots Vice President of Media Relations, feared that Patriots owner Robert Kraft will be mad at what happened. However, James said Kraft and his family were very receptive after being told about the incident. According to James, the Krafts will probably have the dented Lombardi Trophy fixed down the road.
“That’s something they can always fix in the future, but at least for now, we’re going to keep the dent and tell the story,” said James.
Earlier, Gronkowski announced his retirement after a nine-year NFL career, which he all spent with the Patriots. The veteran tight end, a second-round pick by the Patriots in the 2010 NFL Draft out of Arizona, recorded 521 receptions for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns in 115 games with the Patriots. The 6-foot-6 Gronkowski is also known as one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL, owing to his 268-pound frame. There were reports that Gronkowski might return at some point in the 2019 season if the Patriots struggle, but the tight end shoots them down, saying he’s firm on his decision to leave the game.
