Last summer, New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski—who retired that March—turned up at the ESPY awards in Los Angeles. Sweating in his suit and tie under the merciless midday sun, Gronk was still gracious as a sports reporter came at him with the microphone. But while every football fan wanted an answer to the million-dollar question (whether the 31-year old star would return to football), the reporter instead asked the former tight end how he’d been keeping busy in retirement. Gronk responded that he liked playing backyard games and rattled off a few. Then he said something that made news around the sports world.
Don't miss the Brandweek Sports Marketing Summit and Upfronts, a live virtual experience Nov. 16-19. Gain insights from leading sports figures on how they navigated a year of upsets and transformation and what's in store for the coming year. Register.
