Gronk: one-game suspension

Is Gronk Suspended?


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InstaFace

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This is how I saw it as well.
On a scale of 1 to 5 Burficts, I give it a 2. Of course once Roger's office is involved anything can happen.
That's the thing that's making me doubt my No vote. The amount of media attention means Goodell will feel like he needs to appease the masses with a suspension. No backbone, no leadership - just whichever way the winds are blowing that day, he'll follow.
 

j44thor

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What's the standard for this kind of thing? I feel like this type of after-the-whistle crap happens a lot without suspensions, but I may be very wrong and would be happy to be corrected.

I think it's great that a lot of posters here feel that he deserves a suspension, no matter the answer to my above question. One of the many things that I love about the Patriots, that also certainly makes them a great team, is that they hold themselves/each other to a higher standard of football-ism that any other team. As fans of said team, I dig that we want our own superstar suspended for something that -- IMO -- might not register a suspension if it'd been another team's player.

I just think that, based on precedent, a fine and no suspension is the correct move.
How often do we see players jump on players laying OOB and hit them in the head?
I don't think this was a usual play at all. Players push and shove plenty all the time but jumping on a guy laying prone after the play is clearly over is not in the same realm of two guys going at each other after the whistle, which ironically happened at the same time between Dolan and another BUF player.

It is rather incredulous that NE came out of that with the advantage given there were multiple off-setting infractions coupled with an extra BUF dead ball foul.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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I think he should get suspended. Kiko Alonso wasn't, though, and I kind of have those two hits in the same category. I thought Alonso should get suspended though so I think Gronk should too (even though Alonso wasn't if that makes sense).
 

Alaz87

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Oct 31, 2017
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How often do we see players jump on players laying OOB and hit them in the head?
I don't think this was a usual play at all. Players push and shove plenty all the time but jumping on a guy laying prone after the play is clearly over is not in the same realm of two guys going at each other after the whistle, which ironically happened at the same time between Dolan and another BUF player.

It is rather incredulous that NE came out of that with the advantage given there were multiple off-setting infractions coupled with an extra BUF dead ball foul.
NE should have come out of it all with the ball, and the extracurriculars likely wouldn’t have occurred at all if it were properly officiated.

Gronk lost his cool, and a one game suspension won’t be the worst thing in the world (unless he’s on your fantasy team going into the playoffs)
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Gronk had been abusing the secondary in the 2nd half. (even with the BS penalty/non-call) This board would be in full meltdown mode had a safety, out of frustration bc of Gronk's play, did to him what he did to White. Especially if it ended with Gronk bloodied and concussed.
 

BigSoxFan

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No South Beach for Gronk. Really selfish and dangerous play. Hopefully White is ok.
 

dcmissle

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The most disappointing aspect of the play is its rejection of everything Gronk has stood for as a player his entire career.
 

Marciano490

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Yeah, he’ll get at least a 1-game suspension. (When it comes to the Pats and NFL punishment, always bet the over.)

But I like intensity of our top players in game against a clearly inferior opponent. Brady lays into Josh, Gronk goes momentarily insane... they take nothing for granted.
I'm shocked by a lot of the replies here. This wasn't intensity. It was incredibly dirty and dangerous. He should get at least one game and not because boo hoo people hate the Pats or Goodell's a stooge. I'm still a Pats fan, obviously, but fuck Gronk. That was vicious.
 

dbn

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How often do we see players jump on players laying OOB and hit them in the head?
I don't think this was a usual play at all. Players push and shove plenty all the time but jumping on a guy laying prone after the play is clearly over is not in the same realm of two guys going at each other after the whistle, which ironically happened at the same time between Dolan and another BUF player.

It is rather incredulous that NE came out of that with the advantage given there were multiple off-setting infractions coupled with an extra BUF dead ball foul.
Well, that's getting pretty specific. A better question is: how often do we see post-whistle roughing of the same intent/intensity, with no suspension as the consequence? I think pretty often, but am open to hearing other opinions.

Watching it live, I complained out loud and repeatedly after the incident that it should be penalized, possibly an ejection and almost certainly deserving a fine. If the NFL decides that such a foul also deserves a suspension, I'm fine with it, but I'd just like for some consistency.

Finally: even though I disagree, I LOVE that so many of the posters here are calling for a suspension. Higher standard >>>> homerism.
 

TheoShmeo

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The most disappointing aspect of the play is its rejection of everything Gronk has stood for as a player his entire career.
He made a horrible split second decision. What he did was inconsistent with who he's been but I don't see it as a rejection. A rejection to me is a more thought out thing. Not that I am excusing what Gronk did -- there is no excuse -- but it's not hard to see that a totally frustrated guy with the calls totally lost it in the moment. As I said, that's a mistake, not a rejection.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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I don't think the comparison with the Alonso hit is apt. They were similarly vicious (Alonso head-to-head against defenseless QB, and Gronk shoulder to back against a defenseless CB) -- but Gronk's target was more clearly down and out-of-bounds to boot. Alonso didn't hold up when he could've, but Gronk loaded up and let fly.
 

DJnVa

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The most disappointing aspect of the play is its rejection of everything Gronk has stood for as a player his entire career.
This seems a little hyperbolic. Eight years in the league, let's not damn him by his worst moment unless we see a pattern develop here. It was crappy, it wasn't needed, and as said above we'd be ripshit if someone did this to Butler or Gilmore after an INT.
 

nothumb

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I don't think the comparison with the Alonso hit is apt. They were similarly vicious (Alonso head-to-head against defenseless QB, and Gronk shoulder to back against a defenseless CB) -- but Gronk's target was more clearly down and out-of-bounds to boot. Alonso didn't hold up when he could've, but Gronk loaded up and let fly.

I think the main difference is Alonso had plausible deniability. I've seen it debated but you will never convince me that wasn't 100% intentional by Alonso.
 

Kliq

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What bothers me is all the discussion is centered around the cheap shot and it isn’t being mentioned, at least from what I saw on NBC, that the hit came after one of the worst non-calls of the season, which is a factor in all of this. Gronk didn’t just cheap shot some random guy on the other team, he hit someone who blatantly cheated and was rewarded for it without penalty. Gronk is refereed like Shaq, and opponents are allowed to get away with a lot against him that they wouldn’t be able to do against any other player. How many times per game is Gronk pulled, pushed, held, chipped, illegally per game? How many times has Gronk been on the end of some vicious cheap shots? It was only a matter of time before he lashed out.

He shouldn’t have done it and if he is suspended, while wildly inconsistent with the rest of the league’s rulings, he will have to live with that. I think on replay the hit looked a lot more dangerous than what Gronk intended, which was likely a standard after the whistle shot that usually results in a 15 yard penalty and maybe a flag. He lost control and the guy ended up getting his head shoved into the ground due to Gronk’s reckless play. Given his lack of record and what I (biased) thought was a sincere apology I think he shouldn’t be suspended, but if he is he doesn’t have anyone to blame but himself.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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He should absolutely get a game off and he deserves it. That was a dumb fucking move, even if you take out the intent and reduce it to a reaction to him getting bumped around. He needs to be smarter than that. I’m a huge defender of him being a meathead but that was an egregious meathead action. It’s as simple as two wrongs don’t make a right. It sucks he gets abused a bit more than others but it’s life. Doesn’t give you right to take it out on a defenseless player and risk their livelihood or health.
 

simplyeric

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I feel like there could be four polling options:

A. should and will
B. should but won't
C. shouldn't but will
D. shouldn't and won't.

I'd vote A.
 

heavyde050

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I feel like there could be four polling options:

A. should and will
B. should but won't
C. shouldn't but will
D. shouldn't and won't.

I'd vote A.
Can I get a choice E with a should and will along with an apology from the ref crew for blowing multiple calls on him including on the play in question.
But without my custom choice I will go with A.
 

edmunddantes

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He deserves a game what scares me is all the bleating from media will earn him more. But that is the price he pays for being an idiot and doing some so cheap and vicious.

It wasn’t a normal football play. He came back and targeted the guy’s head with his forearm and full weight. It was like a charging penalty in hockey.
 

nothumb

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What bothers me is all the discussion is centered around the cheap shot and it isn’t being mentioned, at least from what I saw on NBC, that the hit came after one of the worst non-calls of the season, which is a factor in all of this. Gronk didn’t just cheap shot some random guy on the other team, he hit someone who blatantly cheated and was rewarded for it without penalty. Gronk is refereed like Shaq, and opponents are allowed to get away with a lot against him that they wouldn’t be able to do against any other player. How many times per game is Gronk pulled, pushed, held, chipped, illegally per game? How many times has Gronk been on the end of some vicious cheap shots? It was only a matter of time before he lashed out.

He shouldn’t have done it and if he is suspended, while wildly inconsistent with the rest of the league’s rulings, he will have to live with that. I think on replay the hit looked a lot more dangerous than what Gronk intended, which was likely a standard after the whistle shot that usually results in a 15 yard penalty and maybe a flag. He lost control and the guy ended up getting his head shoved into the ground due to Gronk’s reckless play. Given his lack of record and what I (biased) thought was a sincere apology I think he shouldn’t be suspended, but if he is he doesn’t have anyone to blame but himself.
I mean I agree that Gronk has legitimate reason to be frustrated, but let's not pretend that the guy committing a fairly routine foul justifies a cheap shot like this. It's one thing to shove a guy like that on his feet or talk trash to him, it's quite another to hit him hard while he's down and helpless. Fouls are not the same as cheating - they're a calculated risk that players take (including Patriots players under certain circumstances) or, in some cases, legitimate errors in technique or judgment. The foul committed by the DB on this play wasn't dangerous to Gronk's health and did not have any intent to injure him, the guy was just overmatched and trying to compensate. He absolutely deserves to draw a flag, but if anyone deserves to get their head bashed in because he didn't, it's the ref, not the player. (And the ref doesn't deserve to get his head bashed in, he just deserves to get disciplined by his employer for fucking up the same way any other person does.)
 

Blue Monkey

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He deserves a game what scares me is all the bleating from media will earn him more. But that is the price he pays for being an idiot and doing some so cheap and vicious.

It wasn’t a normal football play. He came back and targeted the guy’s head with his forearm and full weight. It was like a charging penalty in hockey.
I think worst case scenario here is that he gets hit with two games and it’s reduced to one game. Yeah, it was completely uncalled and just a dumbass move on his part. Let’s face it though, at the end of the day Gronk momentarily lost his cool and let his emotions get the best of him. This is not who he is. Seven years of playing clean proves that point.
 

Reverend

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Based on precedent, it may not deserve a suspension—though how they make their decisions is snyone’s guess.

If I had my way, though, the league would be such that an act such as Gronk’s would warrant a suspension.

I get it. But you can’t do that. And we ought not be ok with it.

I don’t think the Pats are, for that matter.
 

Reverend

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What bothers me is all the discussion is centered around the cheap shot and it isn’t being mentioned, at least from what I saw on NBC, that the hit came after one of the worst non-calls of the season, which is a factor in all of this. Gronk didn’t just cheap shot some random guy on the other team, he hit someone who blatantly cheated and was rewarded for it without penalty. Gronk is refereed like Shaq, and opponents are allowed to get away with a lot against him that they wouldn’t be able to do against any other player. How many times per game is Gronk pulled, pushed, held, chipped, illegally per game? How many times has Gronk been on the end of some vicious cheap shots? It was only a matter of time before he lashed out.

He shouldn’t have done it and if he is suspended, while wildly inconsistent with the rest of the league’s rulings, he will have to live with that. I think on replay the hit looked a lot more dangerous than what Gronk intended, which was likely a standard after the whistle shot that usually results in a 15 yard penalty and maybe a flag. He lost control and the guy ended up getting his head shoved into the ground due to Gronk’s reckless play. Given his lack of record and what I (biased) thought was a sincere apology I think he shouldn’t be suspended, but if he is he doesn’t have anyone to blame but himself.
It behooves us to separate issues when making normative discernments.

Willfully muddying the waters by shoving them all together encourages feelings to bleed across and, well, make a muddy mess,
 

SumnerH

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Based on precedent, it may not deserve a suspension—though how they make their decisions is snyone’s guess.

If I had my way, though, the league would be such that an act such as Gronk’s would warrant a suspension.

I get it. But you can’t do that. And we ought not be ok with it.

I don’t think the Pats are, for that matter.
Spot on. Gronk should have a one-off suspension here, simply because that sort of behavior is unacceptable. And that should also mean that Suh gets suspended 2-3 times a year until he cuts his shit out.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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Audio of the Post-game handshake — McDermott was really upset about the hit, and Belichick agreed it was “bullshit” and apologized.

“Bill Belichick apologizes to Sean McDermott for the Gronk hit that gave Tre' White a concussion. Called it bull%^&*.“

Of course, lot of the Bills Mafia had this sort of a response:

@SLeberth
·
13h
Replying to @PrescottRossi
He didn’t apologize, he got called out and on the spot said the right thing. He’s a dick #BillsMafia
 

sodenj5

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I think the main difference is Alonso had plausible deniability. I've seen it debated but you will never convince me that wasn't 100% intentional by Alonso.
Alonso was protecting the first down line. Flacco was running full speed for a first down. Only at the last possible second did he attempt to “slide”, which was more like a fetal position collapse, and he caught Alonso’s shoulder to his now lowered head.

Alonso was in a no- win situation. If he doesn’t charge hard at Flacco, he rolls to an easy first down. If he lets up, he gives up a first down. The honus is on Flacco to protect himself outside the pocket. He could have slid two yards earlier and there would have been no collision. He decided to take the risk, try and get a first down, and paid a heavy price for it.

Was it a very violent collision resulting in a head-shot. 100% yes. No doubt. But it was a bang-bang play with both players going hard in the moment.

The Gronk offense yesterday was nothing like that. Almost the complete opposite. The dude clearly lost his cool and took a dirty shot at a defenseless player who was on the ground and facing the other way.
 

bsj

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He will be suspended. Not for the hit but for the injury.

I also think that it doesnt help that the media is driving this narrative. The NFL is being painted into a corner here by a clearly pro-suspension media.

And when is the last time they have.gone light on the Patriots?

Incidentally, Makes me angry that if the refs called either the hold or the PI likely Gronk isn't pissed enough to do what he did.
 
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schillzilla

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Any chance that Bill disciplines him even if the league doesn’t? I think he will to send a message that lawless stupid play will NOT be tolerated regardless of stature. Just feels like a Bill Thing To Do
 

Byrdbrain

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I initially voted no but I think at this point the league pretty much has to suspend him, if they didn't there would be a huge PR hit.
I'm fine with that, but anything more than a game would be too much since there isn't any kind of history with Gronk doing anything similar.
As to the question above I do think that if the league ends up not suspending him the BB will hold him out at least for the first quarter. Bills BS comment to McDerrmit lets you know where he stands on this.
 

sodenj5

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Any chance that Bill disciplines him even if the league doesn’t? I think he will to send a message that lawless stupid play will NOT be tolerated regardless of stature. Just feels like a Bill Thing To Do
Not sure if it’s been mentioned but Belichick appologized to McDermott on the field for Gronk’s action. Called it bullshit.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Based on precedent, it may not deserve a suspension—though how they make their decisions is snyone’s guess.

If I had my way, though, the league would be such that an act such as Gronk’s would warrant a suspension.

I get it. But you can’t do that. And we ought not be ok with it.

I don’t think the Pats are, for that matter.
This is where I am. By precedent, it's pretty tough to make the case for suspension here in that guys without a track record (Hello, Vontaze) almost never get a suspension for the 'first dirty play.'

That said, I think the NFL should be clear that stuff after the whistle that is outside the normal play should be responded to with a 1 game suspension almost automatically, and guys like Green not getting one is a mistake.

I think it's an interesting question whether getting ejected should count as that game. For me, the goal of the suspension is to ensure these kinds of dirty plays and late, dangerous hits do not occur. And if that's the goal, we shouldn't risk that a player does it almost for free in the second half of a blowout and loses only a handful of low-value drives in that game. So, as between a 'too tough' penalty which is potentially a game and a good chunk of a second game and 'too light' which is a fraction of one game I'd select the former. Perhaps the standard is that if you get tossed in the first half of a game it 'counts' as your suspension and if you get tossed in the second half it does not...
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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Hope he does get suspended. Between the Miami game and the Bills rematch, Gronks chance to walk away with two good ACLs by the end of the year is plummeting.
 

koufax32

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I have no problem with a 1 game suspension. I just have no faith in the league office to be rational about it though. My fear is a two game suspension that covers the PIT game. 1. I think that’s overkill. 2. There’s no precedent for that. 3. It’s not in the league’s best interest to have the most important game of the season affected line a Gronk absence would cause.

All of those reasons are based on rationality. That plays little role in Wheel ‘o Justice.
 

loshjott

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There is zero chance he isn't suspended for at least a game. It's quite possible it's two games with chance to appeal down to one.

Any rationales here or elsewhere for his action are garbage. He deserves to be suspended.
 

Number45forever

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Yeah, he’ll get at least a 1-game suspension. (When it comes to the Pats and NFL punishment, always bet the over.)
This. Trying to be as objective as possible, if I saw a player do the exact same thing on a team other than the Pats, I'd expect a suspension. But since it is the Pats, it is a big time star like Gronk, it's gotten blown up the media...he's sitting a game. Let's just hope it's this week and not the Pittsburgh game.
 

jcaz

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Any chance that Bill disciplines him even if the league doesn’t? I think he will to send a message that lawless stupid play will NOT be tolerated regardless of stature. Just feels like a Bill Thing To Do
This is where I am. I'd love to see the Patriots get out ahead of this and suspend Gronk for the Miami game. It will also be a superb opportunity to talk about how integrity and playing the game the right way are central to the organization. That should make the haters' heads explode.
 

Ralphwiggum

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They were talking about this (of course) on T&R this morning, and going through the list of guys who have been suspended for more than one game for on the field stuff and there is zero precedent for a suspension of longer than one game for a player who has no history of doing stuff like this. And based on precedent, the punishment probably should be a fine and no suspension.

I'm not offering that up as a defense of what Gronk did. It was wrong and there is no justification for it, and I have no issue if he does get suspended for a game because it probably should be a suspendable offense. But that would be a shift from how the league has traditionally dealt with first offenders on this type of thing.

A suspension for more than one game would be complete bullshit, and evidence that the Pats get treated more harshly on this kind of stuff than other teams. I think there are 6 examples since 1985 of players suspended for more than one game for an on the field incident like this, and all six of them were multiple offender scenarios.
 

Valek123

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Hope he does get suspended. Between the Miami game and the Bills rematch, Gronks chance to walk away with two good ACLs by the end of the year is plummeting.
I'm hoping he get's a 1 game suspension frankly to go into the game vs the Steelers fresh. Bummer Bennett headed to the IR, as these next few match ups are places where that second legit TE would create some real opportunity.
 

JimD

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This is where I am. I'd love to see the Patriots get out ahead of this and suspend Gronk for the Miami game. It will also be a superb opportunity to talk about how integrity and playing the game the right way are central to the organization. That should make the haters' heads explode.
Is there any recent precedent for an NFL team doing this?
 

BaseballJones

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This is where I am. I'd love to see the Patriots get out ahead of this and suspend Gronk for the Miami game. It will also be a superb opportunity to talk about how integrity and playing the game the right way are central to the organization. That should make the haters' heads explode.
I like the idea, but the real problem is if the Pats suspend him for a game, and then the NFL decides to suspend him for a game as well, which they could do, and they could justify on the grounds that what teams do is up to them, but the league has a responsibility to not tolerate this so whatever else the Patriots may do, the league is going to suspend him a game.

Then it would be two games lost instead of just one.
 

Ralphwiggum

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If he doesn't get suspended by the league I could see Gronk sitting out the first drive or something like that, but I doubt the team suspends him in light of the way his contract works in terms of incentives. I can't remember the Patriots ever suspending a player for an on-the-field incident like this, and I wouldn't blame Gronk for being ripshit if the league fines him and then the team suspends him.

Doing it the other way around (suspending him before the league takes action) is nuts.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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It behooves us to separate issues when making normative discernments.

Willfully muddying the waters by shoving them all together encourages feelings to bleed across and, well, make a muddy mess,
Yeah, this. And you don't get to try to injure a guy because the refs are bad.

Trying to discuss the mud but not the water, though, I do think the officiating of Gronk is something that I do wish would come to a head. I sort of wish Gronk had lost his cool by one of those innocuous bumping of an officials that drew a flag and maybe even a suspension but didn't get anyone hurt. You could draw a straighter line between the officiating and the suspension and maybe even have a discussion in that context about how there seem to be Gronk rules. The way Gronk chose to express his frustration, though, simply takes that kind of discussion off the table.
 

dcmissle

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Oh for Christ sake.
And you would call it ...? The guy for 8 years has stood for joy, fair play and intelligence on the field. That’s what makes it disappointing to me.

I think today will bring a $30,000 fine and one-game suspension. If that’s what he gets, he should take it.

If he is not suspended by the League, I think BB gives him the Welker treatment — for a half. And I think if the Buffalo game means nothing, he sits for that — for different reasons.

Edit — and Trey Wingo pointed out this morning that Gronk was mugged on the play — by my count, held three times.

But so what? If a guy pisses you off in traffic, even flips you off, you don’t get to punch him in the face.

Finally, the most damning portion of the film is a Patriot touching the player down after the INT — and THEN Gronk buries him. The play was ovah.
 
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j44thor

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I don't believe NE could "suspend" Gronk for something that happens during a game. They could make him inactive next week but an actual suspension without pay would be challenged very quickly by the PA.
 

KiltedFool

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This sort of crap could color the perception of Gronk by average non-Patriots fans (I know, you guys don't care). He's always been the happy go lucky dancing bro meathead, now he's shown a less positive side, out of frustration or whatever. I've always considered him a big goofy puppy with ridiculous God given talent. But this is a different species of bonehead from him, and it rightfully should be punished. Whether it's handed out as two appealed to one or one and no appeal or failed appeal he should sit. I'm a Steelers fan but I don't see him sitting for that one, if a multi-game suspension comes down I expect an appeal, if a single game is handed down I'd be surprised if it's appealed.

I sincerely doubt he goes without a league suspension, if he did then I think he would be benched or inactive by BB, Bill doesn't put up with crap like that.