Rob Gronkowski retired from active football in 2022 but is still cherished as one of the best players, especially alongside Tom Brady. Even in his retirement, he has been vocal about his unwavering support for Brady. He took a moment to support Tom Brady once again, by expressing his displeasure with the Colts, for accusing the Patriots and triggering the Deflategate scandal.
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Gronkowski displayed a fiery spirit when it came to the discussion of the Indianapolis Colts as a party to the Deflategate controversy. The former Bucs tight end revealed that the tension between the two teams runs deep.“This game I swear led to the deflate-gate,” said Gronk while introducing his disdain for the Colts. He continued, mincing no words on the Games With Names podcast with Julian Edelman, said, “I absolutely hate the Colts bro.”
The deflate-gate accusation goes way back to the 2014 AFC title game when Tom Brady was still a part of the Patriots. The seven-time Super Bowl winner was accused of deflating footballs to secure wins. The deflation was against the NFL rules but there remained no record due to the lack of pregame measurements. While elaborating on the matter, Gronk accused the Colts of being nothing more than a sore loser,
“They needed to find some B.S. answer of why they kept losing to us every single year. And they weren’t just losing to us, we were absolutely pounding that a*s. I don’t like them. You can’t be any big of a loser pulling that off, you know.”
The colts had no answer for the Pats. pic.twitter.com/yaBHSgeI0i
— Games With Names (@gameswithnames) December 12, 2023
However, the matter was not let down easily, as Tom Brady took center stage in the entire controversy. He was alleged to be ‘generally aware’ of a plot to deflate the balls and faced suspension for the first four games in the 2016 season. Again, it is not just Gronk who had strong emotions against the Indianapolis Colts for their accusations.
Julian Edelman Mocks the Colts
Julian Edelman, the former wide receiver for Patriots supported Rob Gronkowski’s arguments. He mocked the Indianapolis Colts by imitating their accusations in a ridiculing tone. “Hey guys, this ball’s a little flat,” exclaimed Edelman with derision. The two also thanked Brady for his contribution to the team, and the reason why they kept winning against the Colts because “He fed us.”
Tom Brady was believed to be involved in the scandal for his proximity to John Jastremski. The two shared many phone calls, which allowed them to devise the plot, according to the investigation. Again, the man in question was New England Patriots equipment manager Jim McNally. He was believed to be guilty of referring to himself as ‘the deflator’ in a text to Jastremski.
The implications were of a serious nature, but there was a lack of solid evidence. Tom Brady, denied the accusation repeatedly, even as the Patriots had to pay a hefty $1 million fine. The scandal adds to their basket of bitter memories for Bill Belichick’s team in the league. However, the league has been criticized heavily for wrongfully accusing Brady.
