It may not be 2015 anymore, but Rob Gronkowski is still making headlines. Rumors have been swirling about his potential return to the gridiron. Gronk, however, has shut down all speculation. He’s perfectly content reminiscing about past Super Bowls, and, even reliving those moments through horses.
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During a recent trip to Australia, working for FanDuel, Gronk went to the racetrack where he came across two racehorses named ‘Gronkowski’ and ‘Beast Mode’. The names instantly took him back to 2015, when he and former Seahawks’ RB Marshawn Lynch, a.k.a Beast Mode, faced off in the Super Bowl.
That game became one of the most memorable in NFL history. Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson infamously derailed Lynch’s moment, eventually leading to a New England Patriots victory. Gronk took that winning moment as an omen perhaps while deciding to place a bet on his namesake, despite the horse’s terrible odds.
“Jules, I was in Australia. I went down there, went to the horse races there, put some bets on the horse named Gronkowski. His odds were absolutely terrible, but if he got first place, I would have made about 10 grand. But, he took dead last,” the former TE told Julian Edelman on Dudes on Dudes.
So, who took the victory? Well, unlike the 2015 Super Bowl, this time ‘Beast Mode’ crossed the finish line first, leaving ‘Gronkowski’, and Gronk too, biting the dust.
“He actually lost to Beast Mode, who took second in the race which was really cool because it was kind of a Super Bowl rematch. Beast Mode vs the Gronk and the Beast Mode came through. They handed him off the ball on the horse track in Australia,” added Gronkowski.
The racetrack may have been a fun detour, but it wasn’t the highlight of Gronk’s trip. While he went there specifically to see his namesake horse, his real goal was something far wilder — meeting a kangaroo.
Given his larger-than-life personality, Gronk didn’t just want to meet any kangaroo — he wanted to meet a wild one. What he didn’t realize, however, was that kangaroos aren’t the friendly, cuddly creatures they’re often portrayed as outside of Australia.
The locals quickly set him straight, warning him that they’re aggressive and not exactly keen on hugs. Still, ever the entertainer, Gronk had dreams of sparring with a kangaroo his size — an idea likely inspired by viral social media clips. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), he never got to meet a wild one.
Instead, he settled for a much tamer experience, meeting a baby kangaroo, which he admitted was adorable. He also got the chance to see a koala and a wombat, rounding out his Aussie wildlife adventure. And perhaps taking away the sting from his loss at horse racing.
