Here Are The Most Over-The-Top Takes On Rob Gronkowski's Dirty Hit
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Rob Gronkowski made a terrible mistake.
Anyone with an objective bone in their body knows that Gronkowski made a dirty, ugly move when he basically dropped the People's Elbow on the Bills' Tre'Davious White. His frustration boiled over in the worst way. He may have given the rookie a corner a concussion in the process. He'll almost certainly get a fine for the play, but could even get a suspension.
That being said ... Sunday was not without Gronk takes that went way too far in the other direction. A multi-game suspension for Gronk would be fairly unprecedented, considering that it's happened only six times since 1986 for plays on the field and they've almost always involved repeat offenders.
Even so, that didn't stop some people from acting like Gronkowski should face the stiffest penalty ever for a dirty play on the field. Take Nick Wright, who recently ignored semi-important details like the coach and quarterback when arguing that the Steelers are better than the Patriots. He saw the move as dirtier than anything seen in 2017:
He was pretty tame compared to others. Here's Bleacher Report's Ryan McCrystal, who feels it would be perfectly fine for the NFL to set an outrageous new precedent by sitting Gronk for the rest of the season:
And here's Aaron Brown, a St. Louis-based blogger who saw not a cheap shot but a literal crime. He achieved the seemingly impossible Twitter ratio of one like to 30 replies for this preposterous take:
And ... yeah ... this guy went there:
The vast majority of the social media reactions were reasonable, such as the calls for a one-game suspension or a hefty fine. Those are the most likely outcomes. But here's a sampling of some others who also temporarily lost their minds with their Gronk takes:
It's fair to note that it was also entirely unreasonable for anyone to suggest that the hit was justified, or that White and the Bills deserved it, or that Gronk didn't do anything wrong. He made a very cheap, dirty move. You should at least be able to admit that much.
But if A.J. Green avoided a suspension for mauling Jalen Ramsey, and Kiko Alonso didn't get suspended for torpedoing Joe Flacco in the helmet, then it really shouldn't shock anyone if Gronk only gets a big fine for the hit. You can expect the above people to be quite upset when that news comes out.
Clearly, Gronk should at the very least be fined. A one-game suspension wouldn't get an argument here. But come on, people. Some of you need to get a grip.
Matt Dolloff is a writer/producer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, CBS, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
