The NFLPA told incoming NFL players at the Rookie Premiere last week to emulate Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski, but FS1's Rob Parker was skeptical of the advice, saying Gronkowski is a "frat boy who so far hasn't gotten into trouble, but he's on the edge." Parker: "He's done a lot of stuff out there that maybe would have been better off not (doing)." It is "easier for them to paint this narrative that it's cool and he's a frat boy." Parker: "But if it's a brother doing some of this stuff and the antics, it would be, 'He's a thug, he needs to pull away from the neighborhood. He's in the NFL now, he shouldn't be doing that stuff.'" FS1's Shannon Sharpe, referencing Gronkowski's antics during the Super Bowl LI parade, said, "I sure wish we could find the photo of a black guy drinking a beer during the parade route like we've got right here. If I was black, I'd be offended because you're trying to tell me I need to act white. I'm not good enough. Me having black skin, going out there and playing football is not good enough. What about (Panthers QB Cam Newton)? Cam doesn't get in trouble. Cam has built a nice brand through (Under Armour), but be Gronk. ... My thing is, this is a narrative that's been portrayed for a long time in our community. In order for you to succeed, you need to act, you need to think and be white. No, you need to go out, not get in trouble and let the chips fall where they may." FS1's Skip Bayless added, "Reverse the skin color, and I think we and the NFL would have a different conversation. I don't get why they would say this. Is it possible (NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice) Smith is somewhere rolling his eyes and cringing over this quote? Because I hope he is" ("Undisputed," FS1, 5/29).
BIG BALLER BRANDING: In Boston, Ben Volin noted the players at the event run by the NFLPA were "40 of the league's most recognizable rookies." NFL Players Inc. President Ahmad Nassar said of Gronkowski, "Some people think he’s just this extension of a frat boy, and that it’s sort of accidental. And that’s wrong. It’s not accidental, it’s very purposeful. So the message there is, really good branding is where you don’t even feel it. You think, ‘Oh, that’s just Gronk being Gronk.’ Actually, that’s his brand, but it’s so good and so ingrained and so authentic, you don’t even know it’s a brand or think it." Volin noted the league office "used to provide some training" in adjusting to NFL life with the Rookie Symposium, but that was "canceled prior to last year." The NFLPA has "tried to fill in the gaps with its own orientation program." Now in its 23rd year, the Rookie Premiere "used to just be a way for players to meet a few licensees." This year it "morphed into a three-day boot camp that is part business education, part life education." The players "met executives from some of the league’s biggest partners." They did "facial scans for EA Sports’ 'Madden 18,' signed 1,900 of their own rookie cards for Panini America, and wore their NFL uniforms for the first time at a daylong photo shoot" at the L.A. Coliseum. The majority of the weekend "focused on branding" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/28).
