Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski's return from injury has been "as much about selling the 'Gronk' brand" as it has been about getting back on the field, according to Ben Volin of the BOSTON GLOBE. When his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, announced on Oct. 18 that Gronkowski was "cleared to play two days later against the Jets, Team Gronk used the occasion to hawk merchandise." Gronkowski next Monday "will be hosting his Football 101 Women’s Clinic at Harvard Stadium, where campers can sip on 'Gronk-tinis.'" A video surfaced last week of animated TV program “The Gronks,” a "whimsical show about the crazy, R-rated adventures of Papa Gronk and his five boys that their managers are shopping." Gronkowski went on a book tour last summer "to promote 'Growing Up Gronk,' the authorized biography about Gordie Gronkowski and his sons." There is "nothing wrong with Gronkowski’s people protecting their investment and trying to make a buck, as his window as a marketable star may be small." But it also is "fair to wonder if Gronk the brand is becoming too much of a priority over Gronk the football player" (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/3). In Miami, Greg Cote wrote of "The Gronks" possibly getting picked up, "And we wonder why the rest of the world hates America" (MIAMI HERALD, 11/2).
