Gronkowski enjoying the offseason
Hall of Fame OT St. Clair, 84, dies
NEW YORK — Rob Gronkowski has perfected how to party like a rock star.
He tried to jam like one this month at a video game event — his latest pit stop in an offseason stuffed with bashes, dancing, and even acting — and strummed a few chords on guitar in New York.
With a virtual crowd in “Guitar Hero Live” ready to jeer or cheer him depending on whether he hit the right notes, Gronkowski at first fumbled with the buttons.
Unlike his off field frivolity, Gronkowski had to take it down a notch to rock out with his inner Gronk out at a relaunch party for the popular video game series.
“The fans were going wild for me,” Gronkowski said after earning virtual kudos. “I loved it on stage.”
Gronkowski is center stage wherever he shows up these days. He’s out most nights enjoying life full Gronk ahead.
Dancing at an NBA game in Los Angeles. Late night TV appearances. In paparazzi shots wearing shredded pants or corralled by gorgeous women. Even throwing a first pitch at a baseball game. A Super Bowl ring is nice. Being Gronk is so much better.
But asked which experience since the Super Bowl have been his favorite, Gronkowski knows exactly what brought him to the dance. It’s football first. “What stood out was the parade,” Gronkowski said. “Everyone was going ham at the same time.”
Even as the spotlight grows, he won’t change his Gronking style.
“It’s been the same since I was a kid,” the 25-year-old Gronkowski said. “I’m just being kind and courteous to everyone. I’ve been dancing and going crazy ever since middle school.”
ST. CLAIR: Hall of Fame offensive tackle Bob St. Clair, a five-time Pro Bowler with a big personality who played all 11 of his seasons with his hometown San Francisco 49ers, died Monday. He was 84.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990 — 27 years after his final season of 1963 — and was nearly as famous for eating raw meat as he was for his football skills.
BUFFONE: Former Chicago Bears linebacker Doug Buffone, whose reputation for being a passionate football player carried over into his career as a sports broadcaster, was found dead Monday in his home.
Buffone, 70, retired after the 1979 season with 24 career interceptions, the most for any Bears linebacker. He also held the team’s record for most games played with 186.
“Today is a sad day for Bears nation,” said former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, who like Buffone played his entire career with the team. “We lost one of our greats. Doug Buffone will be missed.”
BUCS: Tampa Bay reiterated that while “there is a leader in the clubhouse” about who it will take with the first overall pick in the NFL draft, it is in no hurry to say who that may be
eneral manager Jason Licht said there’s no benefit to
reveal whether the pick will be Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, or anyone else.
“Once again, we all feel very comfortable with where we’re at right now,” Licht said.
CARDINALS: Safety Adrian Wilson has signed a contract with Arizona so he can retire as a Cardinal. Wilson spent 12 seasons with Arizona after being a third-round pick in the 2001 NFL draft. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro with the Cardinals.
BENGALS: Receiver Marvin Jones is fully recovered from ankle surgery. Jones says there’s a little soreness in his right ankle, but he’s able to do everything without restriction in the offseason.
VIKINGS: Minnesota has started its spring strength and conditioning program. Adrian Peterson, in one of the surest bets of the offseason, stayed away.
Peterson’s absence was expected, of course, given his expressed disinterest in returning to the organization. Even in a normal year, Peterson’s presence. during the offseason in Minnesota has been rare.