New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski assured reporters he will alter his post-touchdown habits after drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Sunday. Next time, he plans to spike the football harder.
"No, I'm going to make them bigger," he said with a laugh on Wednesday. "Bring down my spikes? Those weren't even that big."
Tom Brady did not see Gronkowski's spike Sunday, but admires the way Gronkowski's spikes leave footballs cringing in pain.
"I didn't see it. I mean, he spikes it every time he scores, so I don't know if that's flagrant or what," Brady said during his weekly call to Boston sports radio WEEI on Monday. Asked if he spikes the ball after a (rare) rushing touchdown, Brady added: "Yeah, which happens like once every three years. But when Gronk scores -- it was like his eighth touchdown of the year -- he spikes the ball and he deflates the ball. I love that, because I like the deflated ball. But I feel bad for that football, because he puts everything he can into those spikes."
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