\n“I’m jealous of the World Cup. It gets a party in Buenos Aires. It’s lifted with two hands, so it’s supported well…<\/p>\n
Rob Gronkowski<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nFor Gronkowski, that last detail matters more than you might think. The comment comes from a player who lifted the Lombardi Trophy four times during one of the most dominant dynasties in NFL history.<\/u><\/p>\nThe Fenway Park moment Patriots fans still remember<\/h2>\n
The story traces back to April 2019<\/strong>.<\/p>\nThe New England Patriots<\/strong>, fresh off their victory in Super Bowl LIII<\/strong>, appeared at the Boston Red Sox home opener<\/strong> at Fenway Park<\/strong>. Players gathered beneath the stadium’s iconic Green Monster<\/strong> for a celebratory appearance with the Lombardi Trophy.<\/p>\nThen things got playful. Julian Edelman<\/strong> tossed a knuckleball toward Gronkowski<\/strong>. Gronkowski swung the Lombardi Trophy<\/strong> like a baseball bat.<\/p>\nThe ball connected. So did the trophy. The result was a visible dent that remains on the back of the Patriots’ Lombardi Trophy.<\/u><\/p>\n
Team owner Robert Kraft<\/strong> later confirmed the story publicly. According to Kraft, the players were joking around when the incident happened.<\/p>\nFortunately for the franchise, the Patriots had multiple Lombardi trophies from their dynasty run. One with a baseball mark became more of a funny memory than a problem.<\/p>\n
Why the World Cup trophy impressed Gronkowski<\/h2>\n
That moment is what sparked Gronkowski’s comparison.<\/p>\n
The Lombardi Trophy<\/strong> is produced each year by Tiffany & Co.<\/strong> and awarded to the champion of the National Football League (NFL)<\/strong>. Each winning team keeps its own trophy permanently.<\/p>\nThe FIFA World Cup trophy<\/strong> works differently. The original trophy remains under the control of FIFA<\/strong>, and only champions and select officials are allowed to hold it. The design, introduced in 1974<\/strong> by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga<\/strong>, weighs more than 13 pounds<\/strong> and is lifted by captains at the end of the world’s biggest soccer tournament.<\/p>\nThe World Cup is widely considered the most watched sporting event on the planet.<\/u><\/p>\n
When the Argentina national team<\/strong> won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar<\/strong>, celebrations in Buenos Aires<\/strong> drew millions of fans into the streets.<\/p>\nThat global spectacle is part of what Gronkowski was referencing.<\/p>\n
Gronkowski’s surprising take on rookie cards<\/h2>\n
The podcast conversation eventually shifted from trophies to sports memorabilia.<\/p>\n
Gronkowski was asked whether he would rather own a rookie card of Tom Brady<\/strong> or one belonging to young Patriots quarterback Drake Maye<\/strong>.<\/p>\nHis answer surprised listeners.<\/p>\n
\n“I would probably rather have right now, to this day, a Drake Maye rookie card…<\/p>\n
Rob Gronkowski<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe reasoning was simple.<\/p>\n
Tom Brady rookie cards<\/strong> have already reached extremely high prices in the collectibles market. Rare versions have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars<\/strong>, with some surpassing the $1 million mark<\/strong> in major auctions reported by ESPN<\/strong> and Sports Collectors Daily<\/strong>.<\/p>\nMaye’s rookie cards are still far cheaper.<\/p>\n
If the young quarterback develops into a star, the value of those cards could rise significantly.<\/u><\/p>\nA lighthearted debate that sparked wider discussion<\/h2>\n
Gronkowski’s comments were clearly delivered with humor, but they still sparked conversation among fans of both sports.<\/p>\n
The Lombardi Trophy<\/strong> represents the peak of the NFL<\/strong>. The FIFA World Cup trophy<\/strong> sits at the center of the most watched sporting event in global sports.<\/p>\nComparisons between the two rarely come from someone who has actually lifted one of them multiple times.<\/p>\n
But Gronkowski has always had a way of turning old stories into new conversations.<\/p>\n