(Photo by Peter Griffin)
Dear Gronk,
I’ve missed you since we last spoke. Truth be told, it was more of a one-way conversation with me yelling at the TV screen and you catching a touchdown over Ronald Darby, but I miss you nonetheless.
I hope that you are enjoying the offseason and everything that your awesome life entails; I hope that you are feeling happy, healthy, and carefree. Over the past two months, I’ve been okay. We had a couple of nor’easters and March Madness has been fairly entertaining. Deep down though, I feel pangs of angst. The truth is Gronk, I’ve been scared: I’m afraid of losing you.
Ever since that fateful February press conference when you uttered the words, “I’m definitely going to look at my future, for sure,” I have been uneasy. In terms of retirements, I’ve been mentally preparing myself for the eventual--but hopefully far off--departure of Tom Brady for a while now. The report that you were considering retirement, however, was a gut punch. Given that you are 28 years old, currently as “healthy” as any football player can be, and still an absolutely dominant force, this was something that I hadn’t anticipated in my wildest nightmares.
Since most (all) of our conversations are one-way affairs, I can’t speak on how your body is feeling or what other factors that you have to consider in your life. All I can do is speak my own personal truth, and that truth is that I need you. We (Patriots’ Nation) need you. You give us something that no one else can: absolute hope.
On any given play that you are on the field, we all know that the team is never down and out. When it was 4th and 10 against the Denver Broncos in the 2015 AFC championship when the ball was in the air and you had three defenders draped over you, we all still had hope. During the 4th quarter of the Steelers game this past season when we needed a drive and the offense had lost traction, we all still had hope. Even in the past Super Bowl--painful as it is to recall--after the fumble when the offense had the ball on the 50-yard line with 9 seconds left, we all still had hope. When we were down 10 against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX and needed two drives in the fourth quarter, we all still had hope; and there you were, rumbling down the field, converting third down after third down with you moving with the impossible grace of a gazelle.
You are an absolute pleasure to watch: It is an indescribable privilege. The hope that you instill in Patriots' Nation and the elation that you evoke with every clutch catch is unparalleled. So many of us need you more than you can ever know. In a world that can often be clouded with darkness and confusion, your play is the quintessence of light and clarity.
As fans, we understand that this Patriots’ dynasty will not last forever, but we aren’t ready for it to end just yet.We still have Brady, Belichick, and McDaniels. You are still the most dominant force the NFL has ever seen or will see. Please, for all of us in Patriots’ Nation, give it at least one more go. You are a champion, and whenever it is that you do decided to leave the game, you deserve to do it as a champion.
Yours with love,
Jeff Prince & Patriots’ Nation
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