Week 1 of ESPN’s Monday Night Football megacast was, by all accounts, a smashing success with Peyton and Eli Manning co-hosting on ESPN2. From the banter between brothers to high-profile guests like Charles Barkley and Russell Wilson, the Manning brothers put on a show to entertain the masses, and they returned for a Week 2 edition to breakdown Lions-Packers on Sept. 20. Once again, it didn’t take long for fireworks, as Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski visited the broadcast in the second quarter.
While Gronkowski wasn’t exactly dialed in on the action in the way that Wilson may have been in the opener, he did provide high-end amusement. Gronkowski’s contributions were headlined by the revelation that he doesn’t exactly watch film, instead relying on long-time teammate Tom Brady to tell him what he needs to know.
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“No, I don’t,” Gronkowski said when asked if he watches film. “I just run by guys. If I’m feeling good, I’m feeling good.”
Later in the answer, Gronkowski said that Brady watches “40 hours of film a week” and, though Gronkowski did note that he watches tape “when the team is showing it,” it seemed genuine that Brady holds the keys to the approach in that relationship. Along the way, Gronkowski leaned into his persona with effectiveness (including faulty internet), and while it may be likely that he’s playing it up for the broadcast, it was on-brand and another example of what this format can bring from an entertainment standpoint.
