Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski at a Celtics game in December. (Getty Images)
Opinion editorial by WBZ NewsRadio political analyst Jon Keller
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — It’s been almost a year since Rob Gronkowski played his last game with the Patriots, retiring from football and ready to expand his genial, boozy brand.
But speculation about everything from pro wrestling to movie roles along the lines of The Rock’s career hasn’t panned out yet.
And that video of Gronk on the Fox New Year’s Eve show clowning around in an old football uniform and spiking a Lego bust of co-host Steve Harvey may have gone viral, but it also demonstrated the limits of his showbiz persona.
Gronk can probably forget about ever getting cast as James Bond.
I thought of Gronk recently when reading about the apparent decline in the popularity of online “influencers,” mostly minor celebrities who’ve been making impressive paychecks just by promoting stuff to their large social-media followings.
It seems that even the gullible kids who take their shopping cues from the likes of Kylie Jenner have limits – once an influencer betrays a follower’s trust by peddling junk, or simply exhausts their 15 minutes, they swipe left.
It’s not that Gronk has tried to sell bad products. If you pay to binge drink on the beach with him at the Super Bowl, that is what will happen.
But the Gronk brand divorced from his superb athletic skills has no compelling hook; clowns who break things on TV are a dime a dozen.
So Gronk, take this as constructive advice, you need to expand your appeal.
Have you considered Shakespeare in the Park?
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday mornings at :55 minutes past the hour. Listen to his previous podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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