Gronkowski cleared to play for Patriots
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — New England tight end Rob Gronkowski has been cleared from the concussion protocol and will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl against Philadelphia.
Gronkowski participated fully in practice Thursday. Defensive lineman Deatrich Wise practiced after being cleared from the concussion protocol. Malcolm Butler (illness) and Brandon King (knee) also participated in the workout.
Gronk said he is “ready to roll” and has no limitations. He had been sidelined since taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jacksonville’s Barry Church in the first half of the Patriots’ AFC Championship Game win.
The All-Pro tight end missed last year’s Super Bowl win over Atlanta after undergoing back surgery.
Gronkowski led the team in receiving during the regular season with 69 catches for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns.
Timberlake speaks: Justin Timberlake was asked about a bromance with Tom Brady and a possible ‘N Sync reunion and was serenaded with “Happy Birthday,” but the superstar didn’t get a question about the wardrobe malfunction that rocked the world during a news conference to promote his return to the Super Bowl halftime show.
Timberlake ruled out any chance his former boy band ‘N Sync would join him Sunday or other potential special guests would appear — including Janet Jackson. Timberlake revealed only that his band, the Tennessee Kids, would join him onstage and predicted a show that will include things “never done before.”
Timberlake is returning to the halftime show 14 years after he and Jackson caused a national controversy. Timberlake was Jackson’s special guest during her performance when he ripped off a piece of her clothing and revealed her bare, pierced nipple. Timberlake later described it as an unintended “wardrobe malfunction.”
Timberlake will be making his third Super Bowl musical appearance — a record. He first performed in 2001 when ‘N Sync performed alongside Britney Spears, Aerosmith, Mary J. Blige and Nelly. Stallone won’t attend: Gonna fly now? No, thank you. Not Sylvester Stallone. Even though his beloved Eagles are playing in Super Bowl LII, and “Rocky” embodies the spirit and grit of that city and team, Stallone plans to watch Sunday’s game at his home in Beverly Hills.
Why? Well, in 2003 when the Eagles were lifting the curtain on Lincoln Financial Field, they intermingled scenes from that classic movie with team highlights. The familiar “Rocky” theme song swelled to a crescendo, and the spotlights swung to Stallone, pumping his fists from a perch at the stadium, and wearing the No. 22 Eagles jersey of his boyhood sports hero, running back Timmy Brown.
The surprised crowd went crazy. Then watched the Eagles lose to Tampa Bay 17-0.
“Oh, don’t bring that up,” the actor told the Los Angeles Times. “That’s why I’m not going . ... I thought, you know, they’ve done so well this year, that if I happened to be invited and sat in the owner’s box and they lose, you know every head’s going to swivel in my direction and they’ll say, ‘Who invited him?’ I’m serious. I’ll be burned in effigy in every neighborhood in Philadelphia. So I said, ‘You know what? I’ll sit this dance out.’ ”
Union warning: DeMaurice Smith dismissed with one word a question about his union’s labor deal with the NFL being extended. Then he responded further.
The executive director of the NFL Players Association quickly said “no” Thursday when asked about the current 10-year collective bargaining agreement getting extended beyond the 2020 season. Then Smith, reelected last year, went on the offensive about the next CBA.
“We prepare for war,” he said. “If we are able to get a collective bargaining agreement done, great. All of these men went through a unilateral war declared on players in 2010-11.”
Smith and NFLPA President Eric Winston stressed there are many portions of the current contract they believe need changing, from health-care issues to the union’s role in overall league decisions to, naturally, revenue splits.