FOX NFL crew goes viral for epic prank on Rob Gronkowski
Feb 7, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Rob Gronkowski at Fox Sports media day at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Taking down Rob Gronkowski on the football field was always next to impossible. But doing it on a “live” TV segment? Much more plausible.
The “FOX NFL Sunday” crew recently showed footage of an amazing prank they pulled on Gronkowski that the entire panel and broadcast team was in on.
The show pretended that there was an All-Pro tight end named Rich Russo returning to the Dallas Cowboys’ lineup for the team’s looming game against the Buffalo Bills. Jay Glazer reported the “breaking news” that the injured Russo was finally healthy. The panel kept redirecting the conversation toward Gronk, asking the legendary tight end to give his take on a player who doesn’t exist.
Gronk got GRONK'D 🤯
We decided to do a little prank on our guy @RobGronkowski on "LIVE TV"😂 pic.twitter.com/TO1FBpX4UT
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 29, 2024
In all fairness to Gronk, he played the situation off pretty well given the circumstances. He brought up Jake Ferguson, the Cowboys tight end he did know, and just gave general statements about a player returning from injury.
But once Terry Bradshaw talked about Russo’s two missing fingers, the rest of the crew couldn’t keep up the facade.
Given some of the Cowboys’ real injury woes this season, perhaps they could actually use a player like Russo — eight fingers and all.