Shirtless and I know it

Pictures of Rob Gronkowski dancing shirtless with LMFAO after the Patriots' Super Bowl loss were posted on Deadspin yesterday. Naturally, these pictures were not universally embraced by everybody because the Super Bowl is, well, kind of important. Furthermore, losing the Super Bowl is generally not cause for celebration. Even so, there are two reasons why the pictures should be embraced by fans.

First, despite the popularity and perceived importance of the Super Bowl, it's still nothing more than a game. A game that can cause a city to erupt in joy or sink into a deep depression, but a game nonetheless. If nothing else the pictures place the importance of the Super Bowl in its proper context. Sports are here to entertain and bring people together.* That Gronkowski was partying after the loss is a reminder of this. Besides, it's not like Gronkowski is a brain surgeon partying after a bad day at the office.

*I have a theory that devastating losses are actually a source of enjoyment. Why? They're experiences shared by thousands, if not millions, of people. All of a sudden two fans that never met have something in common because they both experienced the same thing. The catharsis of commiserating about a tough loss with a fellow fan (even if they are a total stranger) is a hidden joy of following a team. 

Second, as a sports fan, I do not want the players on the my favorite team to react to losses the same way after I do. For example, I watched the Packers' infamous 4th & 26 game at the house of a close friend. After the Packers lost in overtime I abruptly left and proceeded to blow off a belated Christmas party I was looking forward to attending. I want the players on my favorite teams to care about the games they play, but if they cared the same way I do they would be incapable of completing even the most pedestrian of plays. The pictures of Gronkowski are reminders that professional athletes and fans have a bit of a different perspective on things. If you're a fan of the Patriots, this should be more comforting than anything else.

To a certain extent I am happy these photos surfaces because they remind us of these important facts. To another extent I'm dumbfounded as to why cameras are allowed around athletes at parties. But that's a post for another time.