Former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski is always up for new experiences, and he made quite the business decision at the L.A. Bowl on Saturday. Actually, the full name of the bowl game is “Starco Brands LA Bowl hosted by Gronk,” which is a different story.
Per USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer, Gronk got naming rights to the game without throwing any sponsorship money down, as generally happens in these cases.
The reason for this is a unique reverse-naming-rights deal of sorts, where the name of this game is marketing and trying to stand out in a postseason filled with 42 major-college postseason games starting Saturday. Putting celebrity names in the game’s title helps the LA Bowl do that and more, especially in the entertainment capital of the world, where a game between UCLA (7-5) and Boise State (8-5) might not move the needle much otherwise.
Well, Gronk did his best to move the needle with his performance of the national anthem as part of a five-person group.
For the first time ever… @RobGronkowski sings the National Anthem at Starco Brands #LABowl Hosted By Gronk 🎤 pic.twitter.com/H2Nfyk5wXK
— Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk (@LABowlGame) December 17, 2023
Not exactly a bravura performance, but he was a lot better than Enrico Palazzo.
