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A casual conversation about trophies turned into one of the more unexpected sports debates of the week.
During a recent episode of the Dudes on Dudes podcast, former New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski admitted something that might surprise NFL fans. Despite winning four Super Bowls, he says he's a little jealous of the FIFA World Cup trophy.
The reason goes back to a moment that left an actual dent in one of the Lombardi Trophies.
Gronkowski was talking with former teammate Julian Edelman when the topic came up. The two were recalling celebrations after New England's championship seasons when Gronkowski joked that the World Cup trophy might actually be the better-built prize.
"I'm jealous of the World Cup. It gets a party in Buenos Aires. It's lifted with two hands, so it's supported well...
For Gronkowski, that last detail matters more than you might think. The comment comes from a player who lifted the Lombardi Trophy four times during one of the most dominant dynasties in NFL history.
The Fenway Park moment Patriots fans still remember
The story traces back to April 2019.
The New England Patriots, fresh off their victory in Super Bowl LIII, appeared at the Boston Red Sox home opener at Fenway Park. Players gathered beneath the stadium's iconic Green Monster for a celebratory appearance with the Lombardi Trophy.
Then things got playful. Julian Edelman tossed a knuckleball toward Gronkowski. Gronkowski swung the Lombardi Trophy like a baseball bat.
The ball connected. So did the trophy. The result was a visible dent that remains on the back of the Patriots' Lombardi Trophy.
Team owner Robert Kraft later confirmed the story publicly. According to Kraft, the players were joking around when the incident happened.
Fortunately for the franchise, the Patriots had multiple Lombardi trophies from their dynasty run. One with a baseball mark became more of a funny memory than a problem.
Why the World Cup trophy impressed Gronkowski
That moment is what sparked Gronkowski's comparison.
The Lombardi Trophy is produced each year by Tiffany & Co. and awarded to the champion of the National Football League (NFL). Each winning team keeps its own trophy permanently.
The FIFA World Cup trophy works differently. The original trophy remains under the control of FIFA, and only champions and select officials are allowed to hold it. The design, introduced in 1974 by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, weighs more than 13 pounds and is lifted by captains at the end of the world's biggest soccer tournament.
The World Cup is widely considered the most watched sporting event on the planet.
When the Argentina national team won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, celebrations in Buenos Aires drew millions of fans into the streets.
That global spectacle is part of what Gronkowski was referencing.
Gronkowski's surprising take on rookie cards
The podcast conversation eventually shifted from trophies to sports memorabilia.
Gronkowski was asked whether he would rather own a rookie card of Tom Brady or one belonging to young Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
His answer surprised listeners.
"I would probably rather have right now, to this day, a Drake Maye rookie card...
The reasoning was simple.
Tom Brady rookie cards have already reached extremely high prices in the collectibles market. Rare versions have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, with some surpassing the $1 million mark in major auctions reported by ESPN and Sports Collectors Daily.
Maye's rookie cards are still far cheaper.
If the young quarterback develops into a star, the value of those cards could rise significantly.
A lighthearted debate that sparked wider discussion
Gronkowski's comments were clearly delivered with humor, but they still sparked conversation among fans of both sports.
The Lombardi Trophy represents the peak of the NFL. The FIFA World Cup trophy sits at the center of the most watched sporting event in global sports.
Comparisons between the two rarely come from someone who has actually lifted one of them multiple times.
But Gronkowski has always had a way of turning old stories into new conversations.
Sometimes all it takes is a podcast, a championship memory, and one dented trophy.
This article is based on statements made by Rob Gronkowski on the Dudes on Dudes podcast, previous remarks from Robert Kraft regarding the Fenway Park incident, and publicly reported information from ESPN and Sports Collectors Daily about the sports memorabilia market.