Baby Gronk, What do you Think?

The Coffee Shop
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Who is ‘Baby Gronk’? The father of the social media sensation shares his plan - The Athletic

A parent of a ten year old boy has started on online brand of his kid, calling him Baby Gronk, and promoting him like the next big thing in College Football. The kid is freakin ten years old and the dad says they make about 100K a year off his online stuff.

He gets photos with big stars, goes to big camps and I would bet has some merch.

I would like to bag on this dad but when he talks it’s all not all crazy in that he knows his kid may never make a dime playing football, he may not be very good at football and will most likely never make it to the NFL.

The dad sees it more as building an online brand ( live Livy Dunne) and not being good at the sport but being good at online promoting and business partnerships. The Dad claims that even if the kid washes out of sports by the time he is a senior in HS the kid will have about 1 million bucks saved from this online business.

This all seems nutz but I guess good for the dad if the kid wants to do it. I don’t generally like the over self promoting type parents but if this works, we will see more and more of it. My daughter told me about a YouTube kid that opens toys online and makes about 10 million a year or sumsutch and that seem stupid. So, I guess this is no worse than that.

All Hail Baby Gronk.

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Nothing could go wrong raising a kid as a celebrity, just look at every child actor horror story.

3

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

4

Continuation of where our culture has been going for more than a decade or two. Make your money while you can by marketing some sort of online or media appeal not necessarily tied to any particular skill set or value to society.

The Kardashians weren’t the first professional celebrities, but they did a lot to influence our culture in this direction.

5

Not having a childhood, having adults use you most of your life (this started a while ago) and being washed up by 18 is not worth a million dollars.

I was watching the Smartless series last night and Jason Bateman talked about the extreme levels of pressure and anxiety he felt as a teenager on TV shows. Because of work permit requirements if he didn’t maintain his grades he couldn’t work. If he couldn’t work not only would it affect his family, but as the star it would affect all the people who were working on the show since the show would get cancelled. I wouldn’t want to deal with that pressure as an adult, I can’t imagine that kind of pressure on a child.

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Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

I see it very differently, Sounds like the kid is somewhat level headed, playing 5 sports with good grades.

Dad admits Football isn’t even his best sport, and he might not even make it to college level sports, but he found a way to secure the kids college education, regardless.

Contrast that with the Michigan kid who is huge, playing well at the H.S. level Size 23 feet, parents cant afford custom shoes so he plays in flip flops or shoes to small for him. He did just get some shoes from Shaquille o’neal but had his parents played it right, the kids could at least have proper equipment.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/04/01/teen-size-23-shoes-shaq-phone-call/11583063002/

7

Not having a childhood, having adults use you most of your life (this started a while ago) and being washed up by 18 is not worth a million dollars.

I was watching the Smartless series last night and Jason Bateman talked about the extreme levels of pressure and anxiety he felt as a teenager on TV shows. Because of work permit requirements if he didn’t maintain his grades he couldn’t work. If he couldn’t work not only would it affect his family, but as the star it would affect all the people who were working on the show since the show would get cancelled. I wouldn’t want to deal with that pressure as an adult, I can’t imagine that kind of pressure on a child.

Do you know what pressures are on the kid? Maybe he is just having fun enjoying life, and dad takes a bunch of videos.

Not enough in the story to real see whats going on.

8

if it’s being sold as a how-to-create-a-brand-with-your-kid, maybe not so good.

because a boatload of parents might emulate it with their child, and that online presence won’t disappear without some concerted effort, even if/when they fail miserably

it’s not like the old school pageant stuff where if you fail, nobody has to know

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I think this is dumb, does a disservice to his kid, and is an encouragement of shitty trends in this country.

10

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

I see it very differently, Sounds like the kid is somewhat level headed, playing 5 sports with good grades.

Dad admits Football isn’t even his best sport, and he might not even make it to college level sports, but he found a way to secure the kids college education, regardless.

Contrast that with the Michigan kid who is huge, playing well at the H.S. level Size 23 feet, parents cant afford custom shoes so he plays in flip flops or shoes to small for him. He did just get some shoes from Shaquille o’neal but had his parents played it right, the kids could at least have proper equipment.

https://www.usatoday.com/...ne-call/11583063002/

I see what you are saying too so that is why I said I coudn’t really bag on the dad too much. If he is setting his kid up to have a million dollars in the bank when he gets out of HS, that is not all that bad. It just depends on what the kid is having to do at this age to get it. It sounds like the Dad is doing all the marketing stuff and promotion and the kid just plays sports and takes photos.

Who knows. I don’t really like the fact folks make millions off online BS jobs (influencers, unboxing videos, families that sing and dance and post it online, tick tock stars) etc but I know that just makes me an old geezer that is not with the times. I see those as adding nothing to society, quite stupid and a drag on society as a whole.

The other side of me says if some idiot is dumb enough to watch tick tock all day, YouTube all day and make these folks famous, then more power to them for milking the losers watching their dumb content. I weep for the youth that spend 7 to 8 hours a day on their phones and know all the latest online personalities.

I do think social media and online BS is the downfall of society and if I had one wish, it would be we get rid of tick tock, Instagram, FB, handheld cell phones that do anything other than make a call or text, and a majority of the internet. Life was better without these things in terms of mental health, relationships and stress.

11

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

Did it though?

12

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

Did it though?

I would think so.

He is arguably the greatest golfer to ever live, (sorry Bobby Jones, Jack and Hogan). He transcends the game and change the course of the game for all time.

He is worth probably about a billion dollars and he has two great kids that seem to love him and he is by all accounts a decent guy. He has some flaws, like just about everyone, and his penchant for women led him to some dark places, but that doesn’t make him a failure or diminish his legacy at all. “There but for the grace of god go I.”

The Tiger story is a huge success ( just leave out the affairs) and he is boy scout.

13

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

Depends on what you mean by “worked.” Do you think Tiger is a well adjusted happy adult? He’s definitely rich.

14

Do you know what pressures are on the kid? Maybe he is just having fun enjoying life, and dad takes a bunch of videos.

I truly hope you are right, but to make it in the influencer community usually takes a lot of work in addition to luck.

15

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

Depends on what you mean by “worked.” Do you think Tiger is a well adjusted happy adult? He’s definitely rich.

I don’t know him but see my post above. Other than his womanizing, he seems like a good guy. Always seems good with his kids, is charitable, other guys on tour like him. He does seem happy to me but sure the health stuff is no fun.

I have friends that have cheated on their wives and while I condemn that, they are still good guys, happy and I would call the very successful. Adultery unfortunately is pretty common and doesn’t make you a bad person forever. We all slip up.

16

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

Depends on what you mean by “worked.” Do you think Tiger is a well adjusted happy adult? He’s definitely rich.

I don’t know him but see my post above. Other than his womanizing, he seems like a good guy. Always seems good with his kids, is charitable, other guys on tour like him. He does seem happy to me but sure the health stuff is no fun.

I have friends that have cheated on their wives and while I condemn that, they are still good guys, happy and I would call the very successful. Adultery unfortunately is pretty common and doesn’t make you a bad person forever. We all slip up.

Tiger cheated on his wife with multiple women (some reports put the number above 100). He didn’t “slip up.”

Tiger’s been arrested for driving under the influence of painkillers, sleeping pills, and marijuana. He’s now been to rehab at least once.

Tiger “tricked” his latest girlfriend, by encouraging her to take a short vacation, waiting until she was out and then moving all her stuff out of their house and locking her out. This is a girlfriend with whom he apparently had a pretty aggressive NDA, which is totally normal…

None of those things spell out “well adjusted happy adult” to me.

17

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

Depends on what you mean by “worked.” Do you think Tiger is a well adjusted happy adult? He’s definitely rich.

I don’t know him but see my post above. Other than his womanizing, he seems like a good guy. Always seems good with his kids, is charitable, other guys on tour like him. He does seem happy to me but sure the health stuff is no fun.

I have friends that have cheated on their wives and while I condemn that, they are still good guys, happy and I would call the very successful. Adultery unfortunately is pretty common and doesn’t make you a bad person forever. We all slip up.

Tiger cheated on his wife with multiple women (some reports put the number above 100). He didn’t “slip up.”

Tiger’s been arrested for driving under the influence of painkillers, sleeping pills, and marijuana. He’s now been to rehab at least once.

Tiger “tricked” his latest girlfriend, by encouraging her to take a short vacation, waiting until she was out and then moving all her stuff out of their house and locking her out. This is a girlfriend with whom he apparently had a pretty aggressive NDA, which is totally normal…

None of those things spell out “well adjusted happy adult” to me.

In addition to all that he recklessly speeds down public roadways with little regard to public safety. And caused himself injuries which were limb threatening. His affairs likely exposed his wife to the risk of numerous STDS.

18

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

Depends on what you mean by “worked.” Do you think Tiger is a well adjusted happy adult? He’s definitely rich.

I don’t know him but see my post above. Other than his womanizing, he seems like a good guy. Always seems good with his kids, is charitable, other guys on tour like him. He does seem happy to me but sure the health stuff is no fun.

I have friends that have cheated on their wives and while I condemn that, they are still good guys, happy and I would call the very successful. Adultery unfortunately is pretty common and doesn’t make you a bad person forever. We all slip up.

Tiger cheated on his wife with multiple women (some reports put the number above 100). He didn’t “slip up.”

Tiger’s been arrested for driving under the influence of painkillers, sleeping pills, and marijuana. He’s now been to rehab at least once.

Tiger “tricked” his latest girlfriend, by encouraging her to take a short vacation, waiting until she was out and then moving all her stuff out of their house and locking her out. This is a girlfriend with whom he apparently had a pretty aggressive NDA, which is totally normal…

None of those things spell out “well adjusted happy adult” to me.

he’s a little indulgent but being worth millions as a 20 year old and being told you are a god at that age, and getting anything, you ever wanted can’t be easy. I don’t hold that against him.

If the worst he is doing is womanizing and taking some pain pills too long after surgery ( just about the entire US), then I still think he is doing fine.

If I was him, I would have any girl i was together with sign an NDA too. Too many freaks wanting to get rich off their story and you never know if she likes you or is just with you to get the story. If she wouldn’t leave when asked, good for him for not making it a scene while she was there and getting her out of the house in a non confrontational way.

19

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

Did it though?

I would think so.

He is arguably the greatest golfer to ever live, (sorry Bobby Jones, Jack and Hogan). He transcends the game and change the course of the game for all time.

He is worth probably about a billion dollars and he has two great kids that seem to love him and he is by all accounts a decent guy. He has some flaws, like just about everyone, and his penchant for women led him to some dark places, but that doesn’t make him a failure or diminish his legacy at all. “There but for the grace of god go I.”

The Tiger story is a huge success ( just leave out the affairs) and he is boy scout.

Divorced, wife tried to beat him to death with a golf club, innumerable affairs where he treated the women like shit, “fell asleep” at the wheel and nearly died.

There but being a shit heel with no respect for others go I. His bringing up brought him there.

I asked my wife, without any back story, if she would trade lives with Tiger. Without a thinking for 2 seconds, “hell no”.

I definitely would not trade places with him.

20

Someone else mentioned that in the comments. What could go wrong raising your kid as the next best thing in sports and having him on a strict workout and diet routine from the age of 4?

Todd Marinevich says hello…

Yet it worked for Tiger.

Did it though?

I would think so.

He is arguably the greatest golfer to ever live, (sorry Bobby Jones, Jack and Hogan). He transcends the game and change the course of the game for all time.

He is worth probably about a billion dollars and he has two great kids that seem to love him and he is by all accounts a decent guy. He has some flaws, like just about everyone, and his penchant for women led him to some dark places, but that doesn’t make him a failure or diminish his legacy at all. “There but for the grace of god go I.”

The Tiger story is a huge success ( just leave out the affairs) and he is boy scout.

Divorced, wife tried to beat him to death with a golf club, innumerable affairs where he treated the women like shit, “fell asleep” at the wheel and nearly died.

There but being a shit heel with no respect for others go I. His bringing up brought him there.

I asked my wife, without any back story, if she would trade lives with Tiger. Without a thinking for 2 seconds, “hell no”.

I definitely would not trade places with him.

You don’t know any divorced guys or guys that had affairs? How’s the view from that high horse?

I know guys that have driven drunk, high, asleep, on pills etc and they all got lucky and no crashes or arrests. Of course they were stupid and made a bad decision but not bad people.

Changing places is a silly question. He is without a doubt a very successful athlete, if not the GOAT, and his personal life has some warts but so does everyone’s.

The righteous are out in force today.