Pros deserve a relaxing offseason

After last week's devastating Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and tackle Matt Light were photographed dancing at a club and having a good time. Three days later, former Patriots safety (and now NFL analyst) Rodney Harrison remarked, "I guarantee you this, if [former Patriots] Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Larry Izzo, Richard Seymour or myself had been at that party, [Gronkowski] probably would have got his head rung. There's no reason for that to happen." Gronkowski in particular received criticism from Harrison, both because of his historic season and that his sprained ankle limited him in the Super Bowl.

But none of this should matter at all. Just because Gronkowski and Light decided to go out and have fun instead of sulking in a corner after the game does not mean that they should be ostracized. People react to losses differently. And that's the key that Harrison overlooks: Athletes are people. They are not machines, despite what we fans often project them to be. Every time that a tragedy happens in the sporting world, we all pontificate that "everything is kept in perspective," and that "in the scheme of things, sports don't really matter." However, we forget this time and time again, and expect athletes to start working out for five straight months as soon as their season is over.

Does anyone legitimately think that Gronkowski faked or exaggerated his injury, that he did not try his absolute hardest in the biggest game of his life, just so he could save his energy so that he could dance in a club? Gronkowski and Light, along with the other 51 members of the Patriots roster worked their behinds off throughout the entire season. No one went clubbing the night before the Super Bowl: By late Sunday night, the season was over. Acting as if these two players betrayed their teammates is absurd.

On Friday, Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick was spotted at the Pebble Beach Pro Am, a golf tournament in California. Nobody has more of a reputation as a hard worker than Belichick, and he managed to find himself playing golf at a beautiful resort. Why? Because it's the offseason, and even the most dedicated to their jobs deserve some time off. The five-day window makes no difference; there is no "too soon" in starting one's vacation from his vocation. Just as much as anyone, Belichick earned some time away from his job, and he has every right to enjoy himself.

Do you know what is wrong, though? Using Human Growth Hormone (HGH) to play football, despite it being a banned substance in the NFL. Gronkowski and Light never have tested positive for HGH, but Harrison did, in 2007. Harrison was subsequently suspended for four games, or a quarter of the regular season. Isn't breaking NFL rules and missing a large chunk of your season much more of a betrayal to your teammates than simply going out during the offseason?

It is so easy to judge others from a distance. The logic is as follows: If I am upset about my favorite team losing and am not really in the mood to go out, then why should those players be able to do so? However, Gronkowski, Light and every professional athlete who has ever lived happen to be humans that play a sport for a living. It's true, I swear. They are incredible physical specimens, but they are still just like anyone else. This may sound obvious, but it is actually rather inexplicable how often we forget.

If Harrison says that he would never go out after a loss, I have no reason not to believe him. And, of course, that is perfectly acceptable. However, he needs to get down from his proverbial soapbox and accept that these are young men who may want to simply celebrate how far they came this year and how hard they worked to get there.