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NFL

Gronk leaves comparisons to TE Kelce to others

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Rob Gronkowski deflected any comparisons to fellow tight end Travis Kelce leading into Sunday night’s AFC showdown between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, but he praised Kelce as a “great player.”

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“The rankings, the comparisons and all that, I’ll just leave that up to you guys [in the media], whatever you say,” Gronkowski said Wednesday. “I just try to do my best. I think he’s a great player, and I’ve just got to worry about what I can do to help out the team.”

New England’s Gronkowski remains limited in practice with an ankle injury, but he said that his body feels good and he will “be ready to play Sunday night,” which sets up the inevitable comparisons with Kansas City’s Kelce, as they are two of the best tight ends in the NFL.

“He’s quick, he’s shifty, which is very crucial to have,” Gronkowski said of Kelce. “He knows how to get separation and get away from the defender. I like watching him play when I get a chance.”

Gronkowski was amused to learn that both he and Kelce are 29 years old, even though Gronkowski has been playing in the NFL since 2010, while Kelce entered the league in 2013. Gronkowski said the two have met a few times, mostly at NFL events such as the Super Bowl, but they don’t have much of a connection beyond that.

This season, Kelce has the edge on the stat sheet, having caught 28 passes for 407 yards, with three touchdowns. Gronkowski has 23 receptions for 308 yards and one touchdown, as he has been kept out of the end zone in each of the past four games.

“I’ve got to pick it up. I’ve got to start scoring,” Gronkowski said, after noting that he’s happy as long as the Patriots are winning.

Because some view the 6-foot-6, 268-pound Gronkowski as more of a combination tight end (equally effective as a pass-catcher and a blocker) and the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Kelce as more of a bigger wide receiver who is less likely to be an in-line blocker, Gronkowski was asked if he even considers them playing the same position.

“You can look for yourself. I think he’s a great player and [you] can definitely learn from guys like that. Just his shiftiness is nice,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gronkowski took a moment to acknowledge the Boston Red Sox advancing to the American League Championship Series, relaying that he has watched “a couple innings here and there” and has been impressed with how they came together as a team.

Sunday night’s Patriots-Chiefs game in Foxborough is scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET, which is about an hour after the start of Game 2 of the ALCS, as the Red Sox host the Houston Astros at Fenway Park.

Gronkowski had some fun with the scheduling.

“That’s pretty nuts. But you know Boston sports fans, they’re going to have two TVs — the Red Sox game right there and the Patriots game right there,” he said. “Probably halftime of our game, the Red Sox game will be [finishing] up or something. New England fans, they’re die-hard fans — not just for football, but for every sport around here. So you know they’ll find a way to watch both.”

Soccer

Report: France legend Henry to replace Jardim at AS Monaco

There may be a seismic change afoot in Ligue 1.

AS Monaco, who won the league title just two seasons ago, have made the decision to sack manager Leonardo Jardim with the club mired in the relegation zone and will replace him with former player Thierry Henry, according to ESPN’s Julien Laurens.

Henry, currently Roberto Martinez’s assistant with Belgium, has also recently been linked to the vacant role at English Championship side Aston Villa. However, he could be set to take up his first managerial post at the club where he began his professional playing career in the 1990s.

Monaco have just six points from their first nine games this term and have not won in 10 matches across all competitions since the campaign’s opening day.

Regional French outlet Nice-Matin claimed Jardim could get the boot before next weekend with European domestic football currently on an international break. Monaco’s sporting director, Michael Emenalo, could also be on the chopping block:

Former Chelsea and current Monaco Sporting Director Michael Emenalo is likely to be in danger of losing his job from AS Monaco too, after the french club have now gone 10 games without winning a single game.

— Mootaz Chehade (@MHChehade) October 9, 2018

Henry, a legend of both the France national team and the English Premier League, has been involved in coaching since joining the Belgium setup in August 2016. With his help, the Red Devils finished third at this past summer’s World Cup.

The 41-year-old was reportedly offered the chance to take over at Monaco’s Ligue 1 rival Bordeaux earlier this season after the dismissal of Gus Poyet, but turned down the chance. Last week, he was considered many bookmakers’ favorite to take over the vacant post at Villa, but Laurens reported that Henry snubbed the opportunity after holding talks with the English club.

It now appears there are just a few details to be agreed upon before Henry signs on at Stade Louis II. The World Cup winner watched the 2-1 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid in September and is thought to have taken advice from France coach Didier Deschamps before deciding Monaco is the right move to make.

According to Laurens, Monaco’s staff had also considered Henry’s former Arsenal teammate Robert Pires, River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo, and ex-France defender Laurent Blanc as candidates for the manager position.

“If you think about it, I've never held a job in my life. I went from being an NFL player to a coach to a broadcaster. I haven't worked a day in my life.”
-John Madden


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