ESPN: Gronk = Shaq?

Is the NFL "targeting" Gronkowski?

A beef? Sure. Targeting? Slow down.

After reviewing these five accepted OPI calls on Gronkowski this season, I believe the Patriots tight end has a legitimate beef. I saw only one play where it was obvious that a flag needed to be thrown. The rest? All suspect when you watch closely.

But saying that league officials are truly targeting Gronkowski is a stretch. Instead, I don't think the NFL refs have any idea of how to handle a player like Gronk. It's a lot like what we saw with Shaquille O'Neal back in the 1990s when a defender would go flying, Shaq would get nailed for an offensive foul, and just raise his arms like, "What'd I do?" The end result always looked worse than it was because of the sheer size difference between the two players involved. If a guy gets back on his heels against Gronk from a press position, forget about it. The defender is toast. There is just too much size, strength and power from Gronk to throw some poor technique out there.

To ask Gronk to change his style of play is ridiculous. Maybe the officials will catch up, maybe they won't. But one thing is for certain: Defensive backs better get those knees bent and be ready to battle Gronk. They can't always count on the refs to bail them out.