Tampa Mayor Issues Lighthearted Apology, Welcomes Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski To Bucs – ESPN

When it comes to first impressions, Tampa didn’t exactly give the best of welcomes to one of its newest and most famous residents when NFL superstar Tom Brady was ejected from a downtown park while working out.

Mayor Jane Castor tried to make amends by issuing a lighthearted apology to Brady in a welcome letter addressed to Brady and Rob Gronkowski after the two recently joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Tom, my apologies for the miscommunication when you arrived — not the best first impression,” the mayor wrote in a letter she posted on social media on Saturday. “But given my law enforcement background, I couldn’t help but have someone investigate the sighting of a G.O.A.T running wild in one of our beautiful city parks.’

“No harm – no foul, and thanks for being a good sport.”

Happy to welcome @TomBrady & @RobGronkowski to the greatest city in the world, the @CityofTampa! 😊 pic.twitter.com/K89dj5vc50

— Jane Castor (@JaneCastor) April 25, 2020

On Monday, Brady, widely known as the “greatest of all time,” was working out at the park and was spotted by staff patrol, who ordered the four-time Super Bowl MVP to leave because the park was closed to the public because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The 42-year-old quarterback won six Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots.

In her letter, the mayor also referenced Brady’s quest to trademark the terms “Tampa Brady” and “Tompa Bay.

“Tom, it’s Tampa Bay,” Castor wrote. “You win us a Super Bowl and we’ll discuss Tampa Brady.”

The mayor thanked Brady and his wife, Gisele Bundchen, for their recent donation of 750,000 meals to Feeding Tampa Bay.

The letter also was addressed to Gronkowski, who also bolted the Patriots to join the Tampa Bay roster.

With so many “wonderful activities,” the mayor said, listing the area’s long list of offerings, including the Gasparilla Pirate Invasion, “you must be ready to pARRGHty…but not too hard (I’m talking to you Gronk).”

Tampa hosts next year’s Super Bowl, and the city is looking to Brady and Gronkowski to help the Buccaneers be the first team to win an NFL championship in its own backyard.

With the coronavirus outbreak preventing large gatherings, the mayor said the welcome would have to be virtual for now, saying that a “proper Tampa welcome will have to wait for a while.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.