Jeremy Roenick believes Rob Gronkowski is ‘the next best thing to Jesus Christ’

Some may believe the New England Patriots asking their star tight end Rob Gronkowski to tone down his behavior to be a good decision.

We imagine Jeremy Roenick might see it as sacrilege.

The former NHL great and current NBC Sports hockey analyst spoke with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com on Tuesday at the American Century Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe, and revealed he prays at the Temple of Gronk:

"I'm a Patriots fan," Roenick told me. "I grew up in Boston. I'm a big Patriots fan, a big Wes Welker fan, a big Tom Brady fan. So, being from that area, the Gronk is the next best thing to Jesus Christ, in my opinion. (Laughs) So, That's my team."

Well, really, if you can't have Jesus Christ, your fallback should always be a 23-year-old meathead who posed nude on the cover of ESPN The Magazine with white Hulk hands.

JR also put over Wes Welker, the Patriots (for now) wide receiver:

"I like him because he's a crazy son of a (gun). … I just appreciate his mentality, appreciate his personality and the way he goes after it."

Only he didn't say "gun."