The Owner's Box, Ep. 61.

Rob Gronkowski is likely to be a shoo-in for the Patriots Hall of Fame this year.

It's been a long time since I last put a podcast on the interwebz, but here it is. It's Episode 61, and the first of our so-called "fifth season" of The Owner's Box.

During this 55-minute return to the airwaves, I talk about my upcoming knee replacement, my return to high school sports broadcasting next month, and a few other topics. But perhaps the most interesting topic of all is the coming conundrum that I'll face on Wednesday of this week, when I head to Gillette Stadium to participate in the meeting of the Patriots' Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.

I've been a member of that august panel since it was founded in 2007 (I had forgotten how long I've been participating), missing only one of the meetings because I was up to my ears in editing at The Sun Chronicle for one of our special sections featuring the winter all-stars. Otherwise, I've played a role in every Hall of Fame member selected since then.

Adam Vinatieri has all the credentials.

Last year, as one of the eldest committee members, I had the privilege of being the first speaker, and I nominated placekicker Adam Vinatieri to be one of the three finalists for the annual fan vote. But it was another nominee, wide receiver Julian Edelman, that won the fans' vote. Edelman was honored in September along with former coach Bill Parcells, who was inducted into the Hall as a contributor by team owner Robert Kraft.

It's not unusual for a worthy nominee to miss out on induction on his first try. Current Patriots' coach Mike Vrabel was on the three-person ballot seven times, finally earning induction in 2023. So my plan is to probably nominate Vinatieri again -- especially since he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past summer.

However ...

There's a fly in the ointment here, and he wore No. 87. Rob Gronkowski, now having been out of pro football for four years, is in his first year of eligibility for the Patriots' shrine. I'm sure someone will be quick to nominate him on Wednesday, and I can't see how the wildly popular Gronk won't make it on his first try.

Hell, I'd vote for him. All Travis Kelce discussion aside, Gronk is probably the best tight end ever to play in the NFL. But I still believe that Vinatieri belongs -- not only for all the clutch kicks he made over the span of his tenure with the Patriots (I can forgive his many years with the Colts), but doubly so for those two "Snow Bowl" kicks against the Raiders and his game-winner against the Rams in Super Bowl 36. 

So, I'll make my speech in full knowledge that the timing won't be right again this year. I expect Vinatieri to be on the ballot again, and I expect fans will vote for the guy they know the best ... after all, it's hard to believe but true that Vinatieri's best moments for the Patriots came before the latest generation of Patriots fans was even born.

It's too bad there can't be two inductees, but as they said in those "Highlander" movies, "There can be only one!" Unless there's a tie in the fan vote, I suppose. But since PR czar Stacey James won't let us see those tallies, how would we know? 

Anyway, I talk about that in Episode 61. And if you're wondering why there was no Episode 60, well, let's just say I will have an explanation for that ... but you'll have to wait a week or so before you hear that. 

Here's the link to Episode 61. Enjoy.