Before he was a record-setting NFL tight end, before he taught us a bad day at the office should never stop you from dancing your heart out, Rob Gronkowski was dropping hints of greatness to come.

Case in point: Shutdown Corner (via Barstool Sports) dug up this YouTube clip of Rob and brother Chris taking part in a “Dizzy Bat Race” during an independent league baseball game.

The clip — uploaded by the Worcester Tornadoes — was taken in 2009. Rob’s brother, Gordie Gronkowski (awesome) was with the team at the time.

You’ll have to watch the video to find out who wins. To spare you the disappointment, we’ll just tell you now that no shirts are removed at any point. Alas.

– Dan Hanzus

Katy Perry got the cold shoulder and Kim Kardashian the Heisman, but maybe young Jamie Walden will have better luck with Tim Tebow.

Walden, a 20-year-old active-duty member of the Air Force, has asked the Broncos QB to accompany her to April’s 2012 Military Ball in Shreveport, La.

“I would be the luckiest and happiest girl if you were to say ‘Yes’ and be my date,” Jamie pleads in a YouTube proposal that’s pulled in more than 150,000 views in just over a week.

The video missive comes complete with gentle pressure from Jamie’s fellow airmen and — look out — her mother, who makes it clear there’s only one right answer to this question.

“I snagged a few people on their free time just to come out and help me,” Walden told KSLA-TV in Shreveport. “They’re all supportive of it. They know my crush on him.”

Walden told the station that Tebow would be a good match for a military woman because they share the same values: “Integrity, excellence in all we do and service before self — and he portrays that in his character.”

(Side note: If Tebow, for some reason, doesn’t accept, good luck to the guy filling those shoes. Nightmarish friend-zone scenario.)

Tebow wouldn’t be the first celebrity to attend a military hoedown. Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis and even Kristin Cavallari have traveled down this road.

Ball’s in your court, Tim.

– Marc Sessler

Matt Sayles/Associated Press

To the victory goes the spoils. Winning a Super Bowl means trips to the White House, Disneyland and other trips behind the velvet ropes. For Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham, it meant a trip to the Grammy’s as presenters. And as you would expect, Cruz was coerced by “NCIS” actress Pauley Perrette into doing the salsa. (You can catch a clip of the salsa here.)

And by coerced, I mean this was as scripted as your typical WWE moment. But Cruz busted out his moves, though his backup band really let him down by not providing musical accompaniment.

You know, I asked Cruz on Episode 53 of the Dave Dameshek Football Program if he’s now come to regret ever doing the salsa because he’s asked to do it at the drop of a hat at any point and any time. But Cruz said he’s good with it, and he’s happy to oblige most of the time.

And you just know Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski was sitting at home wondering why he wasn’t asked to dance. (Here’s a hint, Gronk: It’s because the Giants won and dancing is for winners.)

There are a lot of things I’m glad we’ve left in the 1980s: Parachute pants, leg warmers and NFL teams making music videos. Nope, none of them were good. So with the Grammy’s on Sunday night, here is a list of the worst sports videos every created and we will crown one as the “Worst Sports Video of All-Time!”

Are you ready?

The nominees:

The Bears with the “Super Bowl Shuffle” and yes, I get it, everybody loves the classic. But this song is terrible.

The Dolphins with “You Can’t Touch Us”

The Redskins with “Redskins Rap Song”

The Dallas Cowboys with “Christmas in Dallas”

The Bengals with “Who Dey:”

The Seattle Seahawks with “Locker Room Rock:”

The Winner (depending on how you view this): And after seeing this, I’m almost glad the team folded. It’s my Los Angeles Rams with “Let’s Ram It.”

Whitney Houston racked up dozens of awards and sold more than 170 million combined album, singles and videos worldwide during her celebrated career, but the singer — who died Saturday in Los Angeles at the age of 48 — also left her mark on the NFL.

We’re referring, of course, to her unforgettable rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to Super Bowl XXV between the Giants and Bills. Set against the backdrop of the Persian Gulf War, Houston’s soaring take on the national anthem is now the standard for which all other renditions are judged.

The recording was released as a single in 1991 and reached the Top 20 on the U.S. Hot 100 Billboard. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the song was re-released with all proceeds going to charity.

Houston’s career and personal life spiraled in recent years, but the lasting impact of her Super Bowl performance was on display last Sunday after Kelly Clarkson offered her own goosebump-worthy take of the national anthem prior to Super Bowl XLVI. Clarkson’s performance was roundly praised, though it was universally agreed Houston’s rendition remains unchallenged.

Not a bad legacy to leave.

– Dan Hanzus

No special effects. No 3-D. No hyper-tedious pairing of Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson clanging through a script that brings into question the validity of human life.

The video above — minus the typical glut — was done on the fly, with Seattle’s CenturyLink Field as its star.

Set to a dubstep version of M83′s “Midnight City,” what you see is the creation of Jimmy Diebold, a San Francisco-based director.

Given one night to operate, Diebold and his crew of Seattle-area photographers — many sourced off Craigslist — snapped a bazillion photos of the stadium back on Sept. 6. Diebold then logged thousands of hours in solitude, piecing it all together.

“It was a big trial and error to get the lights to work,” Diebold told seattlepi.com this week. “No one’s done this before and I was figuring it out while I was doing it. When I saw (my first shot) for the first time, it gave me goosebumps. I thought, wow, it really worked!”

“The success of the video has far exceeded our expectations and the two of us just love football and make films for a living and we just wanted to do something for the love of the game,” said Clint Goldman, an executive producer for Bodega Studios who teamed with Diebold on the project.

The video has caused a slight stir on YouTube (250,000-plus views) and caught the eye of Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who tweeted: “#SOTD! an awesome music video involving CenturyLink Field with the song ‘midnight lights’… SO COOL.”

– Marc Sessler

One of the biggest staples of any championship parade/celebration is the star player taking the stage to thank “the greatest fans in the world!” This bit has long bothered us because a) it’s a little bit disingenuous and 2.) we all know the greatest fans in the world are Los Angeles Kings fans.

But this also leads to another staple of the championship parade — the person who really doesn’t care about sports but shows up because it’s a great excuse to skip work and drink at noon on a Tuesday. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Unless Boozy McBandwagon is asked to identify the starting quarterback of the winning Super Bowl team they are supposed to be celebrating. Then the person becomes an embarrassment to the pink Giants hat they just purchased.

Just watch the video.

You can follow Rank via Twitter @adamrank.

What you’re about to witness above could be misconstrued as cruel and unusual punishment. But, in reality, it’s just late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel having a laugh thanks to some loyal viewers answering his call.

For those who don’t watch “Jimmy Kimmel Live” — and that’s probably a good number of you — he’s been doing this YouTube challenge bit for a little while now. And we like it. (See: “I Told My Kids I Ate Their Halloween Candy” and “I Gave My Kids A Terrible Present”)

This one is called “I Unplugged The TV During The Game”. It’s people unplugging their TVs during a crucial moment of Super Bowl XLVI. Try not to overreact, OK?

Best parts: Most people are sneaky about this, but the guy at 1:58 lingers next to the TV and shamelessly unplugs it in front of everybody at the party; there’s also a pretty funny Christmas tree scene at 2:11.

On a side note: What self-respecting Jets fan still wears a Brett Favre jersey? What the heck?!?

– Simon Samano

Who cares if Andre Brown had very little to do with the Giants winning Super Bowl XLVI?

That wasn’t stopping him from leading the celebration chant/dance on the team plane prior to takeoff from Indianapolis on Monday.

This video let’s us know just how fun the plane ride back to Newark must have been for the newly crowned NFL champions.

Thanks to Mark Herzlich for posting this on YouTube, although the quality leads us to believe he badly needs a cell phone upgrade.

– Simon Samano

NFL players will be allowed to tweet during the Pro Bowl. But before you get too excited, realize players will not be using their own personal devices. Rather, they will be using designated kiosks on the sidelines. Admittedly, this is a bummer because my dream was to see Greg Jennings tweet during a long run to the end zone.

Probably just as well, though. Judging from the performance of the Packers’ receivers against the Giants, Jennings would have just dropped the phone anyway. Zing!

But let’s think of the baby steps. If the players want the NFL to relax its rules in future endeavors, we really need to make this count. Here are a few “dos” and “don’ts” to adhere to. Normally, this would be the domain of self-important Twitter czar Darren Rovell, but I believe he’s currently engaging in a direct message battle with David Letterman‘s writing staff, and understandably is a little busy.

So here is the list:

• Don’t try to tell people your account was hacked. That is the Twitter equivalent of telling people you’re a thin-skinned louse who just lost an internet fight. Just ask Santonio Holmes, who did this before. And seriously, you’re on the sidelines. We can see you tweeting.

• Do tweet from somebody else’s account if they are foolish enough to leave it open. If Andy Dalton just left the kiosk with his account open, don’t be afraid to tweet out … “I hate being a red head and I wish I went to Texas.”

• If Tony Romo just left the kiosk with his account open … oh wait, he’s not a Pro Bowl player.

• Do find out if there is a camera on this twitter kiosk. Remember, there are cheerleaders on the sidelines. Do the math.

• But Sebastian Janikowski, don’t take any self portraits if there is a camera available. (Hey, we’re doppelgangers, I can say it.)

• Do avoid talking about religion on twitter. Save it for Tim Tebow’s press conferences.

• Don’t blame God if you drop a sure touchdown pass. Stevie Johnson learned this the hard way. And now he’s really paying for it because Ryan Fitzpatrick is still the Bills’ quarterback.

• Do follow the example of Arian Foster‘s Twitter account. Best NFL player on Twitter. A recent example from this morning: “Mimosas are just a euphemism for morning alcoholics.” Funny and to the point.

• Don’t be like Chad Ochocinco. He has more than two million Twitter followers. All of whom think he’s a dope and knows nothing about politics.

• Don’t be like Rashard Mendenhall, who thought he knew too much about politics and created a stir when he tweeted this out earlier this year. Don’t tweet out anything needing more than 140 characters to explain.

• Don’t brag about the weather or all of the awesome parties you have attended in Hawaii. We’re jealous enough already.

• Do put a thumb drive in your pants to upload embarrassing photos from those awesome parties you aren’t supposed to be tweeting about. We’re counting on you, Aaron Rodgers for a few photobombs.

• Do call your shot if you are about to do something really cool. Like I could see Jared Allen calling for a sack right before he does it.

• Don’t incur a delay of game penalty because you are spending time tweeting when you should be running out on to the field. Though, maybe that’s what happened to Billy Cundiff in the AFC Championship Game.

• Do try to find a way to incorporate the kiosk into the end zone celebration, though. You know Steve Smith is likely plotting this already.

• Don’t ask if we just saw your great play. Seriously, this is the Pro Bowl. Nobody is watching.

So I guess you can say your account has been hacked.

Happy tweeting.

Any more suggestions? Reach Adam Rank via Twitter.

Bay Area rap artists are now 2-for-2 on the season when it comes to 49ers-inspired tracks.

First was Bailey’s “Who’s Got It Better”, which sampled coach Jim Harbaugh blaring throughout. Now we offer you Ashkon‘s “Niners in Paris”, which, basically, if you like Jay-Z and Kanye West, and you’re a 49ers fan, there’s no way you won’t instantly start bobbing your head.

As a side note, the choice of sampling Jay-Z is a bit curious, being that he’s from New York. Perhaps this is a dig at the Giants ahead of the NFC Championship Game?

In any event, Niners fans should like Ashkon getting involved in the Niners craze. The last time he made a tune about a San Francisco team in the playoffs, the Giants went on to win the 2010 World Series.

– Simon Samano

Colts fans and NFL enthusiasts were worked into a frenzy when Rob Lowe reported Peyton Manning was retiring. Yes, that Rob Lowe.

But this isn’t the first time Lowe has broken news. As a longtime Lowe follower, I was able to go back and look back at some of his most infamous tweets.*

Let’s count down the top 10. (And yes, I get paid for this.)

10. Norv Turner is the man to lead the Chargers to the Super Bowl! (Feb. 19, 2007)

9. Hear me now, believe me later, but this JaMarcus Russell kid is going to be an NFL superstar. (April 30, 2007)

8. Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian are going to be around forever like Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson! (Jan. 1, 2008)

7. The Packers are going to regret letting Brett Favre go and starting this scrub, Aaron Rodgers. They’ll never win a Super Bowl with him. (Sept. 4, 2008)

6. I’ll co-star in “Tommy Boy II” before the Cardinals ever play in a Super Bowl. (Dec. 29, 2008)

5. Ben Roethlisberger just seems like a great guy to be around. The kind of guy you’d want your sister to marry. (Feb. 1, 2009)

4. Nobody is going to care about Tim Tebow once he goes to the NFL. We’ll never think about him again! (April 29, 2010)

3. Look at my fantasy team: Jamaal Charles, Andre Johnson, Kenny Britt and Peyton Manning. I can’t lose! (Sept. 1, 2011)

2. The Eagles are loaded! There’s no way they miss the playoffs! (Sept. 6, 2011)

1. Ran into Rex Ryan at Steak ‘n Shake. I believe him when he says the Jets are going to the Super Bowl. (Sept. 7, 2009; Sept 9, 2010; Sept 1, 2011)

BTW, we’re all falling for a huge prank here. Remember it when Peyton Manning shows up on an episode of “Parks & Recreation.”

*None of these tweets are true. Was Twitter even around in 2007?

Perhaps the Lions should look into adding Marcos Baghdatis, who showed in this video the kind of composure and control you would typically associate with the well-heeled Lions.

This is clip from the Australian Open, which probably caused Lions coach Jim Schwartz to pause and say, “This guy has anger issues … he’d be perfect on our team!”

Schwartz knows a thing or two about anger issues. He’s kind of an expert.

But, I’m serious. If Baghadtis can cover a receiver one-on-one, all of the Lions problems might be solved.

The world’s response to Tim Tebow grows more unusual by the day.

NBC’s Jimmy Fallon delivered the latest Tebow-inspired opus during his late-night show Thursday, with a dual nod to pop icon David Bowie and Denver’s star quarterback.

Enter “Tebowie” — dolled up in a No. 15 Broncos jersey and a heavy dose of rock-glam accessories — performing a heavily tweaked version of Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

As it opens, Tebow addresses the skies: “Tim Tebow to Jesus Christ / Can’t win by myself but with your help I might!”

During the act, Jesus responds to Tebowie, and based on his response, it sounds like the Broncos are in hot water against Tom Brady and the Pats in Saturday night’s AFC Divisional Playoff Game.

When he scorched playing fields during his days with the Tennessee Titans, Eddie George found himself plotted against by NFL defenses from east to west.

His football career is long over, but George once again is a prime target as he steps into the sandals of Julius Caesar in The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s production of the famed play by the same name.

The four-time Pro Bowl running back, who made his stage debut five years ago in a production of “God’s Trombones,” aims to be seen through new eyes in the setting of ancient Rome.

“I hope that the performance will have enough integrity that you won’t just have a football player up there, but instead, a man (Caesar) who has accomplished a lot and is in the midst of transition, dealing with his own issues,” George told the Tennessean this month. “It’s fear versus confidence, the whole array of emotions going through him as a human being.”

Denice Hicks, the festival’s artistic director, was instantly impressed by “how dedicated (George) is to the craft of acting,” and his performance has been lauded by those who worked alongside him through rehearsals.

Less generous was NFL.com’s Henry Hodgson, our resident Brit and a former student of Shakespearian theater, who gave the above preview a chilly response, labeling it “hamtastic.” Around the League blogger Dan Hanzus awarded it a thumbs up, asking for one tweak: That George adopt “Edward” as his first name, at least during the show’s run, as it’s near impossible to take seriously a thespian floating around town as “Eddie.”

“Julius Caesar” runs from January 12-29 at the Troutt Theater at Belmont University in Nashville.

– Marc Sessler

(Photo courtesy: Jeff Frazier/The Nashville Shakespeare Festival)