Rob Gronkowski has changed how my family does laundry forever

I will readily admit that I am not a fan of commercials. Some are actually tolerable and are effective for product recognition. A catchy tune, a witty slogan or catch phrase, and an intriguing spokesperson can impact name recollection and increase sales.

However, if the majority of your viewing time is sports related as mine happens to be, you will be bombarded with an seemingly endless wave of repetitive commercials. Some are not too bad, at first. But after watching them over and over again throughout each game, they all inevitable lose their appeal. Some will actually haunt your dreams.

I have read articles by my fellow BTSC writers where they have mentioned a few that got stuck on repeat in their minds. They have found Flo's insurance ads and musings about Sheryl's she-shed to be particularly annoying, but for my family and I the most ineffective use of advertising dollars spent has to be the Tide Pods commercials featuring Rob Gronkowski.

Star athletes have been peddling different products in magazines and on television since professional sports leagues came into existence. NFL players have been prominently featured in memorable ads for years. Broadway Joe wore a mink coat and pantyhose one time to sell some product, I am not sure what, that was before my time.

Merlon Olsen used to remind us to buy flowers for our love ones. Presently, Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster partake in a celebration dance over pizza seemingly every other commercial break.

NFL players and beer ads seem to go hand in hand, and some have proven to be advertising royalty. Taste great, less filling arguments immediately come to mind. And who can forget my all time favorite sports commercial? Mean Joe Greene needing an ice cold Coke to quench his thirst and lift his spirits. Who among us didn't dream of being that kid who got his towel? I know I did.

One thing that almost all NFL players turned spokesperson have in common is likeability. They have an engaging personality and a trustworthy demeanor, such as Drew Brees and Troy Polamalu. Troy's luscious locks were perfect for a shampoo ad, and Brees squeaky clean image made him an ideal Tide representative. Some unions just make sense.

However, I can't fathom what Tide was thinking when they made Rob Gronkowski their current spokesperson. What about that Neanderthal man-child would possibly make anyone want to go out and buy their laundry detergent? Quite the opposite really.

In the ill conceived spot, Gronk drops what looks like his soiled undergarments down in the washer to show how effective Tide Pods are at cleaning his dirty drawers. I find the whole thing rather humorous. My wife, not so much.

As Steelers fans, my family and I are not fond of the Patriots or Rob Gronkowski. We have used Tide laundry detergent for years, but not anymore. My wife has found another brand she likes just as good, and it is actually cheaper. Probably the result of the money saved by not having a big jerk as the face of their product, and by not alienating a large portion of your customer base.

Thanks to Gronk we are saving a little money, and every little bit helps.