Raising Cane's owner Todd Graves on how viral Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski dunk tank came to be at Fanatics Fest

Fanatics Fest is simply a viral infinitesimal waiting to hap considering the plethora of superstars nether 1 Manhattan roof, and possibly the archetypal 1 came connected Thursday’s opening time astatine the Javits Center successful the Raising Cane’s activation.

It was a legendary operation of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and 500 gallons of Raising Cane’s celebrated condiment filled successful a dunk tank. Brady, whose accuracy with a shot is inactive unmatched, didn’t miss his target.

Gronkowski went splashing into the sauce, arsenic Brady and Raising Cane’s proprietor Todd Graves joined the masses successful celebrating 1 of the coolest moments to footwear disconnected Fanatics Fest.

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Todd Graves, Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady be Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 astatine Jacob Javits Center successful New York City connected July 16, 2026. (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Fanatics)

Before Brady’s flip pulled the spot retired from nether his favourite choky extremity erstwhile they were some successful the NFL, Fox News Digital caught up with Graves to find retired however a dunk vessel filled with his brand’s celebrated condiment came to be.

"I ne'er thought of a Cane’s Sauce dunk tank, but partnering with Fanatics and Fanatics Fest, which is great," Graves explained. "They’re astonishing partners. One, Michael Rubin and I person been friends, and speech astir business, assistance each different retired successful galore antithetic ways. A rising tide lifts each boats. Before we started partnering with Fanatics, I loved what helium was doing, I loved the fanfare, I loved having sports and amusement fig heads – everybody from Tom Brady to Kevin Hart , right? All that together, I was like, ‘Man, let’s partner. Let’s bash this deal.’

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"With Fanatics Fest, partnering with them wasn’t conscionable like, ‘Here, come, bash immoderate you deliberation of.’ No, it was, ‘Let’s enactment our minds unneurotic and bash what we can.’ So, they came up with the idea. Actually [CEO of OBB Media] Michael Ratner was like, ‘Let’s bash a Cane’s Sauce dunk tank.’ I was like, ‘Yes!’ And helium was like, ‘Let’s bash Brady dunking Gronk.’ Oh my God, I couldn’t deliberation of 2 amended radical doing it."

Graves believed the infinitesimal was going to beryllium "legendary" and "going to beryllium thing successful Cane’s lore" forever. And erstwhile the marque opened its archetypal doors successful Baton Rouge, Louisiana connected Aug. 28, 1996, Graves wasn’t reasoning 30 years down the roadworthy 2 of the astir recognizable athletes successful the state would beryllium making this happen.

"The crews are already truthful excited astir it. The fans volition emotion it. What amended feline similar Gronk, and to person Brady deed the target. It’s ideal," Graves added.

Tom Brady throws shot during Raising Cane's dunk vessel event, wherever Rob Gronkowski fell into 500 gallons of Cane's Sauce. (Raising Cane's)

Brady and Gronkowski got the assemblage going with a small chickenhearted Hail Mary moment, with the backmost tossing immoderate Cane’s chickenhearted fingers into a cupful of condiment the choky extremity was holding. But then, the infinitesimal of truth.

In classical Gronkowski fashion, helium was chirping Brady from his seat, but the FOX Sports NFL colleagues knew what the extremity effect was going to beryllium with that. Brady toyed with Gronkowski astatine first, hitting a Cane’s logo conscionable supra the people connected purpose, and did truthful again with a antithetic one.

Then, connected his 3rd throw, Brady struck true, and each of the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Gronkowski caused a Cane’s Sauce detonation erstwhile helium fell in. There was a splash portion if you were adjacent enough, and it was a infinitesimal fans, media and everyone other who witnessed it couldn’t halt talking about.

As Gronkowski wiped the condiment from his eyes, and Brady calmed down from each the laughter helium caused, Graves was close determination to convey them some for the epic infinitesimal he’ll ne'er forget.

Todd Graves, Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady be the Cane's Sauce Dunk Tank Showdown hosted by Graves astatine Fanatics Fest astatine the Javits Center successful New York City connected July 16, 2026. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Raising Cane's)

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"Through growth, I person 100,000 unit members now, and we person 1,000 locations and we’re astir to crook 30. For maine to locomotion successful present and spot our logos up present and spot radical that privation to travel and beryllium a portion of Cane’s, it’s a imagination travel true. To bash a dunk tank, and Tom Brady and Gronk privation to bash that, I built a marque that’s peculiar to my unit and customers. So, an implicit dream. I ever person to pinch myself and portion of my occupation is doing things similar this, which is great," Graves said.

"We emotion what we do. I emotion my company, I emotion my unit and customers. This is conscionable thing I deliberation we tin bash immoderate amusive for them, due to the fact that I cognize however overmuch I’m going to bask it."

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