Tom Brady dunks Rob Gronkowski in Raising Cane’s sauce at Fanatics Fest

Fanatics Fest is a viral moment waiting to happen considering the sheer number of superstars under the Manhattan umbrella, and perhaps the first one happened on Thursday at the opening day of the Rising Cane activation at the Javits Center.

It was a legendary combination of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and a 500-gallon bottle of Raising Cane’s famous sauce poured into a dunk tank. Brady, whose football accuracy remains unmatched, did not miss his mark.

Gronkowski jumped into the sauce as Brady and Raising Cane owner Todd Graves joined the masses to celebrate one of the coolest moments at the start of Fanatics Fest.

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Before Brady pulled the seat out from under his favorite tight end when they were both in the NFL, Fox News Digital caught up with Graves to find out how he came up with a dunk tank full of his brand’s famous sauce.

“I never thought about the Cane’s Sauce dunk tank, but partnering with Fanatics and Fanatics Fest is a great thing,” Graves explained. “They’re great partners. First, Michael Rubin and I were friends and we talk about business, we help each other in a lot of different ways. A rising tide lifts all boats. Before we started partnering with Fanatics, I loved what he did, I loved the fanfare, I loved having sports and entertainment figures — everyone from Tom Brady to Kevin Hart, right? All of that together, I said, ‘Man, let’s partner up. Let’s make this deal.’

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“Partnering with them at Fanatics Fest wasn’t just about, ‘Come on, come on, do whatever comes to your mind.’ No, it was, ‘Let’s get our heads together and do what we can.’ So that’s how this idea came about, actually. [CEO of OBB Media] Michael Ratner said, ‘Let’s make a dunk tank with Cane’s Sauce.’ ‘Yes!’ I said. And he said, ‘Let’s do Brady dunking on Gronk.’ “Oh my God, I couldn’t have thought of two better people doing this.”

Graves believed that moment would forever be “legendary” and “become something in Cane lore.” When the brand first opened its doors in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on August 28, 1996, Graves had no idea that two of the nation’s most well-known athletes would make it happen within the next 30 years.

“Teams are already excited about it. Fans are going to love it. Is there anything better than a guy like Gronk and Brady hitting the bullseye? It’s ideal,” Graves added.

Tom Brady is playing football when Rob Gronkowski falls into a 500-gallon can of Cane Sauce during Raising Cane’s dunk tank event. (Raising the cane)

Brady and Gronkowski thrilled the crowd with a little chicken Hail Mary moment; The quarterback tossed some of Cane’s chicken fingers into a cup of sauce held by the tight end. But then, the moment of truth.

In classic Gronkowski fashion, he was chirping at Brady from his seat, but his FOX Sports NFL colleagues knew what the outcome would be. Brady played Gronkowski at first, purposely hitting the Cane’s logo just above the target, and again with a different logo.

Then, on his third throw, Brady hit the ball, causing a Cane’s Sauce explosion when the 6-foot-1, 265-pound Gronkowski fell. There was a splash zone when you were close enough, and it was a moment that fans, media, and everyone who witnessed it couldn’t stop talking about.

As Gronkowski wiped sauce from his eyes and Brady calmed down from the laughter he caused, Graves was there to thank them both for an epic moment he’ll never forget.

Todd Graves, Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady attend the Cane’s Sauce Dunk Tank Showdown hosted by Graves at Fanatics Fest at the Javits Center in New York City on July 16, 2026. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images, To Raise the Canes)

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“Through growth, I now have 100,000 crew members and we have 1,000 locations and we’re about to turn 30. It’s a dream come true for me to come here and see our logos and see people wanting to come and be a part of Cane’s. I’ve created a custom brand for my team and my customers to make a dunk tank that Tom Brady and Gronk want to do. So it’s just a dream. I have to pinch myself all the time and part of my job is things like that.” to do, which is great,” Graves said.

“We love what we do. I love my company, I love my team, I love my clients. I think we can have some fun with it for them because I know how much I’m going to enjoy it.”

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