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 nan plethora of superstars nether 1 Manhattan roof, and possibly nan first 1 came connected Thursday’s opening time astatine nan Javits Center successful nan 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 pinch a shot is still unmatched, didn’t miss his target.

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

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

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 nan spot retired from nether his favourite tight extremity erstwhile they were some successful nan NFL, Fox News Digital caught up pinch Graves to find retired really a dunk vessel filled pinch his brand’s celebrated condiment came to be.

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

TOM BRADY DRAWS INSPIRATION AFTER MEETING WITH MAKE-A-WISH TEAN HEART TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT AT FANATICS FEST

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

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

"The crews are already truthful excited astir it. The fans will emotion it. What amended feline for illustration Gronk, and to person Brady deed nan 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 sewage nan crowd going pinch a small chickenhearted Hail Mary moment, pinch nan backmost tossing immoderate Cane’s chickenhearted fingers into a cup of condiment nan tight extremity was holding. But then, nan infinitesimal of truth.

In classical Gronkowski fashion, he was chirping Brady from his seat, but nan FOX Sports NFL colleagues knew what nan extremity consequence was going to beryllium pinch that. Brady toyed pinch Gronkowski astatine first, hitting a Cane’s logo conscionable supra nan target connected purpose, and did truthful again pinch a different one.

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

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

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

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Through growth, I person 100,000 unit members now, and we person 1,000 locations and we’re astir to move 30. For maine to locomotion successful present and spot our logos up present and spot group that want to travel and beryllium a portion of Cane’s, it’s a dream travel true. To do a dunk tank, and Tom Brady and Gronk want to do that, I built a marque that’s typical to my unit and customers. So, an absolute dream. I ever person to pinch myself and portion of my occupation is doing things for illustration 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 do immoderate nosy for them, because I cognize really overmuch I’m going to bask it."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to nan Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.