Our convo with the comedian was hilarious ... he tells us the sculpture was dope -- but there was no way in HELL his wife was going to let him keep it around the house.

So, when Gronk demolished it live on television during their New Year's Eve special last week ... he says he actually found it funny -- despite his on-air demeanor!!!

"That was an act, man," Harvey says. "Gronk's a cool dude. I like him."

Of course, that's been the sentiment surrounding the former Patriots tight end ever since he retired from football and entered the entertainment biz this past offseason

The future of Hall of Famer -- who's now a football analyst and a regular guest on a ton of different television shows and specials -- has been CRUSHING life after the game.

Everyone seems to be loving it too ... well, other than Tom Brady -- whose career plummeted after the TE bolted.