Embarrassed Namath apologizes to Kolber

USA Today ^ | 12.23.2003 | Rudy Martzke

[Skooz]

Embarrassed by Saturday night's national television interview, pro football Hall of Famer Joe Namath admitted on Tuesday that he had been drinking and apologized to ESPN reporter Suzy Kolber for saying he wanted to kiss her.

"I was full of some Christmas cheer, certainly too much. It was a festive occasion," Namath said of the gathering of former New York Jets stars who were to be honored at the game at Giants Stadium against the New England Patriots. "I wasn't trying to be rude and crude. I feel awful about what happened, for my family and the Jets. I've been in better Christmas spirits, no pun intended."

[nhoward14]

Whew. I'm only 26. Joe Namath is really old history to me.

[nwrep]

Its the woman's fault for flirting so openly with Namath on TV. I would not blame Namath at all. It was a good natured jibe.

[Skooz]

I remember watching Joe is his heyday. Amazing quarterback. I have never seen anyone throw such a perfect deep pass so consistently.

[nhoward14]

Good grief! He's an early incarnation of Dennis Rodman!

[StatesEnemy]

Ohh PULEEAZE - I got a decade on you and he's history for me as well. Doesn't mean ya have to be oblivious to what came before your zygote stage.... LOL

[Alberta's Child]

One of the sports radio hosts here in New York gave ESPN a lot of grief for even going through with the interview. After the first question they cut away to go back to the game, and they never should have gone back for another question because it was obvious after Question #1 that he was "sailing with three sheets to the wind."

[nhoward14]

I suppose if he was gay I would have read about him in school or something. :)

[dead]

Hmmmmm... getting drunk while watching football...

I oughta try that someday.

[StatesEnemy]

Its the woman's fault for flirting so openly with Namath on TV. I would not blame Namath at all. It was a good natured jibe.

I doubt Suzy was flirting....

I think more likely Joe was steeped in ol' Jet memorabilia and hops, and mistakenly thought he was still a "player".

[Enterprise]

LOL !!!! I simply can't believe that a man with a few drinks in him would tell a woman he wants to kiss her. (I do suspect however that the people who were most offended were lesbians, and the ones most jealous were gays.)

[nhoward14]

Naw... I think they were just stating the Clintonian position on this issue.

[bikewench]

Its the woman's fault for flirting so openly with Namath on TV

Excuse me? She was smiling at him. That's flirting???? Gawd.. Let's get the burqa out.

[Pokey78]

Joe, you're suspended . . . .AGAIN!

[highlander_UW]

I've seen quite a bit written here about Joe Namath. I didn't see the incident, but it sounds like Suzy Kolber handled it like a pro. Kudos to her.

[Ethrane]

As much as Joe was at fault for even doing the interview, it had to be inherently obvious to any casual observer that Joe was in NO SHAPE to be interviewed on National TV.

Hell, I saw that in 2 seconds.

ESPN ought to be ashamed.

BTW, Joe is divorced.

[Hilltop]

If Rush had said I wanna kiss ya, he would have been driven out of town on a rail accused of sexual harassment.

[longtermmemmory]

If Rush had said I wanna kiss ya, he would have been driven out of town on a rail accused of sexual harassment.

** *** ****

The would have also subpoenaed all financial records in order to find out about each contact he has had with women, subpoenaed the names of each atendee at chistmas parties for the last five years attended by Rush, and his phone records.

[South40]

Athletes are human...not the super-heroes the media builds them up to be.

[the invisib1e hand]

compared to some of the %$%$*& that pro athletes do these days, I'd say Joe was a relatively stand-up role model.

[Buck W.]

Agreed. He and Mickey Mantle were my sports heroes while growing up in NY.