Joe Namath

[Stormbringer]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-namath-kolber&prov=ap&type=lgns

Joe Namath tells Kolber he wants to kiss her

December 21, 2003

NEW YORK (AP) -- Joe Namath's interview on ESPN was cut short when the Hall of Fame quarterback gave curious answers to Suzy Kolber's questions.

Namath was at the Patriots-Jets game Saturday night as the Jets celebrated their 40th anniversary team. Asked by Kolber, ESPN's sideline reporter, about what the team's struggles meant to him, Namath replied:

"I want to kiss you,'' as he leaned toward her.

He added that he believed the team would come back next season with Chad Pennington available to play quarterback all year. But those at ESPN had heard enough.

"Based on Joe's response to the second question, we concluded the interview expeditiously,'' the network said in a statement Sunday. "While Joe made some relevant football points, had we known what was to come, of course, we would not have conducted the interview.''

Kolber responded to Namath's comments by saying "Thanks, Joe. A huge compliment.''

Namath capped off the interview by repeating: "I want to kiss you.'' Kolber then turned things back to the announcers in the booth.

The Jets said they would have no comment.
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Did anyone see this? :crazy:

[tommy]

That got posted on the tridead forums... it is just bizarre... hopefully there will be a follow up article at least... i wanna know what dudeman's BAC was... lol

[goalie33]

It was replayed on Letterman multiple times as a new segment called "Has Joe Been Drinking?"

[Shell]

why, yes, yes he was... no surprise!

Embarrassed Namath apologizes to Kolber
By Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY

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."

Speaking from his condominium in Los Angeles, Namath said he profusely apologized Tuesday morning to Kolber after failing to reach her on Monday.

"She was a real pro," Namath said of Kolber. "She handled it so well. I appreciate Suzy's professionalism. It could have really gotten out of whack. It's not the way I've been working in the NFL for 35 years. It was a mess up. I've got to do better. I can say it will never happen again."

In a statement issued through ESPN vice-president Mike Soltys, Kolber said, "Joe apologized, I accept. It's over."

Late in the second quarter of Saturday night's telecast, Namath, an ambassador at large for the Jets, appeared on the sideline to be interviewed by Kolber. After initially speaking coherently, Namath then spoke in slow, halting language, at one time leaning toward her and saying, "I want to kiss you." When Namath, who is divorced, repeated the "kiss" wish following the next play, Kolber said she considered it a compliment and quickly broke off the interview.

Jed Drake, an ESPN executive who was in the production truck, said, "If we had known definitively (Namath) was in that kind of state, we wouldn't have conducted the interview."