...which hopefully doesn't mean becoming a champion and icon in New York and later attempting to kiss Suzy Kolber on Monday Night Football while bleep-faced. Broadway Bryce?
(Up above, a photo of Joe Namath in all his hairy-chested glory with Farrah Fawcett back in the day, in a photo lifted from Life magazine's Google photo album.)
And so, on Tuesday, Bryce Harper spoke with MLB.com's Bill Ladson, and talked optimistically about how he hopes to break camp with the Nationals out of Spring Training. We're on board with that plan, for the record.
Harper went on to explain his approach to off-the-field stuff, including speaking his mind on Twitter. And then, he said he hopes to be like Joe Namath. Uh oh...
"I'm going to be my own person. There are a lot of professional athletes back in the old days that did what they wanted to do. That's how I'm going to be. I'm going to prove myself on the field, so I can be that kind of guy off the field. I'm not a clown off the field. I just say things ... I speak my mind and I think that's good. If I speak my mind and people know the real me, then they are going to like me more. I'm not a liar. I say things I want to say. That's how it is, I guess.
A football player I can name is Joe Namath. ... He had that city life and everything like that, but he was one of the best quarterbacks to play the game. I can't say I'm like Joe Namath. ... He went out, he played, but he had fun. He had a night life, he had his own place, I think it was called Bachelors III. He had his own thing that he wanted to do. ... He was in the style, he did all those commercials, things like that. He loved it. I think that's huge. That's one side of me that I like. I'm not your typical, 'Hey, I'm going to be Johnny Good.' You are a baseball player. ... I'm going to have fun off the field, too."
(Bryce Harper, via Nationals.com, 2/7/2012)
Uh oh. Hopefully not *too much* fun. And hopefully not in NY.
Deep down in Nevada close to Vegas Way back up in the desert among the tumbleweed
There stood a casino made of glass and steel
Where lived a little boy named Brycey B. Goode
Who never ever learned to read or write so well
But he could swing a bat just a like ringin' a bell.
Go! Go! go, Brycey, go, go!
Posted by: Peanuts and Cracker Jack | February 07, 2012 at 08:39 PM
Further confirming my belief that he will bolt for New York as soon as possible.
Posted by: Carl | February 07, 2012 at 09:25 PM
Joe Namath's Chest Hair needs its own Twitter account.
Posted by: Anonymoose | February 07, 2012 at 09:44 PM
Bryce is young. If he comes to camp and makes Rizzo and the grey beards forget who the splendid splinter is ... he just may make DC bigger than NYC or Boston for that matter.
Its up to him, DC DC ... remembering that Teddy ballgame got his start in San Diego.
Posted by: peric | February 08, 2012 at 03:19 AM
yikes. just...yikes.
Posted by: JaneB | February 09, 2012 at 10:18 AM
Broadway Joe was forced out of Bachelor's III because of unsavory elements that were part of the scene. I recall a teary-eyed Joe at a press conference about it. A photo from that day made the cover of SI.
Young Mr. Harper might want to think a little before he "speaks his mind."
Not everyone will be interested enough to put it all in the context of "knowing the real him."
He's still a teenager, for heaven's sakes.
Posted by: It's me, it's me, it's me, look at me! | February 09, 2012 at 12:29 PM
Actually the comparison might work, but with the opposite result. Broadway Joe, NY's beloved hero nicknamed for NY's most beloved street. K-Street Bryce, DC's most scorned wannabe hero nicknamed for DC's most scorned street. Someone want to get a pic of him in McPherson Sq. and put it on the cover of Washingtonian?
Posted by: rob | February 09, 2012 at 04:12 PM
Given Harper's attitude and Rocker paralleled mouth
no team or team-mates will want to be even
connected with this ass----!
Posted by: Danno | April 18, 2013 at 06:21 AM