Pheaturing Joe Namath

Hey, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Thursday. How are you? It is with a heavy heart I report to you the passing of Mr. Peanut, the famous lovechild of the Monopoly Man and a legume. The Mr. Peanut Twitter account rebranded as The Estate of Mr. Peanut and announced the fictional upperclasspeanut's death with a special mourning monocle and an emoji for the occasion. Mr. Peanut is said to have "sacrificed himself to save his friends when they needed him most," which is surprising, considering the fact that his whole mission in life was to telling people to eat his friends' corpses and profiting off of their demise.

Mr. Peanut died after a Nutmobile accident threw him and his friends Wesley Snipes and Matt Walsh over a cliff, and he let go of a branch as not to weigh them down. As you'll be able to see in the commercial, Mr. Peanut died doing what he loved: selling peanuts. AdAge reports that funeral for the 106-year-old spokesnut has been scheduled for the third quarter of the Super Bowl, the most-watched live television event of the year, so millions of people can pay their respects. While companies such as Gilette razors have pivoted to wokeness to make waves with their Super Bowl commercials, Planters Peanuts' decision to pivot to grief is the first of its kind. This is sad news for everybody, but especially Terry Jones, the Monty Python icon who is now the Farrah Fawcett to Mr. Peanut's Michael Jackson. The stunt was successful, as Mr. Peanut is now the number one trend, despite being fake and a legume. People are also criticizing the obvious stunt, playing on our emotional attachments to an anthropomorphic legume just to get us talking about peanuts. We all mourn our fake friends in our own fake ways.
As we rapidly approach the 2020 election, memories of the 2016 political circus are rushing back in full force. More specifically, comparisons and tensions between supporters of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have been resurfacing as he's risen in the polls in recent weeks. On Tuesday night, The Hollywood Reporter published an article profiling Clinton's upcoming Hulu documentary "Hillary" which will dive into everything from the Monica Lewinsky scandal to the 2016 election. While the article spanned a lot of different subjects covered in the documentary, a disparaging quote from Clinton about Sanders has caused a lot of discussion online. In the documentary, Clinton claims no one likes working with Sanders and that he hasn't done much in his 30 years of politics. "He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it." In the soundbite, it was also unclear whether Clinton would endorse him if he was given the nomination. This, of course, resparked a war between Sanders supporters and former Clinton supporters. A lot of people have pointed out how harmful it is to have Clinton espousing negative views about Sanders so soon before the primary. While Clinton is facing backlash and criticism for disparaging a well-polling Democratic nominee right before an existentially crucial election, her supporters were quick to point out the fact that she was asked to be honest. In the past, Clinton faced criticism for being too formal and coded in her speech, but now that she's laying it straight, people are still upset. While many people across the political spectrum rushed to their keyboards to defend Clinton and Sanders respectively, the most bizarre among them was Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, who, blinded by her pure hatred of Clinton, defended Sanders in a tweet.

There are too many layers of brain melting to unpack here and now, but one of the most salient points to consider while reading this tweet from Conway, is the fact that Trump won't be facing off against Clinton. So, defending Sanders against Clinton is essentially propping up Trump's potential opponent. People were quick to revel in the upside-down nature of Conway claiming Sanders is more likable than Clinton. Many were quick to point out the fact that Clinton won the popular vote over Trump, so insulting her popularity while supporting Trump is a practice in cognitive dissonance. After the wave of backlash hit the Internet, Clinton posted a tweet clarifying that she will in fact endorse Sanders if he's the nominee. Sanders responded by joking that on a good day his wife likes him, and went on to recenter focus on the current impeachment trial. Man, 2020 just started three weeks ago and it's already been a long year politically, and we've all got to strap in for all the rest that's yet to come.
People, did we not learn anything from the vagina scented candle situation? Apparently not because there is now a penis scented candle too, and I have so many questions. Days after Gwyneth Paltrow and her online store Goop announced they were releasing a genitalia themed candle, This Smells Like my Vagina, a penis one sprung online. Yes, because they probably knew that it would hit and they could make some serious bank. Boy, oh boy. Canadian ad agency, Taxi, just unveiled the This Smells Like My Penis candle this week, and is nearly identical to the 75 dollar Goop one. But, as expected, it is priced at $100, which is more than what Paltrow is selling it for. The back of the candle reads, “The candle costs 25 percent more than its vagina-smelling equivalent because even though it’s illegal in Canada to pay women less than men, the gender pay gap smells as strong as ever.” Yup, way to highlight that gender pay gap, Canada. So, does this mean that a penis smells 25 percent better than vaginas, thus you know, justifying that extra percent? Who knows, I doubt it. But, Allegra Weisenfeld, a Taxi agency copywriter, stated “The Smells Like My Penis candle is no different from the Smells Like My Vagina candle, except for no apparent reason it’s worth 25 percent more. With the candle, we want to hammer home the point that [Canadian] women are still paid 75 cents on the dollar for the same work.” Now, I won’t lie, this to me seems ridiculous but interesting at the time. Yeah sure, I’d give them a whiff, just to see what the whole mess is about, really. But come on, we all have better things to do than create a candle that smells like your private parts. Unfortunately for us, the Canadian company did not reveal exactly what the penis scented candle smells like and has yet to release the ingredients. But, it is identical to the Goop candle, which is said to smell like citrusy bergamot, geranium, and cedar. So maybe it’s the same scent? If you’re interested and want to get one of these insane candles, they are available for preorder on the company website. So, putting the whole gross issue aside, I guess I can see why they released a second version of a genital-themed candle. There’s a reason behind their motive, and it’s a pretty strong one. So sure, sell all the penis candles you can. Make a difference, Canada! Equality for all!
A school district in Texas that “touts its excellence” has now been accused of racism. The school is embroiled in controversy about race, discrimination, and dreadlocks. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black Lives Matter Activist Ashton Woods stood beside Deandre Arnold and his family as they addressed the Barbers Hill ISD, school board. Deandre was suspended and is not allowed to walk at graduation in three months unless he cuts his dreadlocks. Woods believes the school’s dress code is “designed by white people for white people and is damaging to black bodies.” Gary Monroe, with the United Urban Alumni Association, stated, “This is a black and white issue. Deandre and his family should not have to go through this. But I expect it from a board that has zero diversity.” The district did fight back stating that their decision to suspend him is not about race. Superintendent Greg Poole noted there is no dress code policy that actually prohibits any cornrow or any other method of wearing hair. He stated, “Our policy limits the length. It’s been that way for 30 years.” Several speakers agreed with the district and pleaded with board members not to make any exception with the rules, but the majority don’t believe the district’s explanation. Deandre’s family is hoping his hair doesn’t hinder the teens’ future, and they vow to fight the decision until the end. Deandre’s mother, Sandy Arnold, stated the Texas teen is an A and B student who had dual credit classes and is not a problem to the school. She also noted his dreadlocks have been a concern at the school for several months. School officials previously sent him to in-school suspension after the teen refused to cut his hair, citing his Trinidadian culture. Monroe noted the district has 48 hours to come up with a “resolution” or they are taking the situation to federal court. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a student is reprimanded for wearing dreadlocks at school. Just last year, high school wrestler Andrew Johnson from Buena Regional High School was given an ultimatum during his wrestling match. Johnson was forced to cut his hair right then and there in front of the crowd or lose the match. Not only did the school received heavy criticism, but the wrestling referee, Alan Maloney, was labeled as racist.
Odell Beckham found himself in hot water last Tuesday morning after video of him passing out thousands of dollars in cash to LSU players following their National Championship victory over Clemson surfaced. As if violating NCAA rules wasn’t enough trouble to be in, the LSU alumni and current Cleveland Brown WR is in even hotter water after New Orleans police have issued an arrest warrant to Beckham for simple battery on a police officer. The incident happened in the locker room following the Tigers’ win, caught on video by a player filming. The cop was seen telling an LSU player to make sure his cigar was put out properly when Beckham, positioned behind the officer appeared to slap the officer’s butt. The officer, who may have been jealous he wasn’t getting handed hundreds of dollars like those players were, turned and exchanged some words with Beckham, but did not issue an arrest at the time. According to ProFootballTalk, authorities originally wanted Beckham charged with misdemeanor sexual battery, but a judge denied that request. Man, I have to ask Jeff about that in a bit during Phootball Talk.
You know Eddie Van Halen is a great guitar player, right? Well, he also plays a mean slug. Check it out...

I've been telling you how the press cover Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton differently. Well, here's some more proof...

Ah yes, the two genders: "sexual" and "introvert."In the last entry on Tuesday I talked about Rob Lowe because his indecisive hat at a football game became a huge meme. Well, he was gonna wear this hat instead...

Hahahaha. I really can't say anything, a few years ago I went to a Marlins/Braves game and just wore an MLB logo shirt. Hahaha. If I had a TARDIS I would try and meet Charlie Chaplin but I'd end up meeting him when he was in his 20s and he'd just look at me blankly.

If you're thinking if cheating on your loved one you might wanna think twice after seeing this...

Yikes. Ever see those panhandlers on the side of the road? Some of them sure have some clever signs...

Ever go to a museum and think you saw yourself in a painting? It happened to this girl...

Okay, so one of the best things about the Internet is you can see porn so easily and for free. But if you're at work or school you might get in trouble. Plus, I'd rather you read the Phile then go look at porn. But if you do wanna look at porn I came up with a solution.

You are welcome. Hey, it's Thursday, kids. You know what that means.

Oh, fuck. I hope you're not eating lunch. Okay, it's time to talk football with my good friend Jeff.

Me: Hey, Jeff, welcome back to the Phile. How are you?

Jeff: I'm doing alright. Always good to be back here talking some football with you! Hope all is well with you.

Me: Yeah, I'm good. So, today's pheatured guest is Joe Namath... he's a football legend, right?

Jeff: Not only is he a football legend, he's a weird dude who likes to hit on women on the sidelines. Just ask ESPN's Suzy Kolber. One of the most cringe worthy moments I've seen!

Me: I'm gonna ask him about that. Speaking of football legends... Super Bowl LIV will feature the two teams that legendary quarterback Joe Montana played for and he’s ready to make a guarantee on who wins the game. Following Championship Sunday, Montana tweeted this hilarious guarantee about Super Bowl LIV, hilariously saying that “his team” will win the Super Bowl...

Me: That's funny, right?

Jeff: LOL. I didn't see that. That's awesome. I don't blame him. Everything is coming up Montana! 

Me: Super Bowl LIV will feature two teams with primarily red colors for the first time ever, but the 49ers are looking to show up in Miami in all white. The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly requested permission from the NFL to wear their alternate all-white 1994 throwback jerseys for the big game. The two obstacles are the NFL approving the decision as well as hoping the Chiefs don’t want to wear white, as the AFC is designated as home conference for the Super Bowl for this season, but they will likely wear red. What is your prediction? I think both teams should wear red... that'll confuse everyone.

Jeff: I don't see the point. Both teams should wear their normal colors. It's going to be confusing enough considering how similiar the colors are to begin with. Last thing you want to do is confuse a quarterback. "Which guy should I throw to?" I mean granted they are professionals and should know who to throw to, but when you see QBs throwing four picks in a game sometimes you just have to question if they knew which team they were on!

Me: I mentioned this on Monday's entry of the Phile but I have to mention it again... Rob Lowe showed up to the NFC Championship Game and could’ve been mistaken for an NFL official as he was spotted in the stands looking like an NFL referee, complete with the NFL shield hat and everything. What do you think of this? Social media sure made fun of him.

Jeff: The best part about that for me was his response. I saw a few hysterical tweets from him on the issue. I like this one most since it references his "Parks and Recreation" character...

Me: The man Giants fans spent all year making fun of is now a Giant. New York and former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett inked a five year deal Friday that will make Garrett offensive coordinator under new head coach Joe Judge. Is this a good thing do you think?

Jeff: It's a bold move, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off. Wait, this isn't Dodgeball and I'm not Jason Bateman. Garrett is a decent coach, let's see what happens when he is a coordinator and not a head coach. Plus having a guy with head coaching experience to back up a guy like Judge who has never been a head coach is never a bad plan. Not only that, if anyone is familiar with a division rival and you have a chance to pick him up and get the scoop? It could definitely help.

Me: Okay, I have to talk about Odell Beckham... Following LSU’s 42-25 win over Clemson to cap off a perfect season and win the National Championship, former Tiger and current Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was spotted handing out cash to LSU players. This is a really stupid move, right?

Jeff: There's stupid moves, and then there's what Beckham did. It's a violation of the NCAA rules. College players can't get paid, even if in this form. LSU players did have to return the money. But it was a dumb move done by a man who has done some dumb stuff in the past.

Me: And as I mentioned in today's monologue as well an arrest warrant was issued for Beckham after assaulting a police officer during the LSU celebration. What's your take on this?

Jeff: Speaking of dumb moves... honestly? It's much to ado about nothing. Is it a dumb decision to basically spank an off duty cop? Yes. Is it the worst crime in the world? No. But I also wouldn't recommend it. I don't consider it assault. At the least it's sexual harassment.

Me: Okay, I have to mention this... and I will try not to cry... Legendary New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is expected to announce his retirement. Manning will hold a press conference tomorrow to make it official. Eli Manning played his entire career with the New York Giants, racking up 57,027 passing yards and 366 passing touchdowns (both top 10 all time). He is also a two-time Super Bowl MVP, defeating the New England Patriots in both those games. Next stop for Eli will be Canton. Are you surprised? I am... but just a little.

Jeff: Honestly? No, I'm not really surprised. Eli believes he should be the starter but once they drafted Daniel Jones so high, he knew the writing was on the wall. At that point, he either had a choice to sign with another team or retire. You're surprised because you're close to the team. That's your boy. It always sucks when your QB retires. Pretty sure I'll be facing that next year. There are people questioning if Eli will make it into the Hall of Fame. His career has been up and down. He's thrown a lot of interceptions over the years, especially late in his career but I truly believe he will be a hall of famer. He might not be a first ballot Hall of Fame but oh yeah, he will be in Canton. I could also see him joining a football network as an analyst as well. I was lucky enough to go the Magic Kingdom the day after the Giants beat the Patriots the second time. I was off that day and my ex-girlfriend suggested we go. I figured it would be too busy but figured why not? Glad I did. We were even able to get great spaces right along the parade route. Look how young Eli looked!

Jeff: And if I could take a moment I think I need to address something. On this blog we often joke about Antonio Brown, but I truly believe there is something wrong with him. On Tuesday, Brown and his trainer were charged with battery of a driver. His trainer was arrested, but the police couldn't get a hold of Antonio Brown. As of Wednesday evening he has locked himself in his house and is refusing to come out. Clearly something isn't right with him mentally. From some of his tweets to his behavior over the past 365 days it's safe to say. Maybe it's bipolar disorder, maybe it's CTE from too many hits to the head. But I wish the man no harm. I was a fan of his until his last days in Pittsburgh and I hope he gets the help he needs.

Me: Nicely said. What NFL news do you have, Jeff?

Jeff: The biggest news is the sudden retirement of Panthers LB Luke Kuechly. Must like Andrew Luck, he was young. I believe he's still 28 with a lot of football ahead of him. But the nagging injuries became too much. He was a hell of a linebacker though. There are few guys in the league that demanded that much attention as LB so Carolina will definitely miss his playmaking abilities. Of course the biggest news of the week is Tom Brady admitting he would be open to playing somewhere else that isn't New England. It's definitely something to watch in the upcoming weeks!

Me: America has taken back another team from Great Britain and changed the name and logo again...

Me: What do you think?

Jeff: I'm slightly confused by this one. Is that supposed to be the Denver Broncos? Awesome logo though.

Me: Maaayyyybbbeeeee. Okay, so, how did we do with our last picks? You were up by 6, right?

Jeff: That is correct. I went 2-0 in the conference championships and you went 1-1.

Me: So, with the Super Bowl pick we get 3 points if we get it right? Do I have a chance to win?

Jeff: As Vince McMahon's wrestling theme song says, "No chance! No chance in hell." I have clinched the win this year!

Me: Ugh. Okay, it's time to pick the Super Bowl wins... here goes... sigh... I say 49ers by 3. What do you say?

Jeff: Since you have the 49ers to make it fair I will pick the Chiefs by 7.

Me: Okay, Jeff, I will see you back here on the Phile on February 4th. Good luck.

Jeff: Good luck to you!

Me: So jealous! I wish I was there.

What the fuck? If you spot the Mindphuck let me know. So, there's this local guy who is so fancy, he wanted to come by to the Phile again and tell us something he discovered. So, please welcome back to the Phile...

Me: Hey, Samual, what did you discover?

Samual: Hello, dear Jason. Take a look at these...

Me: Yeah? So?

Samual: They're so good and fancy.

Me: If you say so.

Samual: I do. And you're not getting any of them.

Me: That's fine with me.

Samual: Okay, then. Bye.

Me: Well then. Samual Phancy, the fanciest man in town, kids. Now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is...

Top Phive Things Overheard About Mr. Peanut's Passing
5. Mr. Peanut is dead? I won’t be happy 'til every corporation violently kills off its mascots. Call me when the Pillsbury Doughboy dies from autoerotic asphyxiation.
4. Mr. Peanut is in hell. He spent decades as the smiling face of a company that sold the boiled and roasted corpses of his people as a snack.
3. Waiting for RIP Peanut Super Bowl funeral to be one upped by the Super Bowl assassination of Little Caesar.
2. These marketing IDIOTS think I’m gonna fall for their obvious Mr. Peanut is dead ploy? They’ll have a funeral for Mr. Peanut at the Super Bowl. Here’s the thing: he’s a nut (legume, I know, but still). His buried body will GROW more peanuts. This is how the mascot reproduces.
And the number one thing overheard about Mr. Peanut's passing is...
1. So Mr. Peanut was 6’1” and he hanged himself from a bunk bed? And the two guards who were supposed to be watching him fell asleep while all this was happening? Yeah, sorry, I don’t buy it.

A man runs to the doctor and says, "Doctor, you've got to help me. My wife thinks she's a chicken!" The doctor asks, "How long was she had this condition?" "Two years." replies the man. "Then why did it take you so long to come and see me?" asked the doctor. The man shrugs his shoulders and replies, "We needed the eggs."

Today's pheatured guest is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the American Football League and National Football League during the 1960s and 1970s. His book All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters is the 112th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club. Please welcome to the Phile... Joe Namath.

Me: Hey, Joe. Welcome to the Phile, sir. How are you?

Joe: Thank you, Jason. Thanks for having me on, man. I am wonderful.

Me: Your book All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters is the 112th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club. This goes to prove how my thinking is... your jersey number was 12... get it? One... twelve?

Joe: Good one, Jason. I'm glad to be here, man.

Me: So, you played for the right city but wrong team. I'm a big Giants fan I have to say. You're not from New York originally though, right?

Joe: Nope, I'm from Beaverfalls, Pennsylvania. My father came from Hungary, he was the last child to come over, he had two older brothers. My mom came back and got him. I lived and was raised 28 miles west of Pittsburgh in a small steel mill town. The valleys mostly steel and coal and factories. 

Me: So, did you think you were gonna end up at the steel mill?

Joe: Jason, he took me there, took me to the mill when I was about 11 years-old and he wanted me to see where he worked. And when we got there and went though the men's dressing room with the noises and the lockers slamming and all that kind of stuff he took me out to where the furnace was where he worked in front of and man, the noise and the heat scared me. It really frightened the heck out of me, I couldn't wait to get out of there. I did promise myself I was not going to end up there. 

Me: When did you fall in love with football?

Joe: Well, our neighborhood, we only had three sports 28 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. It was basketball, baseball and football. So I played football and all three sports, we all did as children up until high school.

Me: Football must've meant something meaningful for you, right?

Joe: You know what, Jason? When we are doing something that we're good at we like to get a pat on the back. I was gifted, I was fortunate, I had quick feet, good hands, I was fast, competition was key in the part of town that I was brought up in. I developed some good physical skills as an athlete and a good demeanor you might say from home having three older brothers and an older sister. I used to say, shucks, I thought my name until I was 15 years-old, I thought my name was "Shut Out." Ha ha ha. They kept me kind of even keel. If I did some good things I could've or should've next time I should do them better athletically. That's the way my family was.

Me: So, when you were on the Jets they called you "Broadway Joe." What's the story about that?

Joe: Ha ha ha. When I threw five inceptions in a game I was called a whole lot of other names too. The story behind "Broadway Joe" tag prior from playing to town for the Jets Sports Illustrated Magazine wanted to put me on the cover of the magazine. Two buddies of mine from Beaverfalls drove up to the big city, man, we went over to Broadway and met the people from Sports Illustrated. Man, I never saw so many lights, so much traffic, so much hustle and bustle happening and here we were right at theater hour with me in a football uniform standing on Broadway. Well, when that magazine came out we were at Shea Stadium practicing, we came in after practice and being a rookie had to carry this big helmet, man. Our defensive tackle, a gentleman named Sherman Plunkett who weighed well over 300 pounds and a veteran on the team kind of convinced me in training camp to carry his helmet for him on and off the field. So when I came in with Sherman's helmet after practice in front of our lockers on a stool was that magazine. I sat down and Sherman Plunkett sat straight across the room, this big black man I say we didn't know how much he weighed because the scales only went up to 300 and he was well over it. He's holding that magazine, sitting on that stool and I'm looking at him. He looks up at me across the room and he looks back down at the magazine, then he looks back up again and this big ole grin broke out on Sherman's face. And he said it for the first time. "Oh, Broadway, Broadway Joe." Man, coming from him to this day I got goose bumps thinking about that, man just now thinking about it, seeing his face. That's how it started, Sherman giving me that tag.

Me: Did you like people calling you "Broadway Joe"?

Joe: I liked the spark.

Me: Did you like Broadway?

Joe: Yeah, I loved Broadway. I went to the theater. I watched the Tony Awards. Jason, I don't know if you've seen them but I've never seen such a magnificent show in my life. The show they put on for the Tony Awards was spectacular. I could remember seeing West Side Story the first time I was in there and also Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl. I just marveled at the talent and their abilities. A part of me wanted to be a part of that somehow.

Me: I remember you were on TV a lot and movies the I was growing up. You hung out with James Brown and Elvis. Why do you think you were attracted to that scene of entertaining?

Joe: I'm a Gemini. I like music. I always felt music. I'm not talented myself, well come on, I have not put in enough study of work outstanding of anything when it comes to music or there arts, but I've worked at it. There was a lady I worked with on a motion picture, her name was Linda Evans, and we were working over in Germany with Robert Shaw, Lee Marvin and Max Schell, we got pretty close and I told her I wish I could learn how to sing. I had done some theater prior to that but music was still in my soul and I felt it. She said, "Well, you know, Joe, you can learn to sing." I said, "Come on, get out of here. I can learn to sing..." She said, "You can learn to sing. You could sing and I know a fellow out in Los Angeles who could help you." Jason, you know what, I went and I studied and I got to the point and we took on Li'l Abner. Li'l Abner was the first musical that I did, it was joyful to me, I loved preparing, I loved companies. It got me involved. I had the pleasure if meeting Herman Wouk when he came to see The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. The music part of it, man, I don't go long in the day without having some sounds on.

Me: You went to the University of Alabama, and at that time something historical was happening, right?

Joe: Yeah, the governor of Alabama stood in front of the school and tried to block black students from entering. The National Guard eventually were called in to make sure these students were admitted. Not only was I the quarterback for the University of Alabama at this time I was actually in the crowd when this was happening.

Me: Wow. What do you remember about from that day?

Joe: I'll tell you, Jason, I was 30 or 40 feet away from Vivian Malone, from the governor when he was preventing... the governor was elected to be there. Governor Wallace was representing the people of the state of Alabama at the time. That's the way they wanted things run. When the federal man stepped in and said, "Step aside, governor, this is now a federal issue." Man, it was wonderful.

Me: Did you know Vivian Malone at all?

Joe: Yeah, I got to know Vivian, and Spike Lee by the way, it's a long family tree, by Spike Lee is part of that family. Anyway, I got to know Vivian because she lived in the same dormitory as the young lady I was dating at the time.

Me: So, what was going through your mind when all this was happening, Joe?

Joe: Jason, I was brought up in a different social structure than the deep south but I learned about my team mates at the University of Alabama. I learned why some people maintained an attitude with what I thought was not quite as respectful should be for one another. It all starts at home, you see where I was brought up my dad taught me respect. We were respectful people, we were respectful kids. We might've misbehaved from time to time but we respected one another. We respected other people regardless of the color of their skin. That system down in Alabama educated me. Got me to understand, boy, this country as young as it was, it was still young and naive and ignorant to the fact that we needed to treat one and another with respect and equally. And we're still going through some of that today!

Me: Yeah, especially in the NFL, there's been a lot of focus on how the NFL is treating their black players recently. Especially with Colin Kaepernick who started kneeling during the U.S. National Anthem to protect police brutality. What is your thought on players taking a knee?

Joe: Well, I wouldn't take a knee when it comes to the pledge of allegiance to the flag or to respect the flag of the United States but I'm not a black man who believes black people have been unjustly treated from time to time simply because of their color. Colin Kaepernick initially behaved the way he did because two people that he knew from his area were gunned down, treated improperly and was just trying to get across the fact there was an unjustice going on, and injustice that wasn't fair. He chose a route that would be recognized but no, I'm for equality, whether it's gender equality or whether it's racial equality and I have been since childhood. It's not healthy for us to carry hatred and anger in our system. It's unhealthy for a person to be looking at someone with hatred and anger over what. Who the heck has made mistakes in the past? None of us are perfect.

Me: In the book you talk about a pivotal part of your life, where you got in trouble years ago. What happened?

Joe: I told a female reporter live on air that I wanted to kiss her.

Me: What do you remember from that incident? 

Joe: Well, I do remember the day of course. It was away we had to get together with the Jets, it was a night game and I had been drinking from at least midday. Maybe the morning on and off. I didn't know that I said that to Suzy Kolber until the next day.

Me: Oh, man. How did you find out and what did you think?

Joe: I got a call from a friend that told me what I had done, how I behaved. Wow. I was very disappointed with myself and my behavior. So I did reach out and called Suzy that morning and asked for her forgiveness and understanding and I apologized and she was a champion. She just inspired me to take a better route in life. I found out because of that incident I needed to change.

Me: The book starts off with you talking to your daughter Jessica and she asks what you want to accomplish with your book. At this stage of your life, Joe, what are you trying to accomplish now? 

Joe: Every day, Jason, I go out and somebody says, "Hey, Joe." Somebody smiles, man. I want people that I meet and come across to have a better day. Jason, when Jessica asked me that question by the way, what do I want to do, I know there are people out there that are underdogs in this big game of life. They don't have what other people coming into life, whether it could be health or materialistic things. But by God, if someone has a passion for something, I try to stress this in the book, don't let anyone tell you who cannot do something. If you got passion, a love, a desire to do something productive that you love... then DO IT! Go for it but don't just back down and say they told you that you weren't good enough. Man, keep after it.

Me: Joe, thanks for being on the Phile. This was a fun interview and please come back again one day.

Joe: This was a trip, Jason. Thank you.

That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to my guests Jeff Trelewicz and of course Joe Namath. The Phile will be back on Monday with musician Lucinda Williams. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.

I don't want you, cook my bread, I don't want you, make my bed, I don't want your money too, I just want to make love to you. - Willie Dixon