Joe Namath Interview. Tells Debbie Something No One Knows!

Charlie Ponger 0:03

Hey everyone, welcome to the teenagers. Hey teenagers. How are you?

Debbie Nigro 0:07

Hey, go with the Mr. Rogers stuff again.

Charlie Ponger 0:10

I'm Charlie , aka Mr. Rogers now apparently

Debbie r 0:14

now, goofy sometimes wear sweater. Oh, sexy.

Charlie 0:18

Alright, so Mr. Rogers sweater.

Debbie 0:20

I don't know Chippendales. ever

Charlie 0:21

want to be a really old sweater? Debbie had an interview with Broadway Joe Namath

Debbie 0:27

Oh, that was really honorable, You know, I was special because I met Joe Namath in bed

Charlie 0:33

in bed. And how did Joe feel about that? Well, he

Debbie 0:38

had no clue. Oh, different beds. So anyway, I learned a lot about football. And of course the Jets then. Yeah, when I was very young with a team. And so yeah, I was Big John Amos fan met him and dead the first time. So the opportunity to talk to him. One to One. Mano, a warm, believable. No, a woman Oh, it was beautiful. I want to share some of it on this seenagers because a lot of what we talked about is relevant to our lives, right age of life. I mean, come on, this guy's making Medicare sexy. So yes, football, most people would talk to him about but I wanted to know about the guy, the man. Let's play a little of the intro of the interview. Welcome to the show.

Charlie 1:20

I can't wait.

Joe Namath 1:22

Thank you. I got goosebumps listening to you, Grant, thank you for having me.

Debbie 1:30

Joe, you know, I'm thinking about you a lot this week, because I was excited. You're coming on the show. So I did a lot of homework on your life. You're a man of great character. And I want a lot of people to know more about you the man. I mean, I I've heard from so many people, how you treat fans with great class, you know, you're always kind to everybody. You help so many people out with your with your foundation, you've raised $100 million for kids, charities. And my question to you, my first question is, you know, it's all these years later, you're still the one. I wonder if you attribute it to what I think is the reason which is your good energy.

Joe Namath 2:06

I attributed to my spirituality I attributed to my good fortune of having rubbed shoulders in having had teachers that were a heck of a lot smarter, are a heck of a lot smarter than I am. And I tried to listen, a pretty good listener. I have a lot of respect. For people. That's That's my dad. My family are inferred the respect that they had for other people at an early age. It's still to this day important to me that we respect one another, and everything about my life. I've learned from somebody else. I've lived my life and I've made mistakes, that I've had the good fortune of being educated, socially, being educated professionally, by really fine people. And I wish I had concentrated more on what they were saying, but what I did, God has helped me really appreciate where I am today. I'm just filled with gratitude.

Debbie and Charlie 3:24

I think he's filled with attitude. Did you see him in the Super Bowl commercial for DraftKings? Who is unbelievable? No, seriously, I didn't expect to see him. Yeah, so cool. Okay, so first, he comes in with Halle Berry. Right? Unbelievable. Right? She says she goes,

Charlie 3:37

still got it. Got it. Ready had the fur coat on? Well, I

Debbie and Charlie 3:41

borrowed the fur coat. I laid it back. Oh, you just gone with it. Yeah. And then he said the new Draft Kings commercial. Yeah, right. He's the commercial is fortune. Life's a gamble. And first you see him lounging at the pool back in the day whether the admirers right. And then you see him in a hot convertible Corvette with a fabulous female named fortune. The goddess of fortune. Mid had to ride the death the conversation. Right. Got her on that. Yeah.

Charlie and Debbie 4:07

Deb? Yeah, Charlie So it's good to see a grandfather that still got it going on. Yeah, baby. I know. So who's

Debbie and Charlie 4:14

who was the the family man? Right. You know, you and I were parents or grandparents. Yeah. He's a parent, grandparent. You know. I didn't know his backstory. He has a daughter living next door to him. Right with How fun is that? i She's three kids now she had was giving birth. And then he starts going back to, I guess reminiscing. Yeah. When his own wife was giving birth. And here's this tough guy right? Yeah. Talking about being in the in maternity ward during the births. Couldn't take it. Get your head around this. Yeah. Joe Namath name is playing catch. In the maternity ward.

Joe Namath 4:47

Oh, boy. I asked her. I was in the operating room. I saw the delivery with both of our children and what she went through. Thank you. God that I was a man that I would never go through that with a mother in doors for the nine months or so and then the delivery and then you know is a heck of a lot more to it after that but she she and the other daughter has three children too so

Debbie 5:21

so the grandpa name right so Joe Nemeth figured he's got it have had thrown his hat in the ring for name he wanted right? What is your grandpa name?

Joe Namath 5:32

Papa Papa grandpa but it started with but then they cut it back to Papa. You know, it started I think with my daughter Jessica and my father. One time when? When she was old enough to say Popeye that's what she called my my father. And it's they call me papa. You know, we think of grandpas and grandmas. Somehow we're locked in or early on. We had a vision of our grandmas and grandpas. I did. They were they were all thank God. Don't get old. What else do you get?

Debbie 6:17

Do you remember going to your grandmother's house and grandpa's house and like, like what was the fun thing about visiting?

Joe Namath 6:23

I can see my mind's eye right now that the fun thing about visiting with the children that were around, they're two of my cousins, and nieces. But the family get togethers. Were pretty good. We're first generation. Here in this country. My dad came over from Hungary and my mother's parents came from Hungary. But my mother was born here. And we got together several a few times a year anyway. We lived in different towns, but we could drive to one another's place. It was joyful. My favorite guy was my mother's brother Uncle Joe. He was I had a favorite. Yeah, I said that easy enough. That's the first time I think I've ever said that. My favorite relative was my uncle Joe.

Debbie and Charlie 7:14

I have to tell you what, I pride myself on one really great talent. What's that? Getting people to tell me something they'd never told anybody. Don't you love that? They never told us

Debbie and Charlie 7:24

amazing. I don't know what it is. People just they say to you dip to they say after I don't know why I'm telling you this.

Joe Namath 7:29

Now they go. You know, I've never told this to anybody. Yeah. Isn't that wonderful? Even Joe name it. But anyway, one of the things that he he and I talked about was he used to be a talk show host. Interesting, right? I

Joe Namath7:43

never knew that. Yeah, I

Debbie 7:44

didn't either. You do remember Dick Shaap? Oh, my God Dick Shaap

Charlie 7:47

shop was a great sports guy. Broadcaster. Yeah.

Joe Namath 7:51

And he was very hard felt when you talked about Dick Shaap. And what a terrific experience. It was.

Joe Namath 7:58

Yes, Debbie. Again, one of my favorite guys that walk this planet Dick shap. His name was his name. We lost deck too early in life. Anyway, Dick and I, we did a book together. And the book was fun. The relationship with Dec was just absolutely terrific. And so we did have a TV show, which was terrific. I was it was it was good. We had wonderful guests on. But it was took place the only day of the week that I had off when I was playing football. And I didn't appreciate it enough. I didn't have enough education. I didn't know how important it could be. And was. I was, I guess selfish at that time thinking of myself more than the rest of the crew because we could have. We could have continued to show but I just didn't want to do it. It wasn't it wasn't me at the time.

Debbie 9:08

Yeah, timing is everything we just did one season. Yeah, tell me, you think you could do another talk show?

Joe Namath 9:16

I think I would be well prepared, much better prepared that I was initially been with some wonderful hosts talk show and with you right now, I'm excited that I told you that whenever I came on with you, I did a little investigation to see with whom I'd be visiting with and I tickled that at you. I think it's a possibility but it's a challenge. It's a challenge. You got to have the passion, I believe and the dedication and I don't know that I have that I'd kind of dedication given the grandchildren in the way of life that I've been living for a good while here. It's it's work, it's maybe not as much work if you have that true passion and you want to do it you will you live it. You've got to live that position and it would be very difficult for me to do that.

It's so much fun to talk to somebody who you idolized as a kid. Just amazing, really normal conversation. Like, like, no big deal. I'm thinking this guy must be I must be giving him a seizure for how much I'm talking. He's got to be wanting to get out of this room. Alright, enough with this girl. But anyway, I think you'd like me. Yeah. And

I, sure, sound like you liked you.

So anyway, I was like, okay, because you think I should shut up now? But um, no, he was having a good time. Yeah, he was having to really get me and Joe. You know, I realized I'm taking a lot of your time. I don't know how much more time you had. And I had so many questions. My whole audience had questions for you. We're going to be coming to the end of this segment. Can I invite you back? If you want to come back another time? Or do you want to stay a little longer? I'm very respectful that you're busy guy.

Well, I'm enjoying visiting with you so much right now that I'd rather stay with you now. And if that ends up in good shape, and I'd love to come back another time as well.

And we're in good shape. We're bonding, bonding. Alright, here's a question for you. Do you yell out loud when you watch football games at home? Do you like yell?

Sometimes? Yeah, I mean, I can give a Wow, man. Yeah. And I can grow also? Yes. When I see a play by Jack jets, you know, and how could we do that? Why would he do that? But I can grow. But then I recover and realize that I made some bonehead. Playing days can happen anybody?

You know, I'm an underdog lover like you. So we have that in common. But you got to say to yourself, you can't believe these people haven't won another Super Bowl and 52 years. I mean, do you ever say that to yourself?

No, because there are teams out there that haven't won won. Every game I'm pulling for him because of the fans we have in New York and New Jersey, and the Northeast and all over the country. The fans? You know, that's what it's about. They're the players. They're the ones that have to earn it. I don't feel too badly whenever they lose. And I'm watching because they didn't play well enough to win. Well, yeah. Just the way it is. I always pull for the jet.

Yeah, always for the judge. Who do you usually watch the games with?

My daughter and granddad or sometimes the grandson of stays still enough. But like, again, he's only four and a quarter. So he's got to stay busy on his feet, you see. But I watched the jet games and the Alabama games here in the house most of the time with my daughter that's living next door and her daughter and you know, the Father, He takes care of John during the game sometimes. We're all here. I watch the games alone. I watch a lot of games. But not more than one a day or playoff time I watched to maybe because I'm not the Cayenne and would it can stay on my bottom that long man sitting in a chair.

So I think Joe name is was was the guy who originally got women interested in football. Is that right? Yeah, because I think it was maybe a swagger. Maybe his fur coat? Or maybe it was those white shoes.

Well, you know what, again, I I guess I like standing out some way. We all want to pat on the back. I think we all want some recognition when we're children as a young ballplayer that was the way I'd get a nice going from my dad or my brothers that three older brothers I was the youngest one and didn't seem to ever do enough. In sports. Betting we won a championship game to satisfy them. But I like different styles. You know, I used to lace my shoes in high school baseball with white laces because I like those and when I look at our high school baseball pitcher, which we did win the championship by the way But he had black laces and for some reason I had white laces. That was just me and I wanted to be a little bit different, I guess. The white shoes that factually, I'm getting ready for practice one day, my senior year in college, and it wasn't like today where guys have six pair of shoes in their lockers, you know, those seven pair of shoes, people weren't just giving shoes away, companies weren't doing that type of thing. To get the recognition. I had a pair of shoes and they were well worn. And when I put them on, they would turn it over a little bit, you know. I just spat it down. I made a more part of my foot or feet. I put tape around my from the back of my toes up to the top of his shoes, and they just felt like they were part of me that way. And never forget a teammate sitting beside me. He was the first one to say god damn Joe, Willie. Man, coach, Brian's gonna get you. What are you talking about? What he put down at PayPal up near shoes? Are you crazy? Bad coach, Brian's gonna get you. I was worried when I went out to practice. You know, I was worried what why? What's coatrack gonna get upset about? Well, coach Brian never mentioned it. He never said a word to me about that. And so from that time on, I did that down. And for some reason before the fourth game of the season, we were playing North Carolina's stake in Tuscaloosa. I had a bunch of family and friends come down from my hometown of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania to see the game because the other team North Carolina spade had in hand at football player played the end position a Tony Gaumont with some Beaver Falls, too. And they had a good team. Well, I'm making this a long story, but hurry it up, we went into the locker room to get ready for the game. We came out to play the game, I did not take my shoes. I was just thinking about too many things other than the game and was in the first quarter running a play around right in which is called a run Pass option where you can either throw a pass or tuck it under your arm and run and I made a cut to my left a sharp cut and tore ligaments in my right knee. And that has been with me for a lifetime but it's only a joint you know it's not it's it's not a main important part of our lives, so to speak. Anyway, it's not an Oregon. I tour by race knee and I got a little bit superstitious from that day on I always take my my shoes and whenever I got to the New York Jets. When I came into the locker room, there was a pair of white shoes in my locker. After I'd been with the jets for a few weeks, a company made a pair of white shoes and put them in my locker and so I started wearing white shoes.

So much fun to talk to somebody who you idolized as a kid just amazing, really normal conversation like like no big deal.

You know, a lot of my buddies every But Joe Namath was it Deb? It was unbelievable. That guy, he was the guy. We wore white shoes. We had white shoe laces. Everybody wanted to be Joe Namath when we were young teenagers It was incredible.

And all the girls back there wanted to be with Joe. Still, oh, did I say that?