Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Salon
Salon
Lifestyle
David Edwards

Joe Namath on first woman Super Bowl ref

Former New York Jet and NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Legendary football quarterback Joe Namath reacted to the first woman Super Bowl referee by saying he would want to "get close to her" if he was still playing the game.

During an interview on Fox News, Namath was asked about the NFL's decision to have Sarah Thomas work as one of the referees at Sunday night's game.

"Oh, I'd be getting up close to her out there on that field," Namath said. "You know, try and make a deal with her."

"Of course, it's awesome!" Namath said, recalling that his sister could "outplay" him at the game.

"I remember that Proposition 9 or whenever we allowed the ladies to get involved in sports in college, I was thrilled," he said. "And I am to this day. You know, let's treat everyone with respect regardless of gender and color."

"You just gave me chill bumps," Neville replied. "I'm right there with you."

Watch the video below from Fox News.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.