Public Eye
November 20, 2006 9:51 AM

'Here I am, Joe! Come and get me.'

By
Brian Montopoli
Topics
CBS News Issues
(CBS)
Last night's "60 Minutes" piece on Joe Namath closed with correspondent Bob Simon asking Namath if he would like to remarry.

"Oh, I've thought about companionship, getting married," says Namath. "And you know what? It's a difficult thing to find someone that you want to share the rest of your life with, or even a lot of time with."

Replies Simon: "And when this airs, Joe, those calls will start coming in."

"I hope so," Namath responds. "I'm game."

Simon, it seems, didn't know the half of it. By this morning, the Web version of the Namath story already had six pages of comments, many of them from women who want to meet Broadway Joe. Some even left their email addresses and phone numbers. "I'd love to have you meet me, a 55 yr-old teacher," writes one woman. "I am fun, sincere, and trustworthy...also available." Another advertises herself as a "mentor, a confidant, a friend. 48, 116, a BLONDE!"

The comments ranged from sweet – a 15-year-old who wants to set his mom up with Namath – to something else entirely. One woman promises to "e-mail you a picture of me in my bikini," while another writes "i worked at mr.pips as a cocktail waitress after leaving new york as a playboy bunny in the new york club. My name is debra." Others were nothing if not direct. "Please pass this on to Mr. Namath: Here I am, Joe! Come and get me."

CBSNews.com Director of News and Operations Mike Sims has ordered his staff to remove any comments that that include an email address and/or phone number, despite the fact that such comments do not seem to violate the Web site's "Rules Of Engagement." I asked him why. "I'm not sure people realize how many millions of people will see these phone numbers and email addresses," says Sims. "I think in the long run they'll thank us."

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