Namath outfoxes Foxies

Joe Namath owned a Fox Business host Thursday morning.

After first voicing support for Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid — “they’re good enough players to be out there” — Namath was pressed by “Varney & Co.” host Stuart Varney on why an NFL owner should hire someone who “damaged the sport.”

Varney pointed at a 9% drop in NFL TV ratings last year to make the point, but Broadway Joe wasn’t buying it.

“Damage the sport? It depends on how one looks at this, you see,” Namath said, adding the ratings argument is “an opinionated thing.”

Educated observers recognize there are several factors that may be contributing to sagging football ratings, from football’s violence, sexism, vague rules, excommunicating Kaepernick, and the many other things people can do with their Sunday afternoons.

“I don’t think the sport has been damaged, personally,” Namath said. “The professional sport of football is going to stay and it’s going to continue to grow. It’s a great sport, people love the game and there’s always going to be people wanting to play the game. I want to watch. I miss watching football, and I think it’s going to be around. But the controversy goes on, even in the political arena and in the financial world.”

Varney then stepped in it when he asked the legendary Jets QB about record ratings for last week’s NFL Draft, which was watched by 25% more people than last year’s.

“Isn’t it a bit confusing?” Namath said. “We talk about the ratings being down watching the games, and we talk about the sensational ratings for the draft?” Exactly. “I’m a little confused with these ratings systems and the fans falling off,” Namath added, “but yet, for draft, it’s the biggest ever with the most interest?”

Earlier, Namath was asked his thoughts on Reid, who, with Kaepernick, is accusing the NFL of colluding against them because they knelt for the national anthem.

While he thinks they should be in the league, Namath doesn’t buy the collusion claims.

“I don’t believe in the collusion though,” he said. “I think the NFL is smarter than that.”

But when it comes to taking down Fox Business hosts, Namath proved that’s a one-onone battle he’s certainly up to the task to fight.