# Did Joe Namath wear panty hose? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2002, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821 "2002-03-24T05:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821/1 "2002-03-24T05:37:48Z")
I was having a conversation with my mom about football, and not being really up to date on players, she mentioned Joe Namath as her favorite - then she mentioned something about him wearing panty hose way back then. Did Joe Namath wear panty hose? Hopefull he didn’t play football in that condition. Or did he just endorse it in commercials as a sort of gimmick. Most football players then endorsed male products such as deodorant, shaving cream and razors. Anyway, why does my mom remember Broadway Joe wearing nylons? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821/2 "2002-03-24T05:59:40Z")
Your mom is right on the money. [http://www.commercialcloset.org/cgi-bin/iowa/portrayals.html?record=44](http://www.commercialcloset.org/cgi-bin/iowa/portrayals.html?record=44) > [@](#): > > With a cymbol roll, the camera slowly pans up hosieried legs, then crosses green satin shorts and the No. 12 football jersey, revealing famous New York Jets team quarterback (1965-1972) Joe Namath. > > Namath says with a slight Southern accent and a smile, “Now I don’t wear panty hose, but if Beautymist can make MY legs looks good, imagine what they’ll do for yours.” As the spot closes, Namath gets a kiss on the cheek from a young woman – so we’re not confused about his sexuality. > > This controversial ad was quite remarkable for 1974 and is probably the first to use cross-dressing. It was received with mixed feelings by a public that revered him. Nonetheless, Namath went down in history for it, making him as well known for wearing panty hose as for his record-breaking stats. Let this be a lesson to you–listen to your mother. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821/3 "2002-03-24T06:00:43Z")
She’s right, Joe Namath did a pantyhose commercial in 1974, in which he was wearing [Hanes Beautymist pantyhose](http://www.commercialcloset.org/cgi-bin/iowa/portrayals.html?record=44). Who knew he had such great gams? ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821/4 "2002-03-24T06:10:09Z")
Yes, in a commercial for [Beautymist](http://www.commercialcloset.org/cgi-bin/iowa/portrayals.html?record=44) appearing some time in the early 1970’s. Obviously this was for comic effect, but prior to the advent of some of the modern lightweight cold weather fabrics, many athletes and outdoorsman discovered that pantyhose actually granted a bit of warmth with minimal bulk. A search for ‘men in pantyhose’ give some rather disturbing results, so just take my word for it. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821/5 "2002-03-24T07:23:02Z")
This tells some other facts about Joe: > [@](#): > > He flaunted tradition by wearing a fur coat and having long hair. > He did a commercial wearing L’Eggs pantyhose (1972). > He wrote a book ‘I can’t wait for Tomorrow, Because I get Better Looking Every Day’ > He guaranteed that his underdog Jets would beat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in the Superbowl (1969). > He cried when he was forced to retire from football or sell his interest in a New York night club, ‘Bachelors III.’ > A month after retiring, he sold his interest in ‘Bachelors III’ and returned to football. > He shaved his mustache for a Noxzema commercial, in which he was paid $10,000. > He formed a partnership with Mickey Mantle for a temporary employment agency called ‘Mantle Men and Namath Women.’ > He actually performed up to his guarantee and won the Superbowl. > Due to this victory, the A.F.L. was given respect and creditability and merged with the N.F.L… > He was extremely charismatic and despite being cocky, he was liked by both men and women. > He played many years, despite having really badly injured knees. The fur coat mentioned was a mink coat. Another fact is that he was the first athlete to receive a million dollar signing bonus in any sport. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821/6 "2002-03-24T17:32:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Due to this victory, the A.F.L. was given respect and creditability and merged with the N.F.L… Wrong. The merger took place three years before the victory. That was why they were playing the Superbowl in the first place. The only effect on the merger was to put the Baltimore Colts in the AFC East, assuming there’d be a rivalry with the Jets. Three NFL teams had to join AFC conferences to even things out. They knew this would happen, but the teams weren’t named until after Superbowl III. Namath’s signing (for $400,000) gave the AFL some respectability, though. And when the NFL realized how much they’d have to pay for talent after that, they became interesting in merging. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821/7 "2002-03-24T19:45:49Z")
And the AFL didn’t gain all that much credibility. The Jets win was still regarded as a fluke by most football observers, especially those who were NFL fans. In the next Super Bowl, the Chiefs were big underdogs to the Vikings, but still won. And the Vikings that year weren’t nearly as good as the Colts were the year before. And in the first year after the creation of the AFC/NFC setup, two NFL teams: Baltimore and Dallas, played in the Super Bowl. There are still some owners from the original AFL teams around (Al Davis, Lamar Hunt, Ralph Wilson, Bud Adams) who still are resentful of the old NFL. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821/8 "2002-03-24T21:19:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Waverly \* > \*\* > Obviously this was for comic effect, but prior to the advent of some of the modern lightweight cold weather fabrics, many athletes and outdoorsman discovered that pantyhose actually granted a bit of warmth with minimal bulk. A search for ‘men in pantyhose’ give some rather disturbing results, so just take my word for it. \*\* My mother says that when my father was in training, he and the other young Marines often wore pantyhose under their fatigues to help keep warm during outdoor exercises. A delightful image, isn’t it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-joe-namath-wear-panty-hose/99821/9 "2002-03-24T22:34:26Z")
William Shatner says he wears pantyhose when he goes horseback riding. Contemplate that one.