SMALLS TALK: The Ryan Howard Namesake

I think "The Office" is one of the funniest shows on TV. My roommate and I watch no less than three episodes every night. The writing is unbelievable and I'm pretty sure Steve Carell is a comedic genius- minus Dan in Real Life and Evan Almighty, of course. What I could never figure out was why they chose to name BJ Novak's character "Ryan Howard." We're talking about one of the most famous names in baseball- with a list of countless fake names to pick from, why go with one that's already known? That'd be like naming a character Albert Pujols- sure, Howard's more generic, but you get my point.

Well it turns out I'm an idiot. Creators of the show purposely gave the character this name as a tribute to Howard, an up-and-coming Phillies prospect who was playing first base and hitting homeruns for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons at the time. (The show is based on a paper company located in Scranton, PA.) How cool is that, showing love to the local legend? Yeah Howard was a major prospect and was likely going to be a stud in the Bigs anyway, but as a kid in the minors- having a character named after you? Sign me up. And on one of the best shows on television? You gotta be kidding me. Ok, the character named after him is the biggest doucher on the show, but still- talk about immortality.

I would have so much fun with this if I were one of Howard's teammates- I would be so corny and hilarious with my Office references. I'd call him "Temp" and wait for him to put something in the clubhouse toaster so I could sing "Ryan started the fire!" I'd ask him how Kelly was doing and if I could invest in wuphf.com. I gotta tip my cap to the Turner Field organist who plays The Office theme song as Howard makes his way to the plate against the Braves. That's just good humor.

As annoying as it may get, I hope number 6 appreciates the gesture that was made. I wonder if he even watches?



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Red Sox Nation Goes Crazy, JD Drew Can't Be Bothered
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Who Has the Best Uniforms in College Baseball?