When Randy Johnson was a mean, scowling left handed monster on a big league mound, I never imagined him becoming a Madison Avenue darling after his retirement. However, that’s exactly what seems to have occurred.
Since calling it quits, Randy Johnson has figured prominently in two national ad campaigns. His appearance in a commercial for GEICO plays on his surly reputation, but his role in the Just For Men campaign is much more ironic. After all, one doesn’t think of the Big Unit as an advocate for a vanity product, but sure enough, there he is, pitching hair dye alongside fellow legends Emmitt Smith and Walt Frazier. Who says “there’s no play for Mr. Gray”?
I probably shouldn’t be surprised by Johnson’s popularity as a pitch man. A search of youtube reveals several amusing commercials that were run during the Big Unit’s storied career, including hysterical ads for Nike and Right Guard (embedded after the jump). However, the fact that he has maintained his visibility into retirement is still a little bit surprising. Once best know for shoving cameras to the floor, I guess Johnson has finally found a comfort level in front of them. One can only image what product the 6’10” left hander will wind up pitching next?
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