As the legend of Dick Mahoney continues to grow, former Eagles safety Walter Thurmond, who is apparently Mahoney's agent, came to the rescue to clear the air on the slow- pitch softball player's rise.
Unfortunately, Mahoney wasn't around to speak himself during Wednesday's edition of Comcast SportsNet's Philly Sports Talk. Thurmond called in to say Mahoney is "too shy" to do interviews and was heading out west anyway.
Rumors surfaced that Thurmond and Mahoney were actually the same person, but Thurmond quashed that claim pretty quickly, saying he's actually his agent. He said he first met Mahoney in Seattle at a restaurant and realized he was "awesome" right off the bat.
If you're unaware of Mahoney's recent success, he made an appearance for The Bishop Collar's slow-pitch softball team and hit multiple home runs, sporting a bushy new Jheri curl haircut (which according to Thurmond, is real, not a wig).
However, his time as a superstar softball hitter may be over already.
"Mahoney, he's just an athlete," Thurmond said via phone on PST. "This is not his first rodeo, he's been in a couple softball leagues and other sports as well. It was something he wanted to do while he had some time and, unfortunately, that time was short."
As Thurmond mentions, Mahoney has previous experience in the sport.
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"He grew up playing baseball once he got to high school, I believe," Thurmond said. "He ventured out to play some other sports."
As with everything related to Mahoney's persona, the origin of his name came into question. Some suggested it could be a combination of the names Dick Tracy and Breathless Mahoney because of Thurmond's love of film. But, of course, because Thurmond and Mahoney aren't the same person, Thurmond said he's not sure where the name came from.
The Bishop's Collar is in first place in its softball league, but Mahoney won't be around to continue to compete with them. Thurmond said Greg, another player on the team, breached Mahoney's contract. Mahoney was apparently unhappy about that and decided to leave the team.
But while he's done with softball, could he be moving onto another sport? Thurmond said it was a possibility.
"The last thing I heard, he wanted to play some soccer," Thurmond said. "He's a big fan of soccer, he's played growing up and stuff like that. So he said he wants to get back on the field in that capacity. So we'll see."
