Chris Dudley has had a busy year, first he had to move to L.A. and then to Phoenix, he has had numerous charitable commitments, and now, he has grown a mullet. Dudley, who seemingly overnight grew the Tennessee mudflap, is just one of many people turning to the hairstyle that had been behind the scenes for almost a decade. "I wanted to send a message", said Dudley of the new dew, "I wanted to show that you didn't have to play in the NHL or watch NASCAR to sport one, I'm about breaking down barriers."
When it was mentioned that former teammate, Knicks small foward Latrell Sprewell, had been wearing a Kentucky waterfall for the better part of two years, the interview turned sour. Dudley had some choice words for Spreewell, "Shit, If he thinks thats a mullet, he's out of his mind. You can't braid up the top, let the back fall down, and call that a mullet. He's crazy."
The mullet has been popularized recently by several athletes in the four major sports. Doug Flutie of the Buffalo Bills has been wearing one behind the scenes for several years, but his time in the Canadian football league surely had an impact on his decision. "For over ten years of my life I would look up in the stands and there would be hundreds of Canadians with mullets", said Flutie. "I wanted to show that I wanted to be here, that I fit in." Flutie also wears the number 7, a number with a striking shape resemblence to the "short on top, long on back" hairstyle. "Its not for that, I've been wearing 7 for a while", said Flutie with a wink. When told of the tense situation brewing in the NBA between Dudley and Sprewell, Flutie declined to comment.
The news didn't take long to reach Sprewell. From the Knicks practice facility in Purchase New York Spreewell shot back at Dudley, "The guy has a mullet for 5 minutes and he thinks he's Jaromir Jagr, fuck that, you can braid up a mullet, you can put beads in it, put it in rows, I don't give a fuck. Look at the top of my head-short, look at the back-long, thats a mullet, fuck him."
The Knicks meet the Suns on Febuary 23 in a nationally televised, Sunday matinee, that will be sure to bring fireworks. And Spreewell will be ready, "I played with Chris, I have alot of respect for Chris, but for him to try and say he 'pioneered' this in the NBA? Thats just bullshit. We'll see what happens on the 23rd, I guess his mullet will be a month old then." Dudley backed up his earlier comments by saying, "Yeah, we'll see. Maybe I'll rip the braids out on top, then we'll see how short he is up there. He represents the mullet, sure, but he doesn't have the balls to really get one."
How many days until Febuary 23rd? I'll be watching.....with a hat on. |
