May 6, 2013
The proprietors of Bud's
Glass Joint, perhaps the most famous "head shop"
this side of the Mississippi, would like to offer the proverbial peace
pipe to Cardinals rookie Tyrann "Honey Badger"
Mathieu.
Bud's got its 15 hours and then some of fame
after placing
an ad in the Phoenix New Times, an alternative
weekly newspaper, reaching out to Mathieu, a third-round draft choice of
the Cardinals whose decorated college football ended when he was
dismissed from LSU for repeatedly failing drug
tests.
The ad went
viral on social media, and Bud's has been reaping the benefits. Well,
sort of.
"We thought it was a funny idea, but we
didn't think it would get the attention it's getting," admitted Greg
Centrone, one of the shop's co-owners.
So, about all
that publicity. Must be good for business?
"Not
really, nothing in the shop," Centrone said. "Just a lot of phone calls.
People calling from Louisiana, stuff like that, making sure we're an
actual shop."
That they are. They are not, however,
one of the newly licensed medical marijuana dispensaries that were
approved by Arizona voters -- though they offer a wide variety of
product appealing to the medically needy.
Bud is a
real guy. Actually, it's the nickname of one of the co-owners. The shop
opened in the Roosevelt Row arts district in downtown Phoenix on Sept.
1.
It specializes in locally blown glass, and the
first Friday of every month it offers glass-blowing
demonstrations.
Its website also trumpets vaporizers,
hookahs, incense and other smoking accessories, as well as T-shirts
from local clothing companies and art from local artists.
And then there's this: "We are super excited about
our 'sisteen chapel' ceiling where customers and artists alike have
painted something on our ceiling tiles! We still have some
that need painting so stop by and ask for a tile if you want to be part
of history."
Centrone wants Mathieu to know that he's
welcome to be part of that history, and if he were to wander by, the
least the shop could do is offer him a
discount.
"Absolutely," he
said.
Centrone added that he hopes the Honey Badger
wasn't offended: "We just thought it was funny."
In
the next issue of New Times, due out this Thursday, he says the ad will
be replaced. Long gone.
Poof. Or is it puff?
--FOX Sports Arizona
