Bryce Harper has Twitter abuzz Wednesday morning. But all the fuss isn't just about the monster game he had Tuesday for the Washington Nationals -- it's about what he said afterward.
One line in response to a query from a reporter in Toronto following the Nationals' 4-2 win over the Blue Jays:
"That's a clown question, bro."
Harper had just posted his second straight three-hit game -- one that included the longest home run of his young career -- to help the upstart Nationals win their fifth straight game and pull to a four-game lead in the National League East.
But all one reporter wanted to know was if the 19-year-old emerging star was going to celebrate with a Canadian beer and, if so, which one is his favorite.
Now as the hard-core journalist diligently pointed out, Harper is of legal drinking age up there, but still the young outfielder wasn't about to play along. Instead, he just gave the guy a look that could kill and then delivered what is sure to be the catchphrase of the year.
Of course, Twittersphere is having a blast with the incident. The best tweet is a suggestion from @sportspickle: "A reporter needs to dress up as a clown tonight, but only ask Bryce Harper intelligent, hard-hitting questions."
Maybe Harper actually would have given an answer if the reporter had followed it with a Krusty the Clown-style laugh. Take it from a seasoned journalist who has asked plenty of clown questions in his day -- that's the proper way to do it.
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