One hockey-loving ‘Golden Bachelor’ contestant asks Mel Owens, ‘What the puck are you talking about?’ in the opening night.
Former NFL linebacker Mel Owens knows he’s going to take some hits as the new star of “The Golden Bachelor.”
Owens, 66, who played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1981 to 1989, made a verbal fumble soon after being named the second Golden Bachelor in April. In June, Owens told the In the Trenches podcast from alma mater University of Michigan that he would be “cutting” any of the ABC reality dating show’s female contestants who were 60 or over.
The handsome divorcé and father of two has been apologizing ever since. Owens says he will get grilled by the 23 women competing, only one of whom is under 60, in the Sept 24 premiere episode.
He recalls one contestant’s opening comment vividly.
“She goes, ‘Yeah, I heard about what you said about the women. What the puck are you talking about?’ ” Owens recalls of the hockey-playing contestant. He estimates apologizing more than 20 times in the first episode − in groups and individually. “It’s good because I deserved it and I had to deal with it. I explained to them sincerely, to just give me another chance. They could have or could not have. But they did.”
Owens insists he didn’t notice and didn’t care that only one woman entering the Bachelor Mansion was under 60 (Maia Dreyer, 58, a sports consultant from Malibu, California.).
“I wasn’t thinking about who these women actually were,” says Owens. “When you see them, you don’t think age. I had no idea how old they were, and it didn’t matter.”
A newbie on social media, Owens says he was quickly alerted to his ageist gaff by a female friend.
“She’s my age, 65 at the time. She called me up like, ‘What are you doing?’ I said that I had made a mistake,” says Owens. “She goes, ‘Yeah you have to reconcile this.’ She made me realize, l was just out of bounds.”
Mel Owens ‘never’ considered quitting ‘Golden Bachelor’
Owens denies reports at the time of that he ever considered departing “Golden Bachelor” amid the backlash. “I never contemplated stepping away. Never,” he says.
Producers of the hit ABC show were understanding of the public relations dumpster fire, too. Owens wasn’t fired.
“They stood by me, thankfully. And I had a great time, and was appreciative of them giving me a second chance. Again, I have apologized,” says Owens. “I have asked for forgiveness. I said, let me earn it back. And you know, hopefully I did.”
How did Mel Owens end up on ‘Golden Bachelor’?
Now an attorney focused on sports law, Owens admits he was not a frequent “Bachelor” or “Golden Bachelor” franchise watcher. But a friend urged him to apply to be “Golden Bachelor,” and he eventually did.
“It’s this fortuitous other route. It’s not something I would have done entirely on my own,” says Owens.
After finalizing his divorce from ex-wife Fabiana Pimentel, whom he married in 2002, last December, Owens did pause to reflect before stepping into the “Golden Bachelor” spotlight.
“It’s like, am I going to put myself out there? There are still a lot of unknowns,” says Owens. “I haven’t done much dating, and it was time to put myself out there and see what’s going. It’s an adventure.”
When does ‘The Golden Bachelor’ start?
“The Golden Bachelor” premieres Sept. 24 on ABC (8 ET/PT) with a two-hour episode that will include the limousine arrivals and Owens’ first group date.
