US goalkeeper Tim Howard, who pulled off a record-setting 16 saves in a 1-2 World Cup loss against Belgium, was momentarily named Secretary of Defense on Wikipedia as an enthusiastic fan edited the Wikipedia entry.
In praise of Howard, someone changed the Wikipedia entry for Chuck Hagel to show that Howard is the US secretary of defense, and it exploded all over the Internet. The entry was changed to Hagel later.
A day after Howard had made a record-setting 16 saves in the heartbreaking loss against Belgium, Pentagon chief Hagel called Howard yesterday to offer his congratulations and acknowledge a joke that had spread online, The Washington Post reported.
"Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel called US Men's National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard to thank him for defending the United States of America at the World Cup. Secretary Hagel congratulated Howard on his record-breaking game and a great run in Brazil," a Pentagon statement said.
"He invited Howard and the entire team to come to the Pentagon later this year. He told Howard that with some training, he could someday become the real secretary of defense," the statement said.
Meanwhile, more than 6,800 people signed an online petition to the White House to remove President Ronald Reagan's name from the airport in Washington D.C., and call it the 'Tim Howard National Airport'.
The airport petition is not the only one attached to Howard's name. About 400 people have also signed a petition to make Howard Secretary of Defense.
