Boston Police officer Steve Horgan spent just about all of the final two months of 2013 with his arms raised in the iconic pose that made him a household name during the ALCS last October. Fundraisers, galas, dances, balls, movie premiers, wakes, funerals, CPR certification classes – every occasion seemed to just naturally call for some Steve Horgan Arms.
During an exclusive interview conducted during New Year’s Day, Horgan admitted that old habits die hard.
“It’s been a lot tougher than I thought to shake this,” Horgan said. “I know you probably think I’m straining and going out of my way to keep my arms raised even when I’m just sitting in a chair conversing with you. But it’s not an act. This is all too real.”
The good-natured Horgan says that sometime in November, when requests from family, friends and strangers alike to Do the pose! reached critical mass, his shoulder muscles began reassigning themselves to support the weight of his upraised arms.
“Right now, if I pull my arms down to perform even menial tasks like brushing my teeth even just drinking a sip of coffee, it becomes very difficult for me because my arms and shoulders just begin kind of shaking. Normal, arms-down posture just isn’t normal for me anymore. My arms, they just kind of MUST be raised.”
Horgan takes a drink of water – most of which winds up on his BPD sweatshirt – in a downright chilling display that confirms his troubling affliction. He wipes the dribble off his chin by rubbing it against his now massive shoulders and returns to his former stance.
While people may presume that he will need to address the issue before it further impacts his quality of life, Officer Horgan isn’t so sure anymore.
“At first, I was a bit alarmed. I thought that I was some kind of modern day iteration of a Greek tragedy. ‘The Guy Who Wouldn’t Put His Arms Down’ or whatever. But I don’t know anymore. If every man on this earth has a purpose, maybe this is why I’m here. To put my arms up in the air. It seems to make everyone pretty happy.”
A conscious choice to cultivate his condition may spell the end to his days on the Boston police force. However, Horgan figures he won’t be hurting for cash anytime soon.
“I’ve hired an assistant to comb through various endorsement opportunities. We are in talks with a couple of deodorant manufacturers. And in the meantime, I’ve got a bunch of birthdays, bachelorette parties, Bar Mitzvahs and what-have-you lined up.”
Horgan also believes there may be a certain understated nobility to having a disease named after him, should the medical profession take notice of his rare condition for further study.
“You already got Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Tommy John Surgery, Steve Blass Disease…Now, add Steve Horgan Arms to that list. I’d be in pretty good company.”
One last thing Horgan seems to be sure of is that he doesn’t want to mess with a good thing.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. You know? The Red Sox resigned Mike Napoli and are bringing back most of the guys who had such awesome clubhouse chemistry last year,” Horgan reasons. “In some way, I feel like I was a part of that feel-good vibe. Yup, I think I’m gonna ride this thing out just as long as I can.”
Fenway Pastoral 