Apparently it's working to some degree. I say "good for him". I doubt he intends to be a parody of the more "serious" sports personalities. But, he is no more ridiculous a character than most of them. If we're honest, it's pretty obvious that he is much more comedic in a "bless his heart" kind of way than he is talented. Whether he realizes that or not is part of his charm/mystique. Coaches and celebrities like Samantha Ponder probably give him photo ops that most people wouldn't get because they feel sorry for him. Or they're afraid they'd be criticized for not being sympathetic to people with special needs.
Hands please - anyone else have any special needs that Samantha Ponder could help with?