I called Barney Stinson, but he was too busy to talk. That's a bad omen for my love life, right? The suited-up cad-about-town from How I Met Your Mother flashed a homemade sign with a toll-free phone number during Super Bowl XLIV yesterday and, somewhat predictably, has been flooded with curious dialers ever since. CBS, which aired the game, was on a roll as far as self-promotion went, and cheeky Barney, played by Neil Patrick Harris, starred in one of many promos for the network's shows that played to the record 106.5 million viewers. Barney's come-on was addressed to, "Hey ladies," so that was tough to resist. No wonder the line was impenetrable today. Apparently there are a lot of NPH fans out there--he sings, he dances, he hosts award shows!--and a lot of people still falling for phone-number marketing. (Sure I do, but it's research, OK?) Those who didn't get a busy signal heard a cryptic message where Barney is clearly into the caller (all of you). There was supposed to be an explanation and/or tie-in during Monday's episode. What do you bet Barney scored?
— Posted by T.L. Stanley
