‘Giants fever’ and a famous brother — recalling Mayor Lee’s cornball humor

Following his death Tuesday at age 65, Ed Lee was remembered in part for his jokes. Whether the jokes were funny was as clear as anything else in the world of politics.

What Lee told, said Board of Supervisors President London Breed in one of her first remarks as acting mayor, were “perfectly timed corny jokes.”

In 2016, the mayor was rumored to be on a short list for a cabinet post if Hillary Clinton won the presidential election. Lee, at 5-feet-5, said he was “always on some short list.”

That was arguably a better gag than his running joke about the Giants. Over and over during the team’s championship seasons, the mayor claimed to have “Giants fever.