Sweetness: Author Interview with Walter Payton Biographer Jeff Pearlman

I was but a pre-teen in the 80’s. As the 90’s came and high school began and nostalgia kicked in, outside of my beloved Philadelphia Eagles, there wasn’t much cooler from the Reagan era than the’85 Bears, widely regarded as the greatest team to ever step on the gridiron.

The names are legendary – from Ditka to Dent to Singletary – but none more so than the great Walter Payton, who dominated his way to the all-time NFL rushing title with both power and grace.

While the exact dates escape me, I also remember his tragic illness, and the outpouring of emotion for such a wonderful human whose life was cut short.

The thing is, like all people, famous people particularly, there is always a deeper complexity.

I am a big fan of author Jeff Perlman ever since I read The Bad Guys Won. I interviewed him for both Boys Will Be Boys and The Rocket That Fell to Earth. When I saw the backlash he was getting for his latest biography, Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, I had to reach out and grab a copy.

What I took from the book is hard to describe. For the most part, I want to dismiss Payton as an egotistical prima donna who thinks the world owes him for being God’s gift to sport. But I can’t fully do that. The reason is you just need to put things in perspective. Were this guy not the one of the greatest athletes who ever lived, we wouldn’t even have the chance to reflect on his enigmatic life.

To his credit, and contrary to what his critics might say, Pearlman is fair. He doesn’t gloss over unsavory topics, nor does he minimize Payton’s greatness both on and off the field. He paints a full picture, and (as he always does) does so in a very entertaining way.

You can read my interview here at 30Nothings.com.

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Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 31

This week we interview Bogs With Balls 3 panelist and author of the recently-released The Extra 2%.

Blogs with Balls Show - Episode 31 by Blogs with Balls

Jonah, with the distinction of being both a baseball and financial journalist, was the perfect choice to pen a book that looked at how three baseball neophytes (two owners and their GM) took the lessons and strategies they learned on Wall Street to turn the Tampa Bay [Devil] Rays from a perennial cellar- dweller to a legitimate contender in the powerhouse AL East.

Playing a central roll in the story of the Rays is former owner Vince Naimoli, whom Keri paints as squandering all goodwill the had in the St. Pete’s community upon the team's inaugural season due to his penny-pinching, ego-maniacal ways. He dug a hole out of which his successors are still struggling to climb.

In addition to several of those personalities (new and old management) and their quirks and approaches, Jonah talks about the process of researching and writing a book on a team that now prides itself on secrecy.

We also talk about some of the baseball philosophies employed by those individuals such as the Ray’s practice of “arbitrage,” which - in a nutshell - is signing young players for long term, inexpensive deals with clauses giving the team a ton of leverage and value.

Jonah was able to find a Michael Lewis-esq balance in packaging a business book into a baseball book without drifting too far in either direction so that it would off-put partisans, and may even will leave you rooting for the Rays.

This week’s links of interest:

• The Extra 2% (Amazon)
• JonahKeri.com
• Jonah Keri Podcast (iTunes)
• @JonahKeri
• Baseball Prospectus

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Interview with Gary Andrew Poole: PacMan Biographer on Manny, Mayweather, Margarito and More

On the eve of what was to be supposed to be the date of the fight of the century - a mega-fight between offense vs. defense, humility vs. flashiness, Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr - the sporting world is instead gearing up for Pacquiao/Antonio Margarito.

While the matchup might not be one for the ages, the main attraction is. Pacquiao, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world - perhaps ever - goes for his unprecedented eight title in eight weight classes.

Early last year we were fortunate to be able to interview Red Grange biographer Gary Andrew Poole.

We jumped at the chance to pick up his latest book, PacMan: Behind the Scenes With Manny Pacquiao (Da Capo), and talk with the author about not just tomorrow's match-up, but the experience of documenting one of the most iconic sports figures in the world.


HHR: Who is to blame for a lack of a Pacquiao-Mayweather superfight? Mayweather, De La Hoya/Golden Boy or Pacquiao’s pride and/or hypochondria?

GAP: At this point, I think you have to wonder what's going through Mayweather's mind. The $40 million question is--why won't he fight Pacquiao? But there is plenty of blame to go around: hypochondria or not, Pacquiao decided not to submit to an Olympic style blood test when they were initially trying to make this fight happen. During the second go-around, Pacquiao agreed to the blood testing, but it appears that Mayweather had no desire to fight the PacMan. Negotiations were taking place and then, in another bizarre twist, Mayweather said no negotiations took place, then the racist video emerged on YouTube and his current legal issues....


HHR: Is Mayweather’s gamesmanship a way of escalating the anticipation for an eventual bout or is he truly afraid that he would lose the fight, and not only blemish his record, but also be remembered for being on the losing end of the most anticipated and hyped fight in generations?

GAP: I used to think it was gamesmanship. Perhaps that was his goal. But is he really increasing interest in the fight by delaying it, like, forever? I don't think so. Most of the public doesn't really care about boxing, but they wanted to see this fight. There was really great momentum. But we're approaching a who-cares moment. Has this really increased the drama or is it just a bad, weird and increasingly irrelevant soap opera? As for Mayweather's record, I do think he is worried about losing to Pacquiao. Mayweather really, really cares about being undefeated.

HHR: What can we expect this Saturday in Texas from Pacquiao-Margarito?

GAP: I think it will be an exciting fight. I have seen both fighters train. They both looked good. Pacquiao had difficulty at the beginning of his training camp as he tried to gain weight. It hurt his speed. But that's behind him. He is in great shape. Margarito is much slower and he was almost lethargic when I watched him in camp. But he seems fresher now. He is a pressure fighter and comes forward and he will try and corner the PacMan. Pacquiao comes in quick, attacks, and then escapes at different angles. I think Margarito will have a difficult time catching him. Pacquiao has a tendency to take crazy risks: he will let an opponent hit him just to test his strength. Margarito, who has a five-inch height advantage, has a vicious uppercut and Pacquiao has to worry about goofing around inside too much and getting banged around by his much larger opponent. That could be dangerous. But I think Pacquiao is just too fast and skilled and powerful.

HHR: Given Pacquiao and Freddie Roach’s relationship, besides tasteless, how tactically stupid were the cheap shots by the Margarito camp against Roach’s illness?

GAP: Margarito spent the Wednesday press conference apologizing, and then he came unannounced to the Thursday press conference to apologize again. Freddie was upset. He told me that he didn't want to tell Pacquiao because he was worried that Pacquiao would be upset and it would hurt his focus. I think Pacquiao will try and make Margarito pay by punishing him in the ring--I think he will consider Team Margarito's mockery as violating Roach's honor. Pacquiao takes honor very seriously.

HHR: There are parts of the book that indicated that you’ve followed the sport previous to this project. How did you writing the biography come about?

GAP: I have always been a fan. I have written about boxing for a few publications (TIME, Esquire, The Atlantic). And I like reading about boxing--one of my favorite books is The Sweet Science. One day, several years ago, I was sitting in the Wild Card Boxing Club talking with Freddie Roach, and he kept going on and on about Pacquiao. That's where this book started.

HHR: Did he truly let you inside?

GAP: Manny Pacquiao is an icon in the Philippines and elsewhere. He is considered the greatest boxer alive, and he is also a Congressman. Pacquiao is inundated with requests. It's a circus around him at all times. I was given some pretty good access. I told Freddie I wanted to write a book and he let me hang out in the gym. Then I was given chances to interview Pacquiao. Then I went to the Philippines to cover him. It was a combination of interviews and fly-on-the-wall reporting. I think the book has great detail and scenes, and all those come from spending time reporting it. Not just doing a few Internet searches, or interviewing Pacquiao a couple times, but hanging out at the gym, going into the jungles of the southern Philippines, traveling to Manila, watching his fights ringside, interviewing people around him. I was trying to write an honest take on this guy and I wanted it to have nuance. I went out and did some old school long-form journalism.

HHR: Horse fighting, cock fighting, boxing. What is the infatuation of Filipinos with such seemingly violent sports - how much of that is a reflection of the poverty the societies in the country face? Is it a metaphor for life there?

GAP: I think violent sports are a reflection of poverty, yes.

HHR: Manny’s entourage seems to serve many purposes, not the least of which is entertaining him, but also to fulfill his charitable nature. How is he able to separate the true inner circle from the ridiculously large number of hangers-on? In other words - those he truly needs, from those who truly need him.

GAP: Manny might seem aloof, but I think he knows what's going on around him. A fellow boxing writer, Gareth A. Davies of the Daily Telegraph, compared him to a shark; not in a pejorative way, just that Pacquiao is super-aware of what's going on around him. He might not seem like it, but he knows who to trust and who not to. He keeps a check on people more than anyone knows. He does have a tendency to be overly generous, even with people who have not always had his best interest at heart.

HHR: Pacquiao is in many ways a living, breathing, walking contradiction - simultaneously noted for both his humility as well as his lust for lavish pleasures; both disciplined at times, while also unengaged with things and people around him; deeply religious, while deeply sinful.

GAP: That is one reason he is such a great subject for a biography.


HHR: What is undeniable seems his want to better his country. Recently Roach was on television indicating that Manny is distracted by politics. Throughout the book, its noted that he feels public service is his true calling. Is there any credence to him being ill prepared to fight because of his “other career?”

GAP: I think he is slowly losing his focus on boxing. At the beginning of this camp, he went to visit the president of the Philippines. Roach graded this camp a B instead of the usual A. He has worked his way into his old fighting shape over the last two weeks. I think he is back to his old self for this fight, but you have to wonder if his career is winding down. He told me a month or so ago that he would fight three or four more times, but I wonder if it might be closer to two more times.

HHR: Manny is repeatedly compared, mostly by Bob Arum, but others as well, to Muhammed Ali - being a transitional figure that can transcend beyond a boxer into something larger and legendary. With the state of boxing nowhere near where it once was, is it realistic to claim any boxer can become a global icon much less compare to an Ali?

GAP: He is a global icon. Boxing is a global sport. It's just not a popular American sport anymore. We are seeing a globalization of sports. Looks at all the foreign stars in the NBA. Pacquiao is big news in the UK, Asia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Middle East...Obviously there is only one Ali--and no one can really compare--but Pacquiao's back-story, his humility, and his interest in helping the poor speak to millions upon millions of people. There is a chance Pacquiao could be the president of a country of 94 million people, many of whom live in abject poverty.

HHR: Who can you compare PacMan to?

GAP: We live in a world in which sports figures are neatly packaged and almost robotic. Pacquiao breaks this mold. He wants to stand for something, like an Ali or a Jim Brown. Because he is from a developing country, I think a fair comparison might be Pele.

HHR: Does PacMan have the voice of an angel?

GAP: God bless him--and his voice coach is a really nice person, I just saw her at a Pacquiao workout--but I am not a big fan of his singing. The only miracle? That he has sold so many records.


HHR: Where does Pacquiao go from here? Reality TV? Filipino president?

GAP: He is serious about his congressional duties. He has worked on anti-human trafficking legislation, and he is desperately trying to get a hospital built in his district. All joking aside, he comes from abject poverty. This is developing world poverty. A can of sardines was a luxury. He had to leave school in sixth grade to hawk donuts and cigarettes on the street. I don't want to make him out to be a saint, but people who can't afford to pay their medical bills, who have walked barefoot for several days, line up at his house and he pays their bills. I have seen it. He has a desire to bring a better life to these people. I think that's one thing that's pulling him away from boxing. It will be fascinating to see what happens to Manny Pacquiao in the next decade or two. He is only 31.

HHR: Prediction for Saturday…?

GAP: Pacquiao wins by the eighth. He overwhelms Margarito in a fight that won't be dissimilar to Pacquiao-De La Hoya.


HHR: And finally, will we ever see a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight while they are still in their prime?

GAP: Unfortunately, I don't see the fight happening anytime soon, if ever. The non-fight of the century hurts the sport of boxing. And it hurts both of their legacies.

To get a copy of PacMan, click here for Amazon US; here for Amazon UK; and here for the Kindle.

You can follow Poole on Twitter @orangerose.

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Our Boys: Q & A with Author / NYT Columnist Joe Drape

While it can be argued that amateur athletics are quickly becoming professionalized in today's day and age of television coverage, multimedia and million-dollar endorsements, high school sports reflects more than simply the games themselves, and often are an extension of a community's heritage and cultures.

In Friday Night Lights, Buzz Bissenger peeled back the curtain on Texas high school football and examined the resonating social issues surrounding the Permian Panther team and the town of Odessa.

In The Miracle of St. Anthony, Adrian Wojnarowski looked at the inner city HS hoops dynasty Coach Bob Hurley looked to preserve with a group of unproven, underachieving, now-seniors.

Joe Drape's Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen reflects both of these themes - a town with an identity directly tied to its football team, and the pressures faced by adolescents held to standards on and off the field of play in the shadow of teams before them.

The Smith City Redmen of Smith City, KS, currently has the longest active win streak in high school football.

With that distinction comes pressure and jealousy.

Yet, head coach Roger Barta instills the notion in his teams that the game is more than a game. That it isn't football players he is developing, it is men and future leaders, husband and fathers: "None of this is really about football....What I hope we are doing is sending kids into life who know that everyday means something."

After going on location to pen a front page article on the team for the New York Times in 2007 ("A Football Power in a Small Kansas Town"), the article's popularity and his own fascination with the team and the town lead Drape back to Smith Center to follow the Redmen's continuing journey toward perfection.

Photo: Chris Machian for The New York Times

The resulting book is a beautiful portrait of spirit and community.

We caught up with Drape to talk about Our Boys and his experience.

HuggingHaroldReynolds: Buzz Bissenger drew criticism from Odessa residents after Friday Night Lights was published when they felt he portrayed them unfairly, namely on the social front. Conversely, "Our Boys" paints Smith Center in almost an entirely positive light. As someone who admittedly became so entrenched in the Smith Center community, do you feel you were able to remain entirely objective given your relationship with the town, players and coaching staff?

Joe Drape: I got there with the mission of being fair and accurate and to let the reporting lead me to wherever it went. I checked with the police and the county attorney and around town to make sure I wasn’t missing some huge scandal or dark side. What’s between the covers is the story I left with: About a small community that takes its children seriously, and emphasizes values like love patience and hard work. Did I like the people and way of life? Absolutely. Did I make friends for life? Yeah. But I can look anyone in the eye and say that Our Boys is a fair, accurate and objective look at Smith Center, Kansas and it’s football team.

HHR: Does the book's subtitle ("Perfect Season") take away from the drama unfolding in the chapters?

JD: This was a point of spirited discussion at the publishing house with folks on both sides. I suggested adding the “perfect,” because a) I thought we were burying our lede. The Redmen do have the nation’s longest winning streak, and in this day and age of information over load I didn’t think we should act like nobody knew that. b) I believed there was enough tension in the narrative to keep the story moving. c) I thought it worked metaphorically. My family and I had a perfect season, too.

It’s funny – I’ve heard from readers who totally missed that word in the title, and were surprised and satisfied when they end up reading. I’ve heard from some who thought the picture of “67” in the photo section ruined it for them.

HHR: You talk about how a loss would affect the book's narrative/story - not necessarily in a bad way. In retrospect, how different would "Our Boys" have been if the streak was snapped in the beginning of the season or in the playoffs?

JD: I thought then, and now more than ever, that when the Redmen lose, it will be one of Smith Center’s greatest hours. I think the town will rush the field and hug those guys and give him a big ovation. Coach Barta and the community really don’t focus on winning and losing. It’s about competing and being proud of their town and their way of life. It may have been a more poignant ending, but perhaps not as a well-read one. I think people are picking “Our Boys” up and it’s a New York Times bestseller because they are still winning, and folks want to read and be engaged by a successful team and town that has it’s priorities straight.

HHR: Coach Barta has been accused of running up the score. He, the team and town have been accused of phoniness in relation to their wholesome, classy image. How would you address the coach and Smith Center football's critics? Is there even a hint of truth?

JD: The Redmen are like the Yankees , the Red Sox and Notre Dame – you either love them or hate them. In the book, someone at a national coaches clinic accused him of running up the score after Smith Center gained national attention for the 72-point first quarter. The coach of the opponent that day, Plainville, was the first to come to his defense and said his team did it to themselves.

If you go on, youtube.com, you’ll see fumble and interception returns and one calamity after another. It’s mainly message board folks who make the accusations. There’s no truth at all to it.

HHR: You and your family wholeheartedly embraced the small town living you experienced. Why head back to the Big Apple after the experience? How has your young son adapted?

JD: I have a job, and a good one, at a time when too many very good journalists can’t say that. Job-wise it would be impractical, right now, to live there. So I’m following the example of my 4-year-old Jack who is happy anywhere we go. He cruises into Smith Center and picks up with his friends. He scooters between people on the sidewalks of New York City smiling all the way. We got a foot in both places.

HHR: What sort of pressure do the players feel to live up to on-the-field standards of perfection - from their peers, to their schoolmates to the townsfolk? Is it a fair expectation of 15-17 year olds?

JD: They do feel the pressure, especially the seniors, because that winning streak is handed down like Excalibur in King Arthur. It’s all part of growing up, and I don’t think it is unreasonable for anyone to want to be the best. I think we all should want to that. At the end of the day, though, they do realize it is only a game.

HHR: How closely do you follow the seniors in their collegiate careers? Do you remain in touch?

JD: I just got back from Kansas, and I met three of the seniors Marshall McCall, Kris Lehmann and Trenton Terrill in Salina and we all had dinner. Marshall and Kris are playing at Hutchinson Juco in the Jayhawk league; and Trenton’s playing baseball at Bethany. I also went to the Redmen’s opening game and caught up with some other seniors. We’re all in good touch, and they know they have a friend in New York.

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"'78": Boston, Busing, Baseball and Bucky Fn Dent; Q&A with Author Bill Reynolds

In the Spring and Fall of 1978, Red Sox fans saw their beloved team lose a 14-game lead over the hated New York Yankees, which included a four-game sweep at Fenway by the Yanks and forced a one-game playoff for the AL East title. Fans were fixated on the October 2 game, which would go on to earn light-hitting shortstop Bucky Dent his endearing (and enduring) profane nickname. The city was also burning under the national spotlight over the politically and socially volatile issue of forced busing over which the otherwise liberal-minded city and its residents became viewed as racially hostile as the Deep South.


As violent protests raged, though eventually subsided even as the issue persisted, baseball served as a unifier, an escape.

In Boston, where politics and baseball are inherited religions, author Bill Reynolds takes us back in '78: The Boston Red Sox, a Historic Game, and a Divided City, and examines the dual relationship of the city with its communities and its team during the tumultuous era.


HuggingHaroldReynolds: Was your intention to write a historical/social issue piece or a baseball book? Where did the idea come from to marry the two?

Bill Reynolds: My idea was to write what I hoped would be an interesting book, one that used a great baseball game as the thread to get at larger issues. I’ve long believed that sports are not an island unto themselves, but an integral part of the culture. The idea came from going to a Red Sox game a couple of years ago and speaking to some fans – one at about 40, the other in his early 30’s, and both from New England – who had no idea that the busing crisis had ever existed.

HHR: The busing order came about in '74, and you go on to characterize the '77-78 school year as "relatively tranquil" - why then draw the parallels between these two particular events - busing & the '78 playoff game? Why not, say, the '75 Series?

BR: I liked the fact that even though things are starting to quiet down, the furor over busing and the ramifications of it remain. I also liked the fact that it had already gone on for four years, and felt like in ’75 it had just been a year.

HHR: Save a few Bill Lee quotes and a random PSA or two, the players were both physically disconnected and vocally silent on the busing and race issues and accompanying violence. Given the view of Red Sox baseball as an escape from these harsh realities, were the players better served remaining politically neutral despite local volatility?

BR: Even though with the exception of Bill Lee the players avoided speaking about the issue, busing was like the elephant in the clubhouse, to the point that for several of them it took over a decade to speak about it, specifically for Jim Rice, Luis Tiant, and Fred Lynn. I’m not surprised, though—busing and race was such a volatile issue then that there was no way they could win back then by commenting on it.

HHR: How at fault were politicians and community leaders, many of whom have gone on to successful political careers - others who saw their aspirations extinguished, in stoking the fires?

BR: I feel that that many of the political and community leaders also were caught in a no-win situation, especially Mayor Kevin White, who had national aspirations and saw them blown up by busing. The issue was simply too ugly and too divisive to have any political figure emerge from it unscathed, regardless of where they were on the issue.

HHR: In 2004 Barry Bonds noted his unwillingness to play in Boston because it was "too racist," and an article as recent as last year MLB analyst and scribe Ken Rosenthal highlighted the team's current lack of African-Americans (while reminding us of the Sox's notorious racial history). How much of the recent perceptions are based on the city's past as opposed to present realities? Has the city actually come that far?

BR: I think those perceptions are all based on the past. In the past decade you can make a case that the three most popular players in Fenway were Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz, and that the perception of Boston as being a racist city is also in the past. That doesn’t mean race is not an issue in Boston, but then again race is an issue in America, and I don’t think Boston is unique in this regard.

HHR: After years of his coming up short, what are both your professional and personal thoughts on Jim Rice finally gaining enshrinement to Cooperstown. Which was a bigger factor that held him back - his perceived attitude amongst sports writers or his lack of coming through in any notable big, clutch moment?

BR: There’s no doubt that Rice’s miserable relationship with the media through the years didn’t help him, but he also never had those huge signature moments in his career that arguably would have gotten him inducted earlier.

HHR: Can you elaborate on the notion that fans can cheer on players of different races and nationalities, when they perform for their respective teams, but still hold a NIMBY view of others when it comes to their communities?

BR: I think that’s the nature of fandom and, on a deeper level, the more we get to know people the less we are bothered by race, and we feel we know athletes.

HHR: Can baseball really serve as a healing salve for social issues?

BR: Sports can help be a healing salve for social issues, in that they can bring people of different races and backgrounds together for a while in a common cause, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to eradicate all the problems.

HHR: What have the lessons of '78 taught the city of Boston and the country as a whole that watched the actions transpire?

BR: That’s a great question, and one I really don’t have an answer for. I do think, though, that one of the lessons learned from Boston’s busing tragedy was that nobody won, that all the years and all the hate and all the violence and in then end everyone lost. Maybe that’s the enduring lesson.

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Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?

George: Interview with Steinbrenner Biographer Peter Golenbock

A former The New York Times and The Boston Globe writer, Peter Golenbock is perhaps best known in sports circles for co-authoring Sparky Lyle's Yankees diary, The Bronx Zoo in 1979. Through connections with team personnel and players, he also helped pen Craig Nettles' Balls (how dirty), and Number 1 with Billy Martin. Altogether, he is credited with 5 NYT best sellers.

His latest release, George: The Poor Little Rich Boy Who Built the Yankee Empire, takes a deep look inside the life and career of George Steinbrenner. To the average fan, who likely knows the Boss candidly through Larry David's portrayal on Seinfeld, the book is, for a lack of better terms, dark. Steinbrenner's upbringing and personality - that of a domineering manipulator who will stop at nothing to both succeed and save face in the light of criticism - produced among the most abusive, yet successful owners in American professional sports.

We caught up with Golenbock to talk about the book and its subject.


HuggingHaroldReynolds: From the title through most of the 300-some pages of text, "George" is a scathing look at the life of a man whose personality traits and professional shortcomings many fans either chose to ignore, never knew or conveniently forgot. Given your existing relationship in covering the team and working with several of the organization's members, was your intention to write a blistering piece before you began working on it or was it something that came about as your research progressed?

Peter Golenbock: George was never intended as a "scathing" look. Rather I interviewed almost a hundred people, and this book is the result of what they told me. A writer should never go into a project with any preconceived notions. The fun of any project is interviewing someone and learning what he or she has to offer. It is then the writer's obligation to present that information fairly and accurately.

HHR: Tell us how the book's subtitle came about.

PG: What struck me early on was the duality of George Steinbrenner's relationship with his father. On the one hand, his father was a tyrant who ran his life with an iron hand, and on the other he was a father who would come to George's rescue any time he got in trouble. Growing up rich George learned how to take advantage of his station from an early age. It also allowed him to grow up arrogant and feeling that the rules didn't apply to him. I feel the title accurately reflects this.

HHR: In the opening pages you characterize two personality disorders, traits of which become recurring themes throughout the life of Steinbrenner (and subsequently the book). Can you briefly give readers examples of signs of the Boss' possible (if not likely) Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

PG: Narcissism: George was a person who felt he was right all the time, that he was the only one capable of making key decisions, and that no one else, including the top people working under him, knew what they were doing. As a result, he felt his employees to be interchangeable and easily replaced, no matter who they were. If he didn't get his way, he would turn vengeful. If he felt embarrassed, he would turn vengeful. Also he was into becoming famous, no matter how he did it. He allowed himself to be lampooned on Seinfeld, even though the show made fun of him week after week. Obsessive-compulsive: He was a workaholic who never took a vacation. He was a micro-manager who felt he needed to be involved in every decision of every department of the Yankees. He was the first to arrive at the office and the last to leave. He could never have a period of rest. He had to be doing something, which accounted for his extraordinary stamina and his ability to work on many different projects at once.

HHR: While Billy Martin is the obvious and most well-known example, how would you categorize the numerous employees that Steinbrenner has abused over the years? Why did so many put up with it for so long, despite it being so prevalent over the years? Is the Yankee mystique that alluring or is Steinbrenner that manipulative?

PG: You can't categorize the employees who George abused. You can only categorize the nature of the abuse. You have to understand that no matter who was working for him, whether it was Billy Martin, Lou Piniella, Yogi Berra, or Joe Torre, that person wasn't as good at his job as George would have been in George's mind. As a result, the manager, no matter who he was, was subjected to a constant stream of suggestions, criticisms, and second-guesses. Why did anyone put up with it for more than one day? The salary was excellent, the job was a plum, and often that person was sure that he could handle Steinbrenner when others couldn't. Torre was the best at handling Steinbrenner because his father had been abusive, and Torre had learned how to handle the abuse.


HHR: Many of George's nuances can be seen in Hank and Hal. You attribute this much like you attribute George's personality as a result of his father's rearing. Yet you ensure that the sons' reign will be, in many ways, different from that of George. In your best estimation, what can Yankee fans expect in years to come?

PG: What the Yankee fans can expect in years to come is a much more rational approach to running the team. With George at the helm, he would ignore the advice of his talented baseball scouts and general managers, often making stupid or ill-advised personnel decisions. Buying Steve Trout was just one of many such decisions. Hal and Hank will be more likely to trust their baseball people and sign players who will help them more often than not. The signing of Sabathia, Burnett, and Teixeira are proof that they will sign talented players, not too-old retreats or pitchers with reputations who are injured, as George did. Since the Yankees will be making a fortune from ticket sales and from the YES nature, their overspending won't break the bank. In my opinion, the Yankees will be a much more dangerous franchise going forward.


HHR: As his health and public appearances rapidly diminish, what will be the legacy of George Steinbrenner be? How big a footnote will the fact that the Yankees saw their biggest turn arounds over the periods when Steinbrenner was suspended from the game and other, more level minded individuals were making personnel decisions?

PG: His legacy will be that he was the most visible and voluble of owners over the last thirty years. He took the Yankees from a team valued at $10 million to one that is now worth $1.5 billion. He made the Yankees the most loved and hated franchise in all of sports. He became the most loved and hated figure in all of sports. No one will remember that the teams won during the two periods after he was suspended. What they will remember is the Steinbrenner character on Seinfeld, demanding his cannolis.

HHR: Has there ever been a more unintentionally humorous boast than Steinbrenner's 1987 claim to Lou Pinella, "I just won the pennant. I got you Steve Trout."?

PG: If he boasted about getting Roy Smalley Jr. to play second base, that would also qualify.


HHR: On that topic, George orchestrated bringing several "big-name" flops to the Big Apple. Which signing will go down as the biggest blunder?

PG: One of the biggest blunders was paying a fortune for John Mayberry, the big first baseman from the Kansas City A's. I think the Yankees are still paying his salary. Raul Mondesi was a bust. Omar Moreno too. There are plenty others, including Steve Trout and more recently Carl Pavano, who was paid twenty million for very little productivity. You have to look back at all the Yankee rookies George gave away, kids with talent who would have helped far more than the vets he traded for.

HHR: Is there any figure in history and/or society to whom you can compare George Steinbrenner? Would you stick with the literary figure (I believe mentioned by Leo Hindery), F. Scott Fitzgerald's Jay Gatsby?

PG: Napoleon perhaps, though in the end Napoleon was seen as a loser. George won't be. I liked the Jay Gatsby reference. Leo should know.

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Breaking the Slump: Q&A with Author and NBC Golf Analyst Jimmy Roberts

With 11 Emmy Awards, a Golf Writers Association of America award and coverage of 10 Olympic Games to his credit, Jimmy Roberts has been serving as a key figure in NBC's golf coverage since 2000.

In his book Breaking the Slump: How Great Players Survived Their Darkest Moments in Golf--and What You Can Learn from Them (released last month), Roberts intimately profiles 17 of the game's icons (as well as a former leader of the Free World), and discusses the physical and mental tolls of the sport and the adjustments they've made to overcome them throughout their notable careers.

Roberts' access and insight allows for candid conversation with individuals whose insights transcend the greens and fairways. We caught up with Roberts to discuss the book and what we can take away from it.

HuggingHaroldReynolds: Throughout the book there are two recurring themes. The first being the players' mental states. The other being their making physical adjustments to offset their course troubles. How are they related and how do you compare the two?

Jimmy Roberts: I'm not sure there's any sport where the mental element plays such a large role as it does in golf. That might be because there's so much time to think about what you've done right and wrong. If the average round of golf is 4-1/2 hours ... we spend roughly 18 minutes actually standing over the ball. The rest of the time we spend walking (or riding) and thinking. Without a level of mental comfort, I can't imagine any elite player could exercise mastery over the game no matter HOW dialed in their swing might be. On the other hand, you could be at peace with a horrific swing, and that's not going to work either. I think the physical element is more important, but listening to all these successful people, I get the idea that a good swing is only going to take you so far.

HHR: Would you say that the stories of the individuals you told were as much a metaphor for life as they were insights into the game of golf?

JR: I started out to write a golf book and at some point -- I don't exactly know when it was -- I realized that it wasn't only that, but it was a book about how successful people handle adversity. George H.W. Bush says that the way we handle our challenges on the golf course is often the way we handle our challenges in life. Paul Azinger had Cancer. Ben Crenshaw got divorced. Phil Mickelson almost lost his wife and son in childbirth. While these examples might not be metaphors for life, all of these great players had to battle back from these -- the same type of issues that effect ordinary people everyday.

HHR: How would you compare golf slumps to those in other sports?

JR: Often similar, but the difference is, for the most part, we don't play baseball or basketball for as long as, or to the extent we play golf. One interesting thing I stumbled accross while doing interviews for the book though...when Labron James felt he was struggling with his outside shooting and free throws, he turned to Bob Rotella, a man known primarily as a GOLF psychologist.

HHR: You've had the opportunity to cover, as well as play a round or two, with some of the biggest names the sport has ever known. At any point, with the risk of sounding somewhat unprofessional (we'll give you a pass), do you ever sit back as a fan in awe of the company? Who most bowled you over?

JR: I'm always in awe of their talent ... mostly becasue i know first hand how hard the game is, but I long ago got over the awe of being in the company of these people. It's just what happens when you do this for a while. There was and continues to be one exception: spending time with George Bush (both 41 and 43) is a little sobering. No matter your political leanings, here's the fact: the president of the United States is likely the single most powerful person on earth. If that doesn't awe you, nothing will.

Photo: Golf Digest

HHR: It seems that in every chapter and player profile, the name "Tiger Woods" couldn't go without being mentioned. We have all heard just about every accolade that could possibly be laid upon the man. Specifically when speaking with his competition, though, is there a sense that even they recognize his superiority, or, psychologically, would that be too mentally taxing to be able to compete with him if they hold him in such high regard?

JR: We may all marvel at Tiger Woods accomplishments and gush about his talent, but we're just hackers. It's the people who can really play who have the truest appreciation for what the man can do. I do think there are a large number of players who are awed by his talent and it thus puts them at a competitive disadvantage.

HHR: What were you able to take away from your work on the book that you hadn't already known?

JR: After walking away from all the discussions I had to research the book, I think I came away with a renewed appreciation for the importance of confidence in everything we do. As David Duval said: "At all costs, protect your confidence."

Photo: BBC

HHR: Many of our readers are likely happy to break 100. For those who leisurely enjoy the game, what advice do you have for them to, at the very least, improve what little game they have?

JR: Player after player talked to me about the importance of the fundamentals. Ben Crenshaw told me that the one thing all golf instructors agree on is the importance of having a good grip. If you do nothing else, pay attention to your grip and your setup.

HHR: Phil Mickelson, in my opinion, seems to have one of the better outlooks on the sport, specifically as a profession. When you reach the level that your subjects have, does the idea that golf is "just a sport" diminish? At any point does it become simply unenjoyable to any of the professionals?

JR: Just my opinion -- that's to say, not what i've been told-- but I think those who play the game at the highest level live in two different worlds. On the one hand, who better than these people can appreciate the precision and beauty of a perfectly executed shot? Who could possibly enjoy this game more? But play as much as they do, and for the stakes they do, and at some point, golf becomes a grind. Look, it's not the same for them as it is for us in many ways. Who among us doesn't sleepwalk through certain parts of our workday, no matter how appealing others might think our job might be.

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As They See 'Em: Q&A with Author Bruce Weber

The fact that "kill the ump" has become part of our national lexicon is evidence that everyone has an opinion about the men tasked with maintaining fairness and order on the diamond.

Outspoken former shortstop and Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen's take, for example:

"Everyone has their own strike zone," Guillen said. This year they come up to us and say, 'We're gonna call the strike zone from here to here" -he sliced the air at the knees and the letters - "but they have to say something every year to make us think they're working. But if Roger Clemens or Pedro Martinez or Greg Maddux, Tom Glavin is pitching, it's a strike. Jose Cruz pitching? It's a ball. Same way for hitting. You're fucking Wade Boggs? That's a ball. You're Frank Thomas? That's a ball. Ozzie Guillen hitting? Strike, get the fuck out."

Polarizing baseball commissioner Bud Selig once said something intelligent (believe it or not). When referring to the unenviable job, Selig put it best when he said, "One of the best days an umpire can have is if nobody knows he's there."

Long overlooked, unless to be the point of rage from disgruntled fans, the life of a professional umpire is more complex than it may seem on the surface. The job is as physical and as mentally taxing as that of any of their compatriots in other sports. On the baseball field, each is intimately involved and programmed to be in precise places and angles on every single play.

What's as trying as their on-field duties, is the journey in which they travel to make it to baseball's biggest stage.

Like baseball prospects, acclaimed or otherwise, umpires travel the same lonely roads and obscure towns as any young player, only they do so in pairs (as opposed to dozens), on little money and under unfathomable conditions and scrutiny. Chances for advancement are about as easy to come by as filling a Supreme Court vacancy. Theirs is a hierarchy in this tight-nit fraternity. Like any fraternity, it has its own rituals, taboos and prejudices.

While he admits that no one can ever really fully grasp the life of a professional umpire, the New York Times' Bruce Weber gets as close as any. In his new book As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires, Weber creates his own journey - attending one of the two premier MLB-endorsed umpire schools in the States, and spending three years on the road talking with the men in blue - on all levels - as well as baseball executives, coaches and players.

The author was kind enough to talk with us about the book and his experience.

HuggingHaroldReynolds: As an umpire who went through the training process, worked games and became quite close with the subjects you were observing, do you feel your research approach enabled you to objectively portray the lifestyles, mentalities and employer-relations issues of the profession?

Bruce Weber: I'd say the book was objectively sympathetic to umpires, which is a perspective they deserve, since they're otherwise viewed with uninformed, universal disdain. That said, I don't think the book is by any means a love letter or a puff job. It's solidly reported, the failings of umpires as well as their successes. On a personal level, there is a punch or two I might have pulled to save someone I knew well some personal embarrassment, but not regarding anything that had to do with the job he did on the field.

HHR: For a group of individuals who are most scrutinized and vilified on the field, is it fair to say that many of the complaints brought about against umps a direct result of the neglect towards their advancement and working conditions over the course of their existence?

BW: Well, I think it's fair to say that whatever chip an individual umpire has on his shoulder might well have been put there, or at least enlarged, by the persistent hostility of his work environment.

HHR: A recurring theme is "Living the Dream." With embarrassing low pay throughout the minors, a poor quality of life, excessive travel, low-budget lodging, and with low odds of them ever making it to the Major Leagues, what IS that dream they are living? Seems more like a nightmare.

BW: For a while, i think, the young umpires in the low minor leagues see their lives as rugged adventures. And the theme I talked about was "chasing the dream", not living it. Every umpire has a different threshold of intolerance, but when the life becomes a nightmare, most of them pack it in.

HHR: You focus quite a bit on the lack of diversity in the majors, both in writing about female umpires (namely Ria) and with what you describe the "shameless" ethnic imbalance in the Major League umpiring corps. Why, exactly, do you (and the League) feel diversity is so important in professional umpiring?

BW: It's as important in umpiring as it is in any profession. For decades the available jobs have been more available to some people than others, and that smells of discrimination.

HHR: Are you saying women and minorities should be as subjected to a profession that has little pay, little room for advancement and constant harassment as anyone?

BW: You could put it that way, sure.

Ria Cortesio
Photo: MLB.com

HHR: You lay it out in the book, but can you give our readers a sense of just how physically and mentally taxing umpiring on the highest levels is?

BW: Three hours or more of hustling to stay in position, of observing with intense vigilance. Flawlessness is expected, every decision is challenged and every mistake magnified and revealed to the public. Sounds exhausting and headache-inducing to me, and that's before you throw in the relentless travel, the mean-spiritedness of spectators and the essential distaste with which umpires are viewed by their employers.

HHR: Umpires seem to somewhat favor advancements like instant replay that give them an extra set of eyes on the field. However, do you feel that the human element of the men in blue is as much a part of the game as any? (Maybe I'm just a purist like that).

BW: I’m in favor of leaving all decisions to the umpires. I like the idea that their mistakes end up as an unpredictable element of the game that the players have to deal with, as much a part of things as a pebble that deflects a ground ball or a gust of wind that carries a pop fly over the fence.

HHR: What's your take on the pros and cons of QuesTec?

BW: I don’t much like it. I think it robs the game of one of its more interesting psychological elements, namely the battle over the daily dimensions of the strike zone among the hitters, the pitchers and the umpire. That said, the umpires, left to their own devices, did warp the strike zone pretty much out of all recognizable shape during the 1990's, and QuesTec, by giving them grades on their ball-and-strike calls, forced them collectively to call a more uniform zone that was at least within shouting distance of the definition in the rulebook, which was probably necessary.

Photo: QuesTec.com

HHR: Has the advancements in video both on television and the Internet and the put unrealistic expectations on umpires, particularly from fans who seemingly have ever view of a play possible?

BW: This one's easy. Yes.

HHR: If you were fresh out of high school or college with uncertain professional prospects, as a baseball lover, would you consider pursue an umpiring career if the opportunity was available (knowing what you know now)?

BW: This one's also easy. No. Writing can be torture. But umpiring is worse.

HHR: I'm very much a fan of this kind of "embedded journalism." Do you see yourself tackling any other subjects in this manner?

BW: I like t too. Got any ideas?

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The Rocket That Fell to Earth: Q&A with Author Jeff Pearlman

This month, our good friend (and Blogs With Balls panelist) Jeff Pearlman added to his impressive collection of biographies of with the release of The Rocket That Fell to Earth: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality.

Like in his best sellers The Bad Guys Won and Boys Will Be Boys, Pearlman digs into the persona of a once beloved sports figure and examines Clemens' enigmatic personality and upbringing in relation to his public career.

As the Rocket battles to redefine his legacy in the court of public opinion in light of recent allegations, truth be told, he's spent his career doing that very thing: defining himself as he wants to define himself, truth or reality be damned.

We were fortunate to once again catch up with the author to discuss his latest work and talk about some of those truths, as well as misconceptions.

HuggingHaroldReynolds: I've mentioned this in our last conversation, but you really have a penchant for controversial sports figures and topics, don't you? When can we expect the Uggie Urbina story?

Jeff Pearlman: Actually, I was thinking recently that Urbina would make an excellent magazine profile for somebody.

Truth is, I'm not looking for controversial figures/teams, so much as people who are either mysterious/guarded or just really, really weird/quirky. Clemens isn't weird or quirky, but he spent most of his career creating his own narrative, which makes him very mysterious. I mean, we all knew he's a guy from Texas—not so. He's from Butler Township, Ohio. We all knew he's always been a great athlete—not so. He was a fat, soft-tossing nobody through much of his childhood. His father left when he was 2, his step father died of a heart attack before his eyes when he was 9, his brother/hero battled drug addiction and his sister in law was murdered by drug dealers. He's had, in many ways, a very sad, tragic life. But also a fascinating one.

HHR: As much as a biography, Rocket is a case study on the human psyche and one's warped sense of truth and reality. You portray Rocket as both someone willing to stand up for teammates on the field and want nothing to do with them off of it. Someone ready to fight, yet often breaking down in tears. In a snap shot, what traits should a fan believe best describes the real Roger Clemens?

JP: I'll avoid basic adjectives here and say that, what defines much of Clemens' life, is his unparalleled, unhealthy need to win at all costs. Clemens doesn't lose—ever, anywhere. He doesn't admit wrong, doesn't back down, doesn't retreat. He was that way as a kid, he was that way as a Major Leaguer, he was that way before Congress, giving his ludicrous testimony. People ask if he believes everything he's saying, and I don't know the answer to that. But he clearly believes there's a way to win and a way to lose—and losing isn't an option, whether it be sports or dancing or Congressional hearings.


The other thing that struck me about Clemens is that everything in his life is viewed through a baseball spectrum. When his mother died, he buried her in a necklace with 21 diamonds—his uniform number. He has four kids, all named with the letter K—for strikeout. When it came to giving gifts to teammates or coaches, it would almost always be an autographed photo of himself. I guess that's the result of being praised, praised, praised nonstop, but it strikes me as very warped.

HHR: Is it fair to say that Clemens' many character flaws are simply a product of his upbringing - losing two fathers, the insatiable rearing of an older brother he idolized, the stigma and perception of being a dumpy underdog - and a struggle for him to prove his ability met his confidence? Nurture over nature?

JP: I would say so. His step father, Woody, wasn't a win-at-all-costs type of guy, but he died when Roger was 9, and his brother Randy took over. Randy was a gifted athlete who went on to play college basketball, but he had a very unhealthy way of viewing sports, and he passed it on to his brother. There was no such thing as failure—it wasn't allowed to exist. So when you see Clemens pitching, and he's throwing at guys' heads, losing his cool, cursing out umpires—that's his brother's gift.

HHR: The steroids issue aside, while people are now critical of Clemens, in a way was his 'baseball-first, nothing-even-close-second' attitude actually reflective of the expectations fans put on their sports heroes?

JP: Of course. We set these guys up by giving them nonstop adulation, unparalleled fame, high salaries, free everything—and in exchange, we want 100% devotion to baseball. Then, when the person can't deal with real-world issues in a competent way, we pounce. Why should athletes know how to, say, pay a phone bill? They've had people slaving over them for years and years and years.


HHR: What, if anything, most surprised you over the course of your research about your subject?

JP: Two things. First, how liked he was. Everyone assumes Clemens was hated because of the position he's now in. But if you go back to Boston, to Toronto, to New York—there were many teammates who embraced the guy and thought he was good people. Not always around, occasionally indifferent ... but not a bad guy. Second would be the sad saga of his brother and his sister-in-law. It's weird that the story never made the papers. When she died, there would be a sentence in Houston Chronicle pieces saying, "She was Roger Clemens' former sister in law ..." but that was it. Nobody ever really put 2 and 2 together.

HHR: You cast him in the same light as McGuire, Sosa and Bonds as well as Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose. Do the latter two really deserve to be a part of that group?

JP: I think so, in that they all disgraced the game, all disgraced themselves. Pete Rose, like Clemens, spent years and years trying to dig out of an impossible hole; tried to convince people he was telling the truth when, factually, he wasn't. Clemens fits right in there.


HHR: You make it very clear that Clemens' Hall of Fame future in serious doubt. For all his transgressions, does Clemens deserve the nod?

JP: No. There's a very clear good-of-the-game clause in Hall voting. Roger was a brilliant pitcher—one of the best ever. But , to me, all the good that he accomplished is wiped out by these last few years; by cheating.

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When March Went Mad: Interview with Author and CBS Sports Analyst Seth Davis

This month marks the 30th anniversary of perhaps the most pivotal event in NCAA and NBA basketball history. While the game itself was sub par by most standards, the legacy which followed helped reshape the pro and college games and ushered in a new era of televised basketball.

On March 26, 1979, Larry Bird's undefeated Indiana State Sycamores met Earvin "Magic" Johnson's Michigan State Spartans in Salt Lake City in what remains the the most watched televised basketball game in history.


Their equally uncertain and tumultuous recruiting experiences aside, their paths to stardom couldn't have been more contrasting, and as such, the Bird-Magic rivalry which ushered in an unprecedented era of hoops could, in many ways, have never come to fruition.

With ESPN still in its infancy, March Madness hardly a nationwide cultural phenomenon as we know it today, and the NBA a fledgling league struggling to appeal to mainstream America, the attention-shunning, but competition-driven, "Hick from French Lick" and the charismatic, camera-friendly and freakishly skilled 6'9" point guard from Michigan captured the country's attention throughout the ensuing decade.

The league and broadcasters learned how to effectively capture that attention and market sport around its superstars. The rest, as they say, is history.

This week, CBS analyst and SI writer Seth Davis outlined the lead-up to and the aftermath of the 1979 NCAA Championship Game in When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball.


HuggingHaroldReynolds: Race plays a prominent role throughout the book. Many attributed the NBA's lack of popularity in 1979 to the notion that a white audience wouldn't care for a league dominated by black superstars. We hear a lot of those same arguments today. Yet the NBA saw a pinnacle of success during the Bird-Magic rivalry years. Does this bell-curve which peaked with Bird's stardom justify this argument?

Seth Davis: Looking back, I think this "problem" in the NBA was much more perception than reality. But at some point, perception becomes reality, so even if the problem of the NBA being "too black" was overstated, the fact that Bird was white definitely added to his allure. Even Magic Johnson recognized that Bird had more commercial value than he did. I don't think it took long for those stereotypes to fall. Bird may have been white, but he was a great basketball player. Magic may have been black, but "white America" loved him because he was so talented and charismatic. I really don't think we hear much about this today. I look at NBA stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Chris Paul, and it's obvious fans of all hues love to watch them play.

HHR: The book tells how the Bird-Magic rivalry and the ISU-MSU NCAA championship game transformed both college basketball (and the NBA), and ushered in a new era of television coverage and jockeying by networks. Yet, Bird could have been a garbage man in French Lick (or a Hoosier) and Magic could have been a Wolverine in Ann Arbor. How important were the institutions and supporting casts in this legacy, compared to the individuals?

SD: We always say that no one player is bigger than the program, but I think these are two exceptions. Michigan State would have achieved a high level of success if Magic had gone to Michigan, but I doubt it would have won a championship. Remember, as great a coach as Jud Heathcote was, he never made it past the Sweet Sixteen after the '79 title. As for Bird, you're right, he could have been a lot of things other than a college basketball player, and therefore a future pro. One of the first things I learned that amazed me was just how close Bird came to never playing college basketball. If Bill Hodges, then an assistant at Indiana State, had done what Larry's mom, Georgia, told him to do ("Leave him alone"), then the world would never have gotten to see Larry Bird play basketball. Wouldn't that have been a shame?


HHR: Despite the unprecedented ratings, the championship game saw a lack of competitiveness and, by his standards, a poor performance by Bird. How were networks able to overcome the subpar performance by Bird and ISU in the championship game in selling the the potential of March Madness?

SD: It's funny, everybody knows about this game, but I think some people forgot who won. This game was significant not because of the way it was played, but because it WAS played. Now, there was a point there early in the second half when Michigan State was on the verge of really blowing things open. Greg Kelser picked up his fourth foul, and while he was on the bench Indiana State was able to trim the lead to six points. If it had ended up as a blowout, that could have really hurt the sport. The story would have been Magic, not Magic and Bird.

HHR: WaPo's David Kindred and Bill Rassmussen lamented the fact that there could never be another ISU - an unknown underdog who captures the country's imagination - because of the massive 24-hour coverage. How would you compare a BCS run by a Boise State or an NCAA tourney run by a George Mason, to ISU's season?

SD: I think they're very comparable. George Mason absolutely captured America's hearts when it reached the Final Four. Imagine how big that game would have been if they had won another game and reached the final! This is what made the '79 championship so noteworthy. Yes, you had arguably the two best players in the country, but it was still David versus Goliath. People might look for a modern-day equivalent and imagine a meeting between Oklahoma's Blake Griffin and North Carolina's Tyler Hanbrough in the championship, but that would be Goliath versus Goliath. The Cinderella story is the essence of the NCAA tournament's appeal, and this game was the first time that notion was brought to the modern audience.


HHR: Bob Ryan wrote in Basketball Weekly: "If Indiana State with Larry Bird meets Michigan State with Earvin Johnson in the finals and the result isn't the biggest TV rating for a college basketball game, then...we, the press, aren't doing our jobs..." With a lack of national coverage in the day, columnists played a huge role in showcasing regional talent. It almost contradicts the Kindred/Rassmussen argument. What, then, should be the role of journalists today - giving the public as much info as possible, or creating an aura of mystery and excitement?

SD: Let's face it, there's no mystery anymore, and as a guy who feeds my family by ruining that mystery, I'm the last to complain. We live in the Information Age, and so it's up to guys like me to feed the public's appetite for information. I understand the lament that the aura of mystery is gone, but I also love watching the Big Sky championship game on ESPN2.

HHR: How do you feel online basketball columnists and blogs play in advancing the sport? Any favorites you'd recommend?

SD: The more, the merrier. I am a consumer and a fan, first, so I always check blogs like Rush the Court and Storming the Floor, not to mention Deadspin. The better blogs frankly are the ones written by beat writers. I'm not so interested in what a guy sitting on his couch watching a game has to say about it. I'm more interested in someone who has done some hands-on reporting and can illuminate for me something that I couldn't see on television.

HHR: ISU/MSU held various events marking the 10th, 20th and 25th anniversary of the game. What sort of things can we expect to see this year with the 30th anniversary? What makes this year special compared to those other commemorations?

SD: You mean besides the publication of my book? Both of these schools held 30-year reunion celebrations this season, and if you read my book you won't be surprised to learn that they were much different. Only a couple of thousand fans showed up for the Indiana State game, and many of the players, including Bird, weren't there. Neither was the coach, Bill Hodges. On the other hand, Magic, Heathcote and all the Spartan were in Lansing for a weekend-long celebration that culminated in the Spartans' comeback win at home over a plucky Wisconsin team. I know there are going to be a lot of celebrations at the Final Four as well. The Final Four will be in Detroit, so there should be plenty of interested observers on hand. Wouldn't it be amazing if Tom Izzo and his Spartans were playing that weekend?


HHR: You did extensive research and conducted numerous interviews for the book. Can you share your favorite anecdotes about each players?

SD: I did most of the interviews over the phone (and many of those conversations lasted upwards of three hours), but I especially enjoyed my face to face visits with Heathcote and Hodges, which included watching the entire game with them. I also visited Mike Brkovich, a Michigan State guard, at his house in Windsor, Ontario, as well as ISU players Steve Reed and Bob Heaton. Those guys are real gentlemen. I'm always especially appreciative of people
who welcome me into their homes.

HHR: Tell us about your experience going from a local paper to SI and CBS, and ultimately to becoming a published author.

Hey man, I'm just getting started! Getting that job offer from SI was probably the most important professional moment of my life. I was working for a newspaper in New Haven, Connecicut, covering high school sports when I applied to a job at SI as a fact checker. TV wise, I got my big break at the 2003 Final Four in New Orleans, when CBS invited me onto their hourlong Sunday show to do a news and notes segment about impending coaching moves. They invited me to start doing halftime studio hits the following season, but I don't think they really knew what they were going to do with me. In early February, Tony Pettiti, who was then the executive producer of CBS Sports, casually said to me, "We're going to have you at the desk during the tournament." I honestly hadn't really considered that possibility. Believe me, I know how lucky I am.

HHR: What's in the works for Seth Davis?

Between my three jobs and my two kids, it's a very busy time for me. I'm just looking to get through the month of March, which I am enjoying thoroughly as usual, and then spend some quiet time with my wife and two sons. I love what I do and it has been a blast promoting this book, but being a Dad is what I do best, and I miss them very much. But I would like to do another book, so as soon as I decompress from the tournament, I'll start working on my next proposal. Stay tuned!

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