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Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco took time during ESPN the Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios to talk with me.
BR: You've gone from Chad Johnson to Chad Ochocinco. You've talked about Hachi Go and you've also vowed to change it back to Johnson if Jets CB Darrelle Revis shut you down in the playoffs. Is it safe to say you're staying Chad Ochocinco for now or is there another name you're thinking about?
CO: It's going to be what it is: Ochocinco. It's my wonderful last name. It's a brand. It's a way of life now. It's more than just a name, it's a way of life. So it's pretty cool and it's been a nice catch phrase. I think it's great.
BR: Your OCNN has been a monumental success and you've become an innovator in social media. What goals do you envision for the OCNN in the future?
OC: The sky is the limit as far as the OCNN goes. For me it's a brilliant idea. I think the people, the world would like to hear the media come from players and hear our perspective on how we feel about certain situations. I think it's refreshing. I'm sure they're sick of hearing and seeing the same old thing, and to hear our point of view is pretty cool.
BR: You've been lobbying for the Bengals to sign Terrell Owens should the Bills wide receiver become a free agent next month. Do you really think it's a possibility and would you seriously consider taking a pay cut? Is he that missing piece to a championship puzzle for Cincinnati?
CO: Yes. That [the pay cut] no. We can, I'm not sure how. I'm sure T.O. is willing to come and play with us. Again, we are an attractive team now that we're winning. We've turned the page on that, so why not? He can be the missing piece to helping us out.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
ESPN the Weekend: Scottie Pippen
Former Chicago Bulls star and Hall of Fame finalist Scottie Pippen took time during ESPN the Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios to talk with me.
BR: What have you been up to lately?
SP: I've really just been enjoying my retired life. I live down in Fort Lauderdale and spend a lot of time with my kids down there with their different basketball leagues. But it's been a lot of fun. I do a lot of traveling abroad for the NBA, going to Asia and doing some trips there, and Russia. So that's pretty much been the life of Scottie Pippen over the last four or five years.
BR: The 1992 Dream Team is expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. Earlier this month, you were named a finalist as an individual. How special is it to possibly be honored for both in the same year?
SP: It would be wonderful, I guess, taking it all out in one trip. I wish it was more spread out. But to have the opportunity to go into the Hall of Fame as an individual or with a group or however it comes, it's one of the greatest honors that any athlete can achieve. I really look forward to it. I look forward to being a part of the induction for the Dream Team as well as for me as an individual. It's definitely the pinnacle of my career.
BR: A few of your teammates, including Steve Kerr and Michael Jordan, have had success in front office positions. Is that something you see yourself doing in the future?
SP: I would like to land a job like that. It's a great position. Those guys [Kerr and Jordan], as well as John Paxson, another one of my teammates, they are doing well. They have managed to land with some good franchises. They have the opportunity to really pull those teams together and I wish them well. So yes I would like to be in one of those seats one day.
BR: There has been talk of a lockout after next season. Having experienced the lockout as a player in the late 90s, do you think there is a likely possibility of a lockout in 2011?
SP: I'm sure it is a likely possibility. I mean the two sides have never been able to agree much on a whole lot and I just think that the negotiation in professional sports will continue to get tougher. They're both going to hold strong, speaking of the player's union as well as the owners. They're going to tug a war here and there but ultimately both sides have to let up a little bit to come to some kind of agreement. You want to hope that there's not a lockout because you want to continue to build the equity and build your fan base, which took a little hit back in the late 90s when we had negotiation then. It's talk and you want to see the athletes back on the floor, but on the other hand, being a former player, you want to make sure that they get the best deal.
BR: There is expected to be a big free agent season this summer. What is your opinion on high-profile players like Cleveland's LeBron James and Miami's Dwayne Wade potentially leaving teams they were drafted by?
SP: I think it's up to the players. For me, I'd like to see LeBron stay with the Cavs. He's definitely brought a lot of equity to their franchise and he has a huge fan base. I think that he will ultimately stay there. I think that's the best place for him and I think he realizes that team has been assembled to help him win a championship. They have a good team now, so there are no excuses now to turn your back and walk out the door. But I think the free agent market has always been a great way for teams that are not top teams to work their way up. But on the other hand, the players still have to go there and make that team better. It's not just about them going there and picking up all the money off the salary cap. Ultimately you want to see the team improve as well so you don't want to go after the people in free agency and lose all your salary because then you basically have a one man show.
BR: If you had your choice of one player that you could build your franchise around, who would it be?
SP: That's a difficult question. If you want to ask me that then I'm going to probably go after the best player in the game and that's going to be LeBron James. But I don't know if LeBron James fits with the Chicago Bulls. I don't know if I want Derrick Rose to give the ball up and let LeBron run the show. There are some great free agents out there. For me, you have to have the right fit. You just can't go and get the best player. You got to have chemistry in this game.
BR: How special of a player can Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard be?
SP: He's a very special player but I don't think he's going to win a championship until he gets another superstar to play alongside of him. A guy that's very consistent and has that drive, that's what it's going to take. I don't think that he can carry a team to a championship. He's not that great of a scorer, he's not a good shooter and he's not a good foul shooter. So in the latter parts of the game, as big as he is and as much athleticism as he has, that becomes very small when the game gets into crunch time. He's not the type of player that can dominate a game in the fourth quarter.
BR: What have you been up to lately?
SP: I've really just been enjoying my retired life. I live down in Fort Lauderdale and spend a lot of time with my kids down there with their different basketball leagues. But it's been a lot of fun. I do a lot of traveling abroad for the NBA, going to Asia and doing some trips there, and Russia. So that's pretty much been the life of Scottie Pippen over the last four or five years.
BR: The 1992 Dream Team is expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. Earlier this month, you were named a finalist as an individual. How special is it to possibly be honored for both in the same year?
SP: It would be wonderful, I guess, taking it all out in one trip. I wish it was more spread out. But to have the opportunity to go into the Hall of Fame as an individual or with a group or however it comes, it's one of the greatest honors that any athlete can achieve. I really look forward to it. I look forward to being a part of the induction for the Dream Team as well as for me as an individual. It's definitely the pinnacle of my career.
BR: A few of your teammates, including Steve Kerr and Michael Jordan, have had success in front office positions. Is that something you see yourself doing in the future?
SP: I would like to land a job like that. It's a great position. Those guys [Kerr and Jordan], as well as John Paxson, another one of my teammates, they are doing well. They have managed to land with some good franchises. They have the opportunity to really pull those teams together and I wish them well. So yes I would like to be in one of those seats one day.
BR: There has been talk of a lockout after next season. Having experienced the lockout as a player in the late 90s, do you think there is a likely possibility of a lockout in 2011?
SP: I'm sure it is a likely possibility. I mean the two sides have never been able to agree much on a whole lot and I just think that the negotiation in professional sports will continue to get tougher. They're both going to hold strong, speaking of the player's union as well as the owners. They're going to tug a war here and there but ultimately both sides have to let up a little bit to come to some kind of agreement. You want to hope that there's not a lockout because you want to continue to build the equity and build your fan base, which took a little hit back in the late 90s when we had negotiation then. It's talk and you want to see the athletes back on the floor, but on the other hand, being a former player, you want to make sure that they get the best deal.
BR: There is expected to be a big free agent season this summer. What is your opinion on high-profile players like Cleveland's LeBron James and Miami's Dwayne Wade potentially leaving teams they were drafted by?
SP: I think it's up to the players. For me, I'd like to see LeBron stay with the Cavs. He's definitely brought a lot of equity to their franchise and he has a huge fan base. I think that he will ultimately stay there. I think that's the best place for him and I think he realizes that team has been assembled to help him win a championship. They have a good team now, so there are no excuses now to turn your back and walk out the door. But I think the free agent market has always been a great way for teams that are not top teams to work their way up. But on the other hand, the players still have to go there and make that team better. It's not just about them going there and picking up all the money off the salary cap. Ultimately you want to see the team improve as well so you don't want to go after the people in free agency and lose all your salary because then you basically have a one man show.
BR: If you had your choice of one player that you could build your franchise around, who would it be?
SP: That's a difficult question. If you want to ask me that then I'm going to probably go after the best player in the game and that's going to be LeBron James. But I don't know if LeBron James fits with the Chicago Bulls. I don't know if I want Derrick Rose to give the ball up and let LeBron run the show. There are some great free agents out there. For me, you have to have the right fit. You just can't go and get the best player. You got to have chemistry in this game.
BR: How special of a player can Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard be?
SP: He's a very special player but I don't think he's going to win a championship until he gets another superstar to play alongside of him. A guy that's very consistent and has that drive, that's what it's going to take. I don't think that he can carry a team to a championship. He's not that great of a scorer, he's not a good shooter and he's not a good foul shooter. So in the latter parts of the game, as big as he is and as much athleticism as he has, that becomes very small when the game gets into crunch time. He's not the type of player that can dominate a game in the fourth quarter.
ESPN the Weekend: Shawn Johnson
Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson took time visit at ESPN the Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios to talk with me.
BR: You injured your knee during a ski trip last month. Talk a little bit about the injury, describe the severity of it and what's the latest on your progress?
SJ: I tore my ACL and meniscus about a little over a month ago. I'm a week and a half out of surgery, so things are good. The surgery went fine. I'm on the mend already doing therapy for about a week. I have a long way to go — about six months to go. But I love it. It's a weird thing to say about an injury but it's a blessing of disguise for me. It's the first break I've ever gotten. It's the first time I can actually sit down and think about what I want to do and where I want to go. It's time to be normal and get myself back in shape, get healthy. It's a blessing.
BR: What has rehab been like?
SJ: It's a little different because if it was an ACL you can get back from that pretty quick. I could be walking already. But since it's my meniscus, it's completely non-weight bearing. I'm on crutches for six weeks, which is hard. The crutches is the only thing that's hard. I'm the kind of person, I want to be up and running, I want to be up and swimming already. But I can't do that for another probably ten weeks. It's hard, but it's the first time where I actually have to listen to my body and say ‘You know what, you need a break." I love it.
BR: Speaking of crutches, how hard are they to use?
SJ: It's horrible. I hate it. I like being able to walk. I've been tripping over everything and slipping since it's raining. It's difficult but I'll get used to it.
BR: You went to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. Describe the feeling of going to the Olympics as a spectator in comparison to when you went to Beijing as a competitor.
SJ: It's really weird. When I arrived in Vancouver, you know, there's such a welcoming ceremony that goes into just the airport. There's media, there's credentials, there's briefing, there's signs and banners. Going there and not being an athlete, it's definitely a different feeling, but I started getting sweaty palms like ‘Oh my gosh, I'm competing,' you know, but it's great. It's great being a spectator, and just to see the whole Olympic movement be put on and see how many people are coming together and see how the U.S is competing, it's an amazing feeling.
BR: While you were in Vancouver, did you get a chance to catch any curling and do you understand why the country is so crazy about it?
SJ: To be honest, I come from gymnastics. It's a very physical sport. It's something that you have to work your whole life for. Curling is something that I'm not completely understanding of. I love that it's a part of the sports and people are really passionate about it. I love the passion that goes into it, but you know, I prefer more of a physical sport. It's a personal thing. I love the entertainment side of it. I love how people are really supportive of it. It's just something I don't think I would ever do.
BR: Being a teenager, you have to love Disney. You were here last year. What about this event makes it a must-attend?
SJ: The ESPN the Weekend is something that I absolutely adored last year. It's a place where great athletes can come and feel normal, get away, be able to enjoy Disney World with their family. It's also a place where we can really incorporate athletics and sports, and teach people about it, teach kids how to be a part of athletics, and that athletics can be a great thing. It's not just hard work, it's fun. Being able to be in the company of all these great athletes is a must for me. It's something that I will probably be attending for a long time.
BR: You injured your knee during a ski trip last month. Talk a little bit about the injury, describe the severity of it and what's the latest on your progress?
SJ: I tore my ACL and meniscus about a little over a month ago. I'm a week and a half out of surgery, so things are good. The surgery went fine. I'm on the mend already doing therapy for about a week. I have a long way to go — about six months to go. But I love it. It's a weird thing to say about an injury but it's a blessing of disguise for me. It's the first break I've ever gotten. It's the first time I can actually sit down and think about what I want to do and where I want to go. It's time to be normal and get myself back in shape, get healthy. It's a blessing.
BR: What has rehab been like?
SJ: It's a little different because if it was an ACL you can get back from that pretty quick. I could be walking already. But since it's my meniscus, it's completely non-weight bearing. I'm on crutches for six weeks, which is hard. The crutches is the only thing that's hard. I'm the kind of person, I want to be up and running, I want to be up and swimming already. But I can't do that for another probably ten weeks. It's hard, but it's the first time where I actually have to listen to my body and say ‘You know what, you need a break." I love it.
BR: Speaking of crutches, how hard are they to use?
SJ: It's horrible. I hate it. I like being able to walk. I've been tripping over everything and slipping since it's raining. It's difficult but I'll get used to it.
BR: You went to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. Describe the feeling of going to the Olympics as a spectator in comparison to when you went to Beijing as a competitor.
SJ: It's really weird. When I arrived in Vancouver, you know, there's such a welcoming ceremony that goes into just the airport. There's media, there's credentials, there's briefing, there's signs and banners. Going there and not being an athlete, it's definitely a different feeling, but I started getting sweaty palms like ‘Oh my gosh, I'm competing,' you know, but it's great. It's great being a spectator, and just to see the whole Olympic movement be put on and see how many people are coming together and see how the U.S is competing, it's an amazing feeling.
BR: While you were in Vancouver, did you get a chance to catch any curling and do you understand why the country is so crazy about it?
SJ: To be honest, I come from gymnastics. It's a very physical sport. It's something that you have to work your whole life for. Curling is something that I'm not completely understanding of. I love that it's a part of the sports and people are really passionate about it. I love the passion that goes into it, but you know, I prefer more of a physical sport. It's a personal thing. I love the entertainment side of it. I love how people are really supportive of it. It's just something I don't think I would ever do.
BR: Being a teenager, you have to love Disney. You were here last year. What about this event makes it a must-attend?
SJ: The ESPN the Weekend is something that I absolutely adored last year. It's a place where great athletes can come and feel normal, get away, be able to enjoy Disney World with their family. It's also a place where we can really incorporate athletics and sports, and teach people about it, teach kids how to be a part of athletics, and that athletics can be a great thing. It's not just hard work, it's fun. Being able to be in the company of all these great athletes is a must for me. It's something that I will probably be attending for a long time.
ESPN the Weekend: Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams, a Yankees great and Latin Grammy-nominated musician, took time during ESPN the Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios to talk with me.
BR: You won four World Series titles, four Gold Gloves, an American League batting title and you're second in career postseason home runs. Then you add a Latin Grammy nomination to that. Compare the sense of accomplishment that you've gotten from your athletic achievements to that of your musical achievements?
BW: First of all, obviously the body of work that I had accumulated by playing baseball is paramount. I mean there's no comparison. I'm just starting to get into the music industry right now and obviously it's a great honor to be nominated for a Latin Grammy, but I still realize that I have a long way to go to even try to compare myself to what I've done in baseball.
BR: How do you compare the discipline and skill required to be an elite pro athlete with the commitment needed to be a successful recording and performing musician?
BW: They are very similar. I think you have to have the drive to become better skilled at both. In baseball, it's running and throwing, the drills. In music, it's the same thing. You have to have this routine that you do every day -- [a routine] of scales, arpeggios, getting into music theory and putting yourself in a position that you can be successful when you're playing on stage. It's very similar and it requires a lot of hard work. You don't get there by magic. You have to really work at it. But it's very rewarding. It's like the cliché, "The more you put into it, the more you're going to get out of it." It really, literally, is that way in music. You put your time in, you put your work in and you get it out when you play. It's very rewarding to see that kind of interaction.
BR: What's more difficult, baseball or music?
BW: I think at this time, music is a little bit harder just because I'm not used to doing it on a consistent basis. Baseball is the one thing that I've had consistent in my life for the last 30 years. Music is something that I'm getting into, but I will assume that music will become easier, probably easier than baseball to some extent, because there's a lot more variables that I can control with music. Playing on stage you have a set song. Once you what you know, you just throw it out there and you're secure in your ability to play a certain amount of notes or whatever it is that you play. I think [music] will become set as opposed to baseball because even though you can have all the confidence in the world, you're trying to control something that you have absolutely no control of. There are so many variables that you cannot control: How the pitcher's going to be, how the umpire's going to be, how you're going to be as a player. You can do everything right and not have anything to show for it. Music you have a little more return in your efforts.
BR: What were your goals when you embarked on your baseball career? What are your goals for your musical endeavors and are you approaching them in the same fashion?
BW: In a way I am. Baseball was more about not really having any accolades or awards or anything like that, [but] just having that mentality to not waste any time in becoming the best player that I can be, and not procrastinating and if you needed to get it done, just get it done. Music to me is the same thing. I don't know if I'm going to become a great guitar player, but I know that I'm going to do the best that I can to be the best that I can be at that particular skill, whether it's playing notes or improvising a set of chord progressions, composing music. There's so many ways I can take the music aspect. The possibilities are endless. But at the same time, you need to have a plan. You need to work on your weak spots and make them strong. My goal is to become the best musician that I can be in the time frame that I have, so I think that's pretty good.
BR: Is a new album in the works?
BW: I'm getting used to developing some ideas as far as making them into songs. The compositional aspect of my music is a work in progress. I still don't know yet where I want to take my music and what direction I want to take it in. But that's the beauty of it, that you can take any direction and if you feel it with your heart and you go for it with a certain amount of drive, you're going to get wherever you want to go. But right now I'm just having a lot of fun playing live. The one thing that I can associate to be the closest to playing on a baseball field is playing live on stage. The interaction with the fans and just having that moment where you're in the zone playing with a group of guys just speaking that same language is something that's not very easy to replicate in normal life. I'm getting a great kick out of that.
BR: You were on many great teams. What do you remember most about them, and is there anything you saw in last year's team that reminded you of your playing days?
BW: The one thing that I remember most about those teams is the fact that we didn't really have a great, great player carrying the team, except for Mariano [Rivera] closing games. But I do remember that we were a whole bunch of good players, just good players sharing the wealth. From the first hitter to the ninth hitter we had very similar numbers. This year there was a lot more star power on that team. It was just unbelievable the amount of talent that that team had from A-Rod to Derek [Jeter] to Mariano to all those games. And it's getting better with Mark Teixeira right now and CC [Sabathia] and now [Curtis] Granderson playing center field. They are becoming a team of all-stars and if everybody stays healthy, and they're fairly young too, so they have an opportunity to be great for a lot of years. That's a scary thought.
BR: You won four World Series titles, four Gold Gloves, an American League batting title and you're second in career postseason home runs. Then you add a Latin Grammy nomination to that. Compare the sense of accomplishment that you've gotten from your athletic achievements to that of your musical achievements?
BW: First of all, obviously the body of work that I had accumulated by playing baseball is paramount. I mean there's no comparison. I'm just starting to get into the music industry right now and obviously it's a great honor to be nominated for a Latin Grammy, but I still realize that I have a long way to go to even try to compare myself to what I've done in baseball.
BR: How do you compare the discipline and skill required to be an elite pro athlete with the commitment needed to be a successful recording and performing musician?
BW: They are very similar. I think you have to have the drive to become better skilled at both. In baseball, it's running and throwing, the drills. In music, it's the same thing. You have to have this routine that you do every day -- [a routine] of scales, arpeggios, getting into music theory and putting yourself in a position that you can be successful when you're playing on stage. It's very similar and it requires a lot of hard work. You don't get there by magic. You have to really work at it. But it's very rewarding. It's like the cliché, "The more you put into it, the more you're going to get out of it." It really, literally, is that way in music. You put your time in, you put your work in and you get it out when you play. It's very rewarding to see that kind of interaction.
BR: What's more difficult, baseball or music?
BW: I think at this time, music is a little bit harder just because I'm not used to doing it on a consistent basis. Baseball is the one thing that I've had consistent in my life for the last 30 years. Music is something that I'm getting into, but I will assume that music will become easier, probably easier than baseball to some extent, because there's a lot more variables that I can control with music. Playing on stage you have a set song. Once you what you know, you just throw it out there and you're secure in your ability to play a certain amount of notes or whatever it is that you play. I think [music] will become set as opposed to baseball because even though you can have all the confidence in the world, you're trying to control something that you have absolutely no control of. There are so many variables that you cannot control: How the pitcher's going to be, how the umpire's going to be, how you're going to be as a player. You can do everything right and not have anything to show for it. Music you have a little more return in your efforts.
BR: What were your goals when you embarked on your baseball career? What are your goals for your musical endeavors and are you approaching them in the same fashion?
BW: In a way I am. Baseball was more about not really having any accolades or awards or anything like that, [but] just having that mentality to not waste any time in becoming the best player that I can be, and not procrastinating and if you needed to get it done, just get it done. Music to me is the same thing. I don't know if I'm going to become a great guitar player, but I know that I'm going to do the best that I can to be the best that I can be at that particular skill, whether it's playing notes or improvising a set of chord progressions, composing music. There's so many ways I can take the music aspect. The possibilities are endless. But at the same time, you need to have a plan. You need to work on your weak spots and make them strong. My goal is to become the best musician that I can be in the time frame that I have, so I think that's pretty good.
BR: Is a new album in the works?
BW: I'm getting used to developing some ideas as far as making them into songs. The compositional aspect of my music is a work in progress. I still don't know yet where I want to take my music and what direction I want to take it in. But that's the beauty of it, that you can take any direction and if you feel it with your heart and you go for it with a certain amount of drive, you're going to get wherever you want to go. But right now I'm just having a lot of fun playing live. The one thing that I can associate to be the closest to playing on a baseball field is playing live on stage. The interaction with the fans and just having that moment where you're in the zone playing with a group of guys just speaking that same language is something that's not very easy to replicate in normal life. I'm getting a great kick out of that.
BR: You were on many great teams. What do you remember most about them, and is there anything you saw in last year's team that reminded you of your playing days?
BW: The one thing that I remember most about those teams is the fact that we didn't really have a great, great player carrying the team, except for Mariano [Rivera] closing games. But I do remember that we were a whole bunch of good players, just good players sharing the wealth. From the first hitter to the ninth hitter we had very similar numbers. This year there was a lot more star power on that team. It was just unbelievable the amount of talent that that team had from A-Rod to Derek [Jeter] to Mariano to all those games. And it's getting better with Mark Teixeira right now and CC [Sabathia] and now [Curtis] Granderson playing center field. They are becoming a team of all-stars and if everybody stays healthy, and they're fairly young too, so they have an opportunity to be great for a lot of years. That's a scary thought.
ESPN the Weekend: Darrell Green
Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green took time during ESPN the Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios to talk with me.
BR: You ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash on your 50th birthday. How do you manage to stay in such great shape?
DG: It's my lifestyle. It's my attitude. It's what I put in my body. I didn't run that 40 to do an interview with you. I ran it because I'm 50 years old, I'm glad to wake up being 50 years old and live that long, and I wanted to do something fun for me. Ultimately it got all the way out the world. I twittered just kind of having fun, but it's really taken on a life of its own. I'm Darrell Green. I didn't get to be who I am, [playing] in the nation's capital for 20 years, President [George W.] Bush appointed me [chairman of the president's council on service and civic participation], working with you, to come and be 50 years old and lie and say I've done something I didn't do. If I didn't really do it then it would have never been said. But no, I believe that a 50 year old and the idea of being 50 is not the new 40. Fifty is 50. I am 50. I feel 50. But 50 can still be booming, it can still be exciting and you can still do fun things. You can still achieve and ultimately, that's what I'm trying to turn it into a message of and begin to tell people because it sort of brought out a lot of questions to tell people, 'What are some of my secrets, what did you do Darrell and how did you do it," because people get scared to get old. You're a young man. People get, "Oh well, I'm 50, you're 50." 50 is booming man. 50 is fun. Now it's not the same as 40 or 30 or 20, but it's what it is and it's fun too. I'm not ashamed of being my age. And we're the biggest demographic in the country. People 50 and over, the baby boomers, we're the biggest demographic, so looking at that I'm like, "wow," you know. But when I did the 40, I didn't do it for some weird thing. But by the same token, the time was so out there I was like, "whoa," it kind of caught me like that, like, "wow, this is awesome." I think ultimately I'll be able to encourage a lot of people over time, you know, who are probably nervous about that.
BR: Jets CB Darrelle Revis is being called one of the best ever at his position. As a hall of famer, do you think he's earned it and how good is he?
DG: How many years has he been playing? I met him the other day and first of all, [he's a] quality person, solid and he's doing what he's doing. But I mean, talk to me later about that. Talk to me in five, six, seven, eight years, nine years. It's tough to do that. It's tough to do for a long time to be the guy. But he'll probably tell you this himself, "I haven't done anything yet, let me do it a little while longer. " But yes, he's definitely a solid kid and doing some pretty fascinating stuff out there.
BR: Talk about Tracy Porter's game-sealing interception of Peyton manning in the Super Bowl to give New Orleans the win. What was your take on that play and just how great of a play was it?
DG: First of all, I'm a big Peyton Manning fan, but I'm not going to take anything away from New Orleans or Porter. You just have to give him credit. He was on his game, he was thinking right and he had, from what it looked like, really gotten a beat on what they were trying to do. I think that he was smart. They play some smart football. When you make those kind of individual plays, you have to give the individual credit, but I think overall, like I said, I'm kind of apprehensive because that's Peyton Manning. But no, I thought it was great.
BR: You had a lot of memorable moments during your career, including the game-winning punt return for a touchdown against Chicago in the 1988 NFC Divisional round. Which moment, for you, was the most memorable, from a team standpoint and from an individual perspective?
DG: That punt return and then the following game, [we won] right at the last play on the Darrin Nelson play [where he dropped a pass at the goal line to end a potential Minnesota game-winning drive]. So that was kind of a combination of two games in a row. The one game, the punt return, put us in the championship game. Then we go to RFK. And if you followed during that time, the 49ers were supposed to beat Minnesota, so we we're to end up [playing] at the 49ers. So we ended up getting a home game. That Chicago game was big, but the bigger game was Minnesota beating the 49ers, thereby putting them at RFK. The RFK game was big in that it went down to the wire with a couple of seconds on the clock when they played that last play. There were so many great games, so many great memories. But probably, as you mentioned too, it more related to the whole team. We were an era, the Joe Gibbs era, where there wasn't free agency during that time so everybody was on the team together for years. We didn't trade people and we watched more babies born, more weddings in 11 years. I was with Joe Gibbs for 11 of I think his 13 at the beginning. So we were a strong team. We weren't a bunch of superstar prima donnas, just a bunch of hard-working, blue collar guys. All the wins were special for all of us and nobody outshined anybody else.
BR: Talk a little bit about ESPN the Weekend. Why do you love coming here?
DG: First of all, I was thinking to myself, "Why did they invite me again?" I've been here before and I love it. I love ESPN the Weekend. The other day they launched the ESPN Wide World of Sports and that, I don't think America really knows how big that's going to be. Having a little more inside conversation with people, that's going to be the bomb. SO I think, overall, for me personally and my family, we started coming here when my daughter was a baby. She's now 23, graduated college and we've been in Orlando every year since that year and we're on these rides. I love Mickey, I rode with Minnie [in the parade], but at this age I'm not rolling with them as much, but I'm a part of this. I'm here in the environment. This is an institution and it's where people are happy. It's where people are smiling when there are so many painful things going on around the country. This is the biggest fantasy land in the world. It's not so bad to fantasize in a right way every once in a while and I love it.
BR: Have you gotten a chance to speak with Chad Ochocinco this weekend and what positives has he brought to the game with his social media activities?
DG: I don't know if I can answer that. I do a little Twitter myself, but I'm not really clear if I could give you a good answer. But I will say this, my son is a wide receiver for the University of Virginia, Chad is one of his favorites and I consider [Ochocinco] probably the best receiver in the league from a technical standpoint. You have to know what I know to know what I'm saying, but he really is what's good about football. I know they have to control some of the antics. When I played, when you weren't even born, they had groups called "The Smurfs" and "The Fun Bunch," and this was before [Elbert] "Ickey" Woods and all of those guys. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson did his thing. There was the "Dirty Bird." I just think that if people cannot go overboard, you got to have guys like [Ochocinco]. I mean come on, the sombreros and all the fun things he did. I very seldom, in my eyes, am disappointed in the guys. I haven't seen anything that I agree with [in terms of fines and penalties]. Even when T.O. [Terrell Owens] had the ink pen, I didn't really see how that was degrading, demoralizing, you know what I'm saying? You got to have the Ochocincos in the league because football is fun. People love it. It's like here [Disney], people want to have fun. People want to be entertained, so I can't speak on the Twitter side, but I think from a football standpoint, shoot, he's what's good about football. Not only is he funny, but he's also good. He's compassionate about the game, he never dogs it, he never not shows up, so I like the guy. I like him a lot.
BR: You ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash on your 50th birthday. How do you manage to stay in such great shape?
DG: It's my lifestyle. It's my attitude. It's what I put in my body. I didn't run that 40 to do an interview with you. I ran it because I'm 50 years old, I'm glad to wake up being 50 years old and live that long, and I wanted to do something fun for me. Ultimately it got all the way out the world. I twittered just kind of having fun, but it's really taken on a life of its own. I'm Darrell Green. I didn't get to be who I am, [playing] in the nation's capital for 20 years, President [George W.] Bush appointed me [chairman of the president's council on service and civic participation], working with you, to come and be 50 years old and lie and say I've done something I didn't do. If I didn't really do it then it would have never been said. But no, I believe that a 50 year old and the idea of being 50 is not the new 40. Fifty is 50. I am 50. I feel 50. But 50 can still be booming, it can still be exciting and you can still do fun things. You can still achieve and ultimately, that's what I'm trying to turn it into a message of and begin to tell people because it sort of brought out a lot of questions to tell people, 'What are some of my secrets, what did you do Darrell and how did you do it," because people get scared to get old. You're a young man. People get, "Oh well, I'm 50, you're 50." 50 is booming man. 50 is fun. Now it's not the same as 40 or 30 or 20, but it's what it is and it's fun too. I'm not ashamed of being my age. And we're the biggest demographic in the country. People 50 and over, the baby boomers, we're the biggest demographic, so looking at that I'm like, "wow," you know. But when I did the 40, I didn't do it for some weird thing. But by the same token, the time was so out there I was like, "whoa," it kind of caught me like that, like, "wow, this is awesome." I think ultimately I'll be able to encourage a lot of people over time, you know, who are probably nervous about that.
BR: Jets CB Darrelle Revis is being called one of the best ever at his position. As a hall of famer, do you think he's earned it and how good is he?
DG: How many years has he been playing? I met him the other day and first of all, [he's a] quality person, solid and he's doing what he's doing. But I mean, talk to me later about that. Talk to me in five, six, seven, eight years, nine years. It's tough to do that. It's tough to do for a long time to be the guy. But he'll probably tell you this himself, "I haven't done anything yet, let me do it a little while longer. " But yes, he's definitely a solid kid and doing some pretty fascinating stuff out there.
BR: Talk about Tracy Porter's game-sealing interception of Peyton manning in the Super Bowl to give New Orleans the win. What was your take on that play and just how great of a play was it?
DG: First of all, I'm a big Peyton Manning fan, but I'm not going to take anything away from New Orleans or Porter. You just have to give him credit. He was on his game, he was thinking right and he had, from what it looked like, really gotten a beat on what they were trying to do. I think that he was smart. They play some smart football. When you make those kind of individual plays, you have to give the individual credit, but I think overall, like I said, I'm kind of apprehensive because that's Peyton Manning. But no, I thought it was great.
BR: You had a lot of memorable moments during your career, including the game-winning punt return for a touchdown against Chicago in the 1988 NFC Divisional round. Which moment, for you, was the most memorable, from a team standpoint and from an individual perspective?
DG: That punt return and then the following game, [we won] right at the last play on the Darrin Nelson play [where he dropped a pass at the goal line to end a potential Minnesota game-winning drive]. So that was kind of a combination of two games in a row. The one game, the punt return, put us in the championship game. Then we go to RFK. And if you followed during that time, the 49ers were supposed to beat Minnesota, so we we're to end up [playing] at the 49ers. So we ended up getting a home game. That Chicago game was big, but the bigger game was Minnesota beating the 49ers, thereby putting them at RFK. The RFK game was big in that it went down to the wire with a couple of seconds on the clock when they played that last play. There were so many great games, so many great memories. But probably, as you mentioned too, it more related to the whole team. We were an era, the Joe Gibbs era, where there wasn't free agency during that time so everybody was on the team together for years. We didn't trade people and we watched more babies born, more weddings in 11 years. I was with Joe Gibbs for 11 of I think his 13 at the beginning. So we were a strong team. We weren't a bunch of superstar prima donnas, just a bunch of hard-working, blue collar guys. All the wins were special for all of us and nobody outshined anybody else.
BR: Talk a little bit about ESPN the Weekend. Why do you love coming here?
DG: First of all, I was thinking to myself, "Why did they invite me again?" I've been here before and I love it. I love ESPN the Weekend. The other day they launched the ESPN Wide World of Sports and that, I don't think America really knows how big that's going to be. Having a little more inside conversation with people, that's going to be the bomb. SO I think, overall, for me personally and my family, we started coming here when my daughter was a baby. She's now 23, graduated college and we've been in Orlando every year since that year and we're on these rides. I love Mickey, I rode with Minnie [in the parade], but at this age I'm not rolling with them as much, but I'm a part of this. I'm here in the environment. This is an institution and it's where people are happy. It's where people are smiling when there are so many painful things going on around the country. This is the biggest fantasy land in the world. It's not so bad to fantasize in a right way every once in a while and I love it.
BR: Have you gotten a chance to speak with Chad Ochocinco this weekend and what positives has he brought to the game with his social media activities?
DG: I don't know if I can answer that. I do a little Twitter myself, but I'm not really clear if I could give you a good answer. But I will say this, my son is a wide receiver for the University of Virginia, Chad is one of his favorites and I consider [Ochocinco] probably the best receiver in the league from a technical standpoint. You have to know what I know to know what I'm saying, but he really is what's good about football. I know they have to control some of the antics. When I played, when you weren't even born, they had groups called "The Smurfs" and "The Fun Bunch," and this was before [Elbert] "Ickey" Woods and all of those guys. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson did his thing. There was the "Dirty Bird." I just think that if people cannot go overboard, you got to have guys like [Ochocinco]. I mean come on, the sombreros and all the fun things he did. I very seldom, in my eyes, am disappointed in the guys. I haven't seen anything that I agree with [in terms of fines and penalties]. Even when T.O. [Terrell Owens] had the ink pen, I didn't really see how that was degrading, demoralizing, you know what I'm saying? You got to have the Ochocincos in the league because football is fun. People love it. It's like here [Disney], people want to have fun. People want to be entertained, so I can't speak on the Twitter side, but I think from a football standpoint, shoot, he's what's good about football. Not only is he funny, but he's also good. He's compassionate about the game, he never dogs it, he never not shows up, so I like the guy. I like him a lot.
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