Your first star interview

Mine was John Ratzenberger, old Cliff Clavin himself.

My first job out of school and I was working at a weekly paper. He was driving on a motorcycle cross country for charity and was making a stop in our town. So I went down to do a story.

Incredibly nice guy, he introdcued himself like I didn't know who he was. We talked for a while, mostly about his charity stuff. Then talked a little Cheers and stuff. Pretty neat for my first celeb interview.

Sportswise, I guess CLiff Lee of the Indians was my first interview with a professional athlete. Nice guy, won the home opener and was just kind of standing around.

 

No,
He played Junior in Burlington. Did so to keep his eligibility for university. THen went to Bowling Green, where he had great things to say about how it further developed his game and prepared him for the big league. I think one of his brothers played a handful of games for the PKs. they have been my regular hockey beat the past few years.. they are a good team (mind you its Junior C hockey)

 

Ah, the Peach Kings... thanks for getting me going on a rant Huggy. How a town of 30,000 nestled between St. Catharines and Hamilton can still be classed as a Jr. C squad I'll never know. I give them credit though, other teams with similar benefits haven't had half the success they have.

Anyway, back on topic, the first big interview for me - or the one I remember, anyway - was Brian Kilrea, the HHOF member and legendary Ottawa 67's coach. I met him just after a practice to do a feature on his longtime assistant coach Bert O'Brien, and I must say he was quite intimidating for a 70 year old. He just had a presence - a readiness and a way of staring at you, making you hope you weren't asking a question that would waste his time. Probably one of the toughest interviews then.

He was good enough to stay and answer all of the questions, no matter how obvious, and he's still a good guy to work with. Earlier this year, I needed something about a really late-round draft pick of his. He called back within five minutes and gave me far more than I thought. Class act all the way.

 

Never interviewed a celebrity that wasn't involved in sports somehow, but my first attempt to question a "big sports star" was with Moss.

I stood by his locker as he was dressing with his back to me. He kept looking over his shoulder and finally he says, "You waiting on me?" I say, " Yeah, but take your time, I'm in no hurry."

He says, "Good, cause you gonna be waiting a loooong time," and turned and walked into the off limits area.

 

My first "big" interview was with Donnie Football - outside WVU circles, he was known as Don Nehlen.
Nehlen had a (well-deserved) reputation as being testy with the media. I was sent out to interviews him at at WVU golf outing. In this instance he was very nice to me ... I drove him around the golf course for a few holes while we talked.
At one point, we are driving down a steep incline in a fairway. I tap the brakes, the cart locks up. We spin around and slide down the hill backwards.
Nehlen made a joke about it. Meanwhile, I was worried about becoming known as the sportswriter who killed Don Nehlen.

My first really, really big interview was a sit-down with Sam Snead.
I also once got a surprise interview with Jerry West, who graciously gave me a few minutes of his time after finishing a round of golf.

Another time I interviewed this high school kid who (get this) was a standout two-sport athlete!

 

For the record, I'm quite sure I'd have to use a recorder if I ever talked to Kilrea, because my hand would be shaking too much to write.

 

Not sure if this was the first and am not sure if it qualifies as a "celebrity" interview, but when I was in college in the early 70s, my school's team beat Louisville when Lee Corso was the Cardinals' coach.

I went in their locker room pretty late after the game (this was in the era when you could still do that, kiddies) and he was sitting there alone. Asked if we could talk, and he could not have been more gracious, especially since I was just a long-haired hippie punk nobody from the other school's student paper. We talked for probably 10 minutes or so.

Have always remembered that. Our paths cross fairly frequently now and I've told him that story and how much I appreciate him giving me that time.

 

First biggie was Bobby Bowden. Did a phoner from the table in my kitchen/living room at my shoebox apartment just off campus. Was working for the local paper while still in college and had the football beat.

 

Unfortunately Vegas isn't the only city in Nevada. I had to go to the lovely capital of Nevada- Carson City for this interview.

 

Mine was Kenny Wallace. I had traveled to my hometown area to do the interview at a dirt track where he was racing for a two part story on how NASCAR got started and how today's drivers get back to its roots. I thought I'd be nervous, but he made it really easy for me. The rest was just gravy. That night I interviewed him, Ken Schrader and Carl Edwards. I was supposed to have one with Tony Stewart, but the most I could get from him was a scowl, because he would only talk to the TV folks that night.

 

Jarome Iginla ... his rookie year.

He said, 'You drove all the way down to Vancouver just to interview me? Wow.'

Indeed.

 

I never got "wows," dammit!