Just My Type
The Interview
Matt Ryan
BOSTON COLLEGE QB
Ryan is preparing for the NFL draft on April 26--27.
Dan Patrick: Pretend I'm Bill Parcells interviewing you. Do you want to be a Dolphin?
Matt Ryan: No question about it. I would love to play for Miami.
DP: Why do I want to take you? It's a big risk, taking a quarterback Number 1 overall. You know, I don't like my quarterbacks.
MR: I think that I'm the best quarterback in this draft. I think that I can do all of the things that you need to do to play at a high level in the NFL.
DP: Will you come to camp on time?
MR: That's my goal.
DP: I don't need that. I need assurances if I'm taking you Number 1 overall. I don't like prima donnas. You're not one of those, are you?
MR: No. I think that obviously there needs to be a commitment from both sides, a commitment from myself and from the organization on the contract, but it is my goal to get in camp on time and give myself an opportunity to play.
DP: That was good. Look at you, saying all the right things.
MR: [Laughs.]
DP: You run a 4.9 40. If I had Chris Long chasing you, how fast would you run it?
MR: I think 4.3. He's a big boy.
DP: Favorite team growing up?
MR: Philadelphia Eagles.
DP: Is there a team you couldn't go to, being an Eagles fan?
MR: My family would be tough on me if I went to the Cowboys. But trust me, I would go be a Cowboy as fast as I could.
DP: Do you have a suit picked out for draft day?
MR: No suit picked out yet.
DP: When you're just waiting to be picked, here's what I'd do. I'd bring a book to read, something that makes it seem like you're really, really smart. You know, something by Shakespeare.
MR: That's what I was thinking. Hamlet or something.
DP: That just says, "You know what, I'm a well-rounded guy. I'm not.... Oh, did they pick my name? O.K., all right." I just don't want you sweating any more than you're already going to be.
MR: I appreciate you looking out for me.
Goodbye to All That
NO POSSE, no parties, no champagne. Here's how Chris Webber celebrated his retirement from basketball last Wednesday: "I went and had a beer at a bar by myself, and watched TV a little bit there, and then just came home, and that's about it. I was sitting there thinking about some good times I had in the NBA." His final season wasn't much: nine games with Golden State that only served to confirm his knees couldn't go anymore. How fitting that Webber retire in the middle of the NCAA tournament. Even though he was a five-time NBA All-Star, he made his most lasting impressions in college: as the lead singer of Michigan's Fab Five, the kids with the baggy shorts who changed the culture of college basketball and, of course, as the caller of that infamous timeout (right) in the 1993 title game. On my show, the day after his announcement, Webber seemed at peace with the enduring fame of the mistake he made as a 20-year-old. The future is what's trickier. Webber, 35, said he felt "kind of numb" about his career ending, and plans to talk to other players about adjusting to life after basketball. He has businesses and his foundation to keep him busy but admits to "a little bit of fear that you're not doing something you've been doing your whole life." I'm impressed when an athlete is aware of his limitations and can be honest about them. This time Chris Webber didn't call the timeout. Life did.
Beyond Bartman and the Billy Goat
More Reasons the Cubs Haven't Won a World Series Since 1908
1. 100 years of bad umpiring.
2. Steve Garvey's refusal to go out as a Dodger.
3. Despite pleas from Sammy Sosa, Mickey Morandini refused to cork his bat.
4. Players' confidence was undermined by Harry Caray's mispronunciations.
5. Ernie Banks. Is 512 home runs really the best he could do?
THE FINE PRINT: 115,300 fans attended a Red Sox--Dodgers exhibition at the L.A. Coliseum, setting an MLB record: most people to leave after the sixth inning.
Go to DANPATRICK.COM for more from Matt Ryan and other recent interviews, and hear live audio of Dan's radio show, 9 a.m. to noon ET, Mon.--Fri.
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ROCKY WIDNER/NBAE /GETTY IMAGES (WEBBER)
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JOE DEVERA/THE DETROIT NEWS (TIMEOUT)
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CORBIS (BANKS)
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DAMIAN STROHMEYER (RYAN IN ACTION)
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WINSLOW TOWNSON/AP (RYAN)
ILLUSTRATION
ILLUSTRATION BY KEITH WITMER