The Interview
Curt Schilling
RETIRED ACE
The former pitcher, who was 216--146 in his career and is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2013, now owns a company that makes video games
Dan Patrick:What do you miss the most about the game?
Curt Schilling: Nothing. [But] if I had to pick something: walking out to the bullpen with [Red Sox pitching coach] John Farrell before a start, or walking back after I'm warmed up for a game, when I've done everything and now I get to do what God gave me the ability to do. Two to three hours of pitching, when I was in the one place in life where I was the most comfortable: on the mound with the ball in my hand. I miss that walk. Especially at Fenway.
DP:What did you think of Mark McGwire's apology?
CS: He got halfway there. I think it would have been a lot better if he just said what everybody believes, which is, "I took steroids and HGH to be a better player, and that's why I was as good as I was." If I hear one more guy admit to it and deny that it makes them a better hitter or better pitcher, I'm going to throw up.
DP:Do you think he really believes that it helped him just come back from injuries and didn't help him hit home runs?
CS: I don't know. We weren't close friends, but I got to know him, and I like Mark. People always ask me about the McGwire and Bonds thing. I despise Barry, so there's a bias there. But they both cheated, along with a lot of other people.
DP:What is it about Bonds?
CS: I just always had a problem liking people who treated people as subhumans.
DP:Bonds ... Hall of Famer?
CS: If I'm voting?
DP:Yes.
CS: No.
DP:McGwire?
CS: No.
DP:A-Rod?
CS: No.
DP:[Roger] Clemens?
CS: No, no. If you used, no.
DP:You think Clemens used?
CS: Yes. Absolutely.
DP:It has to bother you, though, that you're facing guys....
CS: It's not something that was at the front of your mind. But you knew guys were doing it. I looked at that as just an extra challenge.
DP:If I said one vote between you and John Smoltz for the Hall of Fame....
CS: Smoltz. No question.
DP:Are you a Hall of Famer?
CS: No.
DP:It sounds like you don't even want it.
CS: It's not that I don't want it. It's hard to talk about this without sounding disrespectful. I was around enough members of the media to know that a lot of those guys use their vote as a platform to write an article. After guys spend their entire lives working toward something, it seems that something's not right about that process.
DP:But aren't you a good story for them to write about?
CS: No. I just talk a lot. All the stories around me are centered around the teams and the people I played with and the events I was a part of. I was part of some of the greatest moments in the sport. I can remember sitting on the bench in 1993 with John Vukovich watching Joe Carter hit that home run. I was obviously devastated, but not initially. My first thought was, "Oh, my God! I just witnessed one of the greatest moments in the history of the game. How cool? Oh, my God, we just lost!" I love the game.
Raider Hater
Think players don't take rivalries seriously? Former Charger LaDainian Tomlinson, who just signed with the Jets, told me he'd never sign with the Raiders—even if they made the best offer. "The things we built in San Diego going against the Raiders—we beat them 12, 13 straight times. I couldn't just go to the other side." And if the Raiders were his only option: "I'm retiring."
Tiger Talk
CBS golf analyst David Feherty believes that despite all of his off-course issues, Tiger Woods is still the favorite to win the Masters. Said Feherty, "If he plays well, he wins. If he plays reasonably well, he wins. He has to play badly to lose." He also believes that Woods may return more formidable on the course. "He's had this time to get into the Zen side of his character. He may come back even more centered."
Line of the week
Maryland coach Gary Williams, who says he doesn't fill out a March Madness bracket, told me that he had no worries that any of his relatives would pick Houston to beat Maryland in the opening round: "Not in my family. I'm getting old. They're worried about the will."
Now Hear This
Listen to the podcasts at danpatrick.com/interviews
1. Syracuse star Wes Johnson talks NCAA tournament.
2. Ali Farokhmanesh of Northern Iowa on upsetting Kansas.
THE FINE PRINT: Home Depot is running a "Northern Iowa Special." For $65, a guy will come to your house and take down your brackets.
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MICHAEL J. LEBRECHT II/1DEUCE3 PHOTOGRAPHY (PATRICK)
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MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS (TOMLINSON)
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DAVID E. KLUTHO (WILLIAMS)
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STEW MILNE/US PRESSWIRE (SCHILLING)
