Original Issue

Just My Type

Author:
Dan Patrick

Vince Vaughn

CHICAGO SPORTS FAN

The actor—who starred in Dodgeball and played a Notre Dame running back in Rudy—has a new movie out called The Dilemma

Dan Patrick:Are you nervous about your Bears?

Vince Vaughn: Being a fan of Chicago sports teams, we're not used to winning all the time, so we're always a little nervous. But I feel good about the Bears. They've been playing well. The defense has been playing well. So many problems early in the season with the offensive line—they're doing much better there. I think we've got a real shot.

DP:Would you rather watch a game from the sideline or in a skybox?

VV: I would rather not be on the sideline, because you can't see anything. A skybox is kind of far. Sometimes it's fun to be right there in the stands.

DP:Did you hear what Joe Montana said about the movie Rudy?

VV: I heard that he said that he didn't feel Rudy [Ruettiger] quite had the impact [on his teammates] that the movie portrayed.

DP:Do you hold a grudge against him for spoiling the dream?

VV: I love Montana. I can't hold any grudge against Montana. He's like Elvis. He's the best.

DP:Was there a lot of fiction in Rudy?

VV: I don't know. For me, I was so happy to be in the film. I remember telling my dad I was in the movie, then I realized I had my hat on in the few scenes I was in. So I had to say, "Just look for number 44. I promise you, Dad, that's me."

DP:If you went to the NFL scouting combine, what talents would stand out?

VV: I think the biggest thing I would bring couldn't get measured in the combine, and that's tenacity.

DP:And heart, too.

VV: Yeah, a little bit of heart, too. In the movie Rudy, if I had half the heart, I would have been All-American. In real life, I have that heart. In real life, I don't necessarily have the speed or the skills or the coordination. But I'd like to think I could be a body out there that's willing to compete.

DP:Will we ever see a sequel to Dodgeball?

VV: People have asked about that one a lot. I've always been open to doing a sequel if the idea for the new one is as good as the first one. Todd Phillips is doing The Hangover 2. We did Old School together. And there used to be talk of us doing Old School 2. So I'm excited to see what they do with that one.

DP:You bought a place in Chicago. Is it all grown-up stuff in there now?

VV: Oh, no, I have some things that are fun. I have a pool table, which is fun. I'm not very good at it, but I have it there. I have a foosball table. That's nice to play. I have a screening room to watch the sports in a way that's way bigger than necessary.

DP:How big is the flat screen?

VV: It's unmeasurable. It's not a flat screen, it's like a projector. It's not an IMAX. It's like a mini-MAX.

DP:Which would you rather see happen: The new movie is a blockbuster or the Bears win the Super Bowl?

VV: I think the Bears in the Super Bowl. And I'd like to win it this time.

• High Praise

When Emmitt Smith and I discussed Hall of Fame running backs, he said it was hard to compare backs from different eras. "The game itself has changed and evolved," he said. But he wasn't afraid to make one comparison across generations. I asked him about Alabama's Mark Ingram, and Smith gave him the highest compliment he could: "When I look at him and I watch him read the cut-in lines and make those cuts, I can see a little bit of myself."

• Tearing Up

Ray Rice came up short against the Steelers, but few players give more of themselves to the game than the Ravens' running back. Rice told me he often cries before games—"tears of joy and tears of motivation, that I only want more out of life." It's nice to see a pregame ritual that actually involves humility and perspective, two traits that haven't been on display much this season.

• Line of the week

Kobe Bryant explained that sometimes he even surprises himself by thriving at age 32:

"I should be nowhere near playing at the level I'm playing right now, being 15 years into the league."

Now Hear This

Listen to the podcasts at danpatrick.com/interviews

1. Clay Matthews discusses the playoffs and his hair.

2. BYU guard Jimmer Fredette on his scoring outburst.

THE FINE PRINT: Cam Newton declared himself eligible for the NFL draft. And his dad declared himself eligible for matching donations.

PHOTO

MICHAEL J. LEBRECHT II/1DEUCE3 PHOTOGRAPHY (PATRICK)

PHOTO

JOHN BIEVER (INGRAM)