Just My Type
Donovan McNabb
MINNESOTA VIKINGS QUARTERBACK
The six-time Pro Bowler was traded from the Redskins to the Vikings on July 27. He completed 6 of 11 passes for 40 yards in his preseason debut.
DAN PATRICK:What do you say when you don't know a teammate's name?
DONOVAN MCNABB: You call him by his number. Or, "Hey, what's happening, brother?" You hit him with one of those.
DP:How different is Minnesota's offense from what you ran last year with the Redskins?
DM: It's a lot different than Washington's. But [offensive coordinator Bill] Musgrave has done a great job of simplifying it and giving us an opportunity to really make plays.
DP:How do you look in purple?
DM: Outstanding. Sexy.
DP:Like Prince?
DM: No, not sexy like Prince. More like Morris Day and The Time.
DP:If you were summing up your Redskins stay in one word, what would it be?
DM: Out.
DP:What do you make of what the Eagles have assembled this off-season?
DM: A lot of money. A lot of money. How about that?
DP:How hard will it be for all the new pieces to fit in Philadelphia?
DM: They have some leadership guys. [Michael] Vick is a guy I'm excited about. It'll come together soon.
DP:What part of your job is to help Christian Ponder take your job?
DM: Well, I don't look at it as taking my job. When you're an older guy in this league—fortunately, I've had the opportunity to play for 13 years—you just want to show him how to be a professional and how to prepare. If [he's ready] one, two, three, four years down the road—because I've been through that with Kevin Kolb—then I feel like I've done my job.
DP:Do you ever think about retirement?
DM: I haven't thought about that at all. What am I going to do, work with Rachael Ray?
DP:Is that what you want to do after you play?
DM: I could go into cooking. I could burn some stuff up.
DP:I see you more as a Regis Philbin type.
DM: No, I'll be going into football broadcasting. A lot of people doing it now act like the game is so easy.
DP:Do you think you could be honest as an analyst?
DM: You can be honest. But when you played the game, you have to understand you weren't the greatest early on. It may take time for some guys. You can't just say pretty much, The kid sucks.
DP:Do you think you've been unfairly criticized?
DM: I personally don't care what people think about me. I've been criticized throughout my career, so it doesn't matter.
DP:Realistic expectations for this team?
DM: Come out of the block rolling. Possibly win the NFC North. Give ourselves a good opportunity in the playoffs.
DP:Will we ever see the Michael Jackson dance in the end zone again?
DM: Not at all. I'm 34 years old. After I've had a sports hernia and an ACL injury, I think I'm past the moonwalk and the leg kick.
Guest Shots
SAY WHAT?
Titans quarterback
Matt Hasselbeck(above) told me he's not concerned about RB Chris Johnson's holdout. "I played in Seattle when Walter Jones was doing his holdout thing," Hasselbeck said. "The feeling was, We know Walter Jones is good enough to just show up, and the best part is there's no chance he gets hurt [in camp]." ... The Philadelphia Eagles have been called a "dream team" because of their off-season acquisitions. The NFL Network's Warren Sapp(below) doesn't think the label fits: "Dream team? Give me a break. They're the Eagles. The last time I checked they haven't won anything since 1960." ... Keegan Bradley probably shouldn't seek John Daly's advice on how to celebrate. Daly recalled his PGA victory 20 years ago: "I think I remember taking a limo to the McDonald's drive-through and sticking my head out of the top window and ordering four or five Big Macs." ... After the Tiger Woods--Steve Williams drama at the WGC-Bridgestone Tournament, I asked Phil Mickelson's caddie, Jim (Bones) Mackay(above), if he expects to be fired some day. "Absolutely," Mackay said. "It's part of the gig. In my 20 years there's been some guys fired where I said, Holy cow, I can't believe that."
"I have two lifelong dreams. Play some golf with Tom Brady and be able to throw the out first pitch at Fenway Park. I'm a huge Boston fan."
—Keegan Bradley, 2011 PGA Championship winner and Vermont native
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MICHAEL J. LEBRECHT II/1DEUCE3 PHOTOGRAPHY (PATRICK)
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DON MCPEAK/US PRESSWIRE (MCNABB)
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ROBERT BECK (MACKAY)
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DAVID BECKER/GETTY IMAGES (SAPP)
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JASON O. WATSON/US PRESSWIRE (HASSELBECK)