Posts tagged Interview
Paula Patton Interview
Paula Patton is a stone-cold fox. But I’m not telling you something you don’t already know. You’ve seen Paula in films like Déjà Vu, Mirrors and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. She’s like a younger, longer-haired, happier version of Halle Berry. All comparisons aside though, Paula Patton is talented and gorgeous enough to merit all the attention she’s getting.
In addition to promoting the latest Mission Impossible (now available on DVD) and her upcoming role in the film Disconnect, Paula just signed on to play Denzel Washington’s love interest in 2 Guns. She’s also been working with Pepsi to get the word out on their new product, Pepsi Next.
Pepsi Next combines four different types of sweeteners to deliver a cola product with 60 percent less sugar. The combination of high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame potassium results in a Pepsi that doesn’t quite taste like a diet soda and is a bit mellow on the syrup factor than an original Pepsi. A regular Pepsi contains 150 calories and 41 grams of sugar. Pepsi Next has 60 calories and 15 grams of sugar.
To be honest, if I was walking around Los Angeles and Paula Patton asked me to taste-test a beverage as part of a “Drink It to Believe It” campaign, I’d probably drink just about anything. Believe that.
I did a quick interview with Paula this week and we talked about her involvement with Pepsi Next, the filming of Mission Impossible 4, Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, Paula posing nude for her hubby’s album cover and whether or not the original script for the film Mirrors called for Paula’s character to sport a wet t-shirt through the entire third act of the film. Here’s the interview:
Now go support Paula and try out this Pepsi Next business for yourself.
Apr 11th
Interview with WPT’s Vince Van Patten
Vince Van Patten is an interesting dude. The guy can trace his lineage back to King Roland of the Planet Druidia (Princess Vespa’s father in Spaceballs), but he’s true royalty in his own right. The “King of the Hollywood Home Game” started acting when he was 9 years old, appearing in stuff like Bonanza, Adam 12, The Bionic Boy, Dirty Dozen III and Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. In 1979 he was the ATP Rookie of the Year and in 1981, Van Patten defeated John McEnroe to win the Seiko World Super Tennis tournament in Tokyo, Japan.
He’s equal parts Hollywood and approachable. He’s been a top flight athlete and a stud poker player. He’s a fierce competitor and yet totally chill to chat with. The guy has tried his hand at acting, pro tennis, writing, directing, producing and professional poker. Van Patten cashed at the Main Event in 2010 and for 10 seasons, he’s shared hosting duties (and tons of witty banter) with Mike Sexton on the Word Poker Tour.
The WPT airs on Fox Sports Net and is broadcast globally in over 150 countries. The 10th season of the WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com, a membership site that features a sweepstakes-based poker club and is available in 35 states in the US.
I had a chance to chat with Vince about tennis, high profile poker tournaments, his favorite players on the tour, common mistakes amateurs make, Mike Sexton’s gymnastic skills and quality celebrity poker players. Here’s the interview:
CS: What’s your favorite stop on the world poker tour?
VVP: I’m going to have to go with Paris.
CS: Paris? Yeah.
VVP: Yeah. We spent 12 days there this year because we get a lot of publicity for the European markets and all. I love to run and jog and everything so I ran all through Paris, played poker at the casino, just had a great time. It’s always so much fun. How do you beat that? But I have to tell you, right after that we went to Venice, Italy – just got back a few weeks ago – and it has the oldest casino in the world. It was built in the 1600s and that’s my favorite place – the most beautiful casino and I just had an amazing time there, too. That is the charm of the World Poker Tour. We truly do travel the world and we see the best casinos in the world.
CS: You guys also broadcast globally, for years now. Do you find that people recognize you when you go to these different venues across the world?
VVP: Yeah. You know I guess we got pretty popular over in Europe with the show because it’s showing throughout the world. So yeah, they all know Mike and I and it’s like family time even when we’re in Europe. It’s just like family.
CS: So I read today that Mike went to Ohio State on a full scholarship for gymnastics?
VVP: Yeah.
CS: Has he ever given you any gymnastics pointers?
VVP: He’s pretty humble about that.
CS: (laughs)
VVP: He obviously was as great athlete and then he retired from that and he has become a great poker player. But he doesn’t ever mention his gymnastics. I don’t know what happened. He always says his brother was even a better. Over the years we’ve played a little tennis, he tries that. He’s a good athlete so when he tries, even though he never played tennis, he wasn’t bad at that. He’s a good ping-pong player, too. He’s actually a decent athlete.
CS: So speaking of decent athletes, I know you beat John McEnroe back in 1981. How did that feel and was he pissed off?
VVP: Oh man I tell you, yeah. I beat him in ’81 at the Seiko tournament. And it’s great to beat the number one player, you know. I was top 25 in the world and to beat him was especially – because you know, he basically stole 5 points a match by intimidating the linesman.
CS: (laughs)
VVP: So when you can beat him and tries everything, everything to win—it doesn’t matter how he gets there, he wants to finish first. And I had to stay really strong and it was the win of my life and I’m very proud of it. If I was distracted for 10 seconds I would have lost, that’s how good I had to play, so it was a great accomplishment for me. I’m proud of it.
CS: Do you agree with McEnroe’s opinion that US tennis has hit an all-time low in terms of the talent that we put forward versus the rest of the world?
VVP: Well I think it was just a matter of time. The hungriest athletes are going to wind up being the best all things considered. So you figure, America are we hungry enough? Are we doing all the right things to breed the best tennis players? Now I do think that we do have, for some strange reason, our tennis players do have more heart than anyone in the world. So when an American player plays they have no quit in them. They don’t really have excuses. And I really respect the American athletes for that. But saying that, I think these other third world countries and over in Russia and these other countries all they have is to train their kids to be the best, that’s it. They know that to get out of the squalor they have to get out of, to live the good life, they have to give a little bit more. And that is showing and perhaps that’s why guys from, you know, Spain and Russia are becoming the best in the world.
CS: So you think that preparation is what provides that edge?
VVP: I do. I think it’s preparation. I think it’s desperation. And are we desperate enough to breed more champions in America? I think that is the question.
CS: Gotcha. So when you’re announcing tournaments do you think that plays to your advantage when you play against some of these same guys?
VVP: Absolutely. It’s a big advantage. Now just a couple of years ago they allowed us in the World Poker Tour – Mike and I – to start playing tournaments if we wanted to. And because of my family commitments with three children, I have chosen to play like one or two. But Mike has chosen to play and did quite well. He made the final table and I know that’s because of the history we have of seeing every move. You know it’s like we’re doing our homework week after week, week in and week out. We know the players so when we’re at the table and you’re up against these guys, yes, it’s going to help. It’s like studying the films in the NFL.
CS: Do some of the players get a little bit bitter about that?
VVP: Not at all. Nowadays everything is open. Everyone has the opportunity to look at every WPT tape and every great player and see their tendencies, you know?
CS: Right, it’s not just you guys.
VVP: Mike and I are forced to because we do the show and then we do the studio work, so we’re forced to. And we make our notes. So I play a lot of cash games still and when I meet them at the cash games, you know, I’ve taken the notes and I kind of know how these guys play. It does help.
CS: What do you think is more stressful? A high stakes cash game or some of these high profile tournaments?
VVP: I think usually you’re a tournament player or you’re a cash game player.
CS: Right.
VVP: I played the Main Event at the World Series and I cashed last year. Five days going. It’s fun, it’s a time commitment, and it’s a whole different groove you have to get into. Where cash, I love the feeling that you can play fast, you can bust out, you can take some money and walk away in two hours.
CS: Yeah leave whenever, right.
VVP: Yeah. Eat when you want.
CS: (Laughs)
VVP: And come back an hour later after a dinner break that you decide on. I like the freedom you have in a cash game. That saying, tournaments are usually profitable and feature guys with a different mentality. They love that and they won’t play a cash game. So it’s just completely different, both stressful in their own way. You’ve got to figure out what kind of animal you are and what you want to play.
CS: How do you keep yourself sharp at the table when you’re sitting down for a long day of poker playing?
VVP: If you want to be a winner you’d better know how to do that. You’ve got to know how to stay sharp. If you really don’t care, if you’re just there to have some fun and see how it goes, you know, you’ve given away a huge edge. You’re probably going to lose. I want to be worked out before, like exercise and everything. I want to feel good. I want to feel fresh. And I like getting in the game early because I want to know how these guys are playing. Who’s losing after three hours? It’s a big advantage.
CS: Right.
VVP: Who’s winning? How have they played? Really studying the table. So it’s just a matter of being attentive, wanting it bad, wanting a win result bad. It’s not even about the win result necessarily; it’s about how well are you playing. Are you winning on your own level of playing, you know? If you lost $5,000 that day, but any other ordinary player would lose $8,500, that’s a win in the long run. So that’s what you’ve got to really figure in to it all. I just like to feel good and confident and eager to be there. Otherwise I won’t be there.
CS: What are some of the biggest mistakes that amateur players make?
VVP: I see a lot of amateur players at a final table doing really well and they really do have a lot of tells still at the table, especially a lot of guys that came from online. And they’re projecting just too much. They’re giving away too many hints at the table, body language and shaking of their heads and all that. The really great ones don’t give you anything. They’re a wall. And that’s what you really have to attain, I believe, to be a great player. You can’t give away tells like that. And these guys sometimes don’t even know it.
CS: You mentioned internet poker. How do you think the US ban on internet poker has impacted the WPT over the years?
VVP: Oh I think a lot more online guys are now playing in casinos and playing in tournaments. I think it’s not much of a difference. I mean a lot of guys, you know they were doing well online, they had a lot of loose cash and now there’s not quite as many players with that kind of cash running around.
CS: Right.
VVP: Tightened things up a bit.
CS: Who is a player you think we should watch for this season in the World Poker Tour?
VVP: Well it’s always shocking because you get all these big names—you’ve got 500 big names in poker now, and then the final tables are all unknowns.
CS: Right.
VVP: You know there’s a list of young guys that are terrific and it’s the greatest game of all because there’s still that luck factor. And that means anyone can win and anyone can do it these days and become a TV star, a poker star. It is exciting. I’m a fan of Jonathan Little. I’m a fan of Doc Sands. That’s some of the younger guys. I think Will Failla – “Will the Thrill”– is an exciting player. I’m not going to put him in the class of his own—well he’s up there, he’s a fine player, but just for pure charisma I like “Will The Thrill.” Dwyte Pilgrim, great personality. I mean if “Will The Thrill” or Dwyte would have made it on the World Poker Tour in the first three seasons, they would have been the biggest things in poker, bar none. It’s just, as the years go by it just all gets diluted a little bit and you’ve got to fight a little bit harder for that stardom. But these guys are charismatic and interesting players and have a lot to say at the table. They make great TV time. So it is fun to watch. Still great. Better than ever.
CS: Who would you say is the most entertaining player at the table?
VVP: Well I always look out for Tony G.
CS: Yeah!
VVP: He’s really an air bag, you know.
CS: (Laughs) yeah.
VVP: He’s great with the insults and funny at the same time. And I’ll put Helmuth right up there, too. I still enjoy Phil Helmuth. You know he’s just fun to laugh at. His own frustrations out on the table, it’s classic. Those two guys are fantastic. So I enjoy the characters. I think most people really do. It’s just fun to watch when you see their cards, you see their frustration, you see what they’re doing, and on top of that they’re great players. It’s truly exciting.
CS: So do you think that Phil Helmuth or Tony G have mellowed out over the years or do they still bring the same ferocity each time?
VVP: Oh I think Helmuth has mellowed a little bit. I think he’s become such a big name in the game and he’s happy with his life and he’s made a lot of money with it, and actually he’s kind of getting it that “hey yeah, I was acting like kind of a jerk” and I’ll go along with some of that but, you know, I’ve seen him pull back too in a moment where he could have, you know, gone over the top like the old Phil.
CS: Right.
VVP: Now he’s sort of protecting himself, saying “hey I’m gonna roll with this one” and it’s good to see. As for Tony G I haven’t seen him play enough tournaments lately to see how crazy he gets. But he never was his own worst enemy. He never looked like the fool, in my opinion. He always made other people look like the fool.
CS: (laughs) right.
VVP: And he actually was kind of right. I mean he was just a great trash talker that could get underneath other people’s skin. Did he go too far? Yes, on many occasions. But he still was entertaining and he always helped his game and I never felt like “oh this guy’s an idiot”, you know? “He’s a fool”. Whereas others truly come off going “ugh, go home.”
CS: So what do you think is the most overrated starting hand in hold ‘em?
VVP: That’s a good question. Hmm … you know … I’m very open to hands. I just feel like every hand is either your best friend or your worst enemy. That goes for aces, that goes for ace-king, and jack-ten and diamonds and pair fours. I’ve seen so many that it’s just—you know more people get knocked out on ace-queen over the years than any other hand. So if you have to go with one that really seems to make a lot of people go broke I would say it’s ace-queen.
CS: Okay. Fair. Now what does an amateur player need to do to get to the next level, start appearing in tournaments and really step up their game?
VVP: I think an amateur player really has to study, know it, and get a better poker face.
CS: (laughs)
VVP: Take their ego out of the game, and really want it bad. You’ve got to hate to lose and love to win. And you’ve got to be 100% focused and excited or don’t bother. And you have to have great restraint when things are going bad. Do you have that character? Do you have the heart when things are going bad not to tick off? Not to go into a different mode of bad play? If you do, you’ll be the next superstar. If you don’t, you’ll be another hack and you should stay away.
CS: When poker players have success how much of it do you think is attributed to math, an analytical mindset and understanding the odds versus just a gut feeling that you get from a straight time-on task?
VVP: I think there’s 80% of the mathematical nowadays and about 20% of gut and moves and heart. But you know, you can know every move in poker. You can see every move and know what you’re supposed to do, but the tendencies to make a bad decision at that point are very great. Probably up to 80% you won’t do the right thing. Only the 20% of the top people are doing the right thing when they’re really supposed to. And that takes heart, character, wisdom and bravery.
CS: Do you think there should be a main event with only poker pros where you kind of get the best of the best squaring off against each other?
VVP: No. No I’ve always been against that, I think it’s boring. I think a lot of the top poker big names are very boring. A lot of unknown poker names are playing just as good poker, right? So you have to see better poker. What TV really needs to see is more characters
CS: Right.
VVP: You want to feature excellent, top notch players, but also the great characters of the game that have something to say, that’s good TV watching. Otherwise I don’t think it matters.
CS: Would you rather win Wimbledon or the World Series main event?
VVP: Oh. Well to be honest with you, I would be so excited to win the World Series of course, but there’s so much luck involved, you’d never get the appreciation or you could always say “yeah you know how lucky I had to be to get that run?”And I would know that. So that wouldn’t mean as much. You win Wimbledon, you know you are the best in the world. No one is better. There was no luck involved. So I think for me to win a major tennis event would be more satisfying.
CS: What kind of bankroll do I need to get in on those pot limit cash games in Beverly Hills?
VVP: It’ll vary now but when I was playing—and I’m still playing some but I’m playing smaller games now, not as big. But there’s so many games in Los Angeles that are like home games and I’m not playing but I’ve heard games are going where they play for $100,000, win or lose. But they have all different kinds of games where you can win or lose $2,000 to $10,000 to $20,000. Pick your choice of what you want to lose or win.
CS: (laughs)
VVP: All around town I get all kinds of texts about playing this game or playing that game, but I’m down to one a week and I play a nice social game and it’s just kind of fun.
CS: I know there are tons of celebrity poker players out there and you have the moniker of being the “King of the Hollywood Home Games.” Or at least previously like you said. Who are some underrated celebrities? I mean we know like the Ben Afflecks, Tobey Maguires and these kind of guys, but who’s little bit more under the radar?
VVP: Jennifer Tilly is a nice player. The girl who played in American Beauty – Mea Suvari, she’s a great player. She played our celebrity tournament and she’s like, really good. She had great instincts and a poker face and saw through people. She would be one in my opinion. Hank Azaria is a nice player.
CS: Does he do voices at the table?
VVP: Yeah (laughs) he’s always doing something.
CS: (Laughs)
VVP: Doing all kind of characters. He has a weekly game which I play once in a while and he does all kind of characters (laughs). But he loves poker, loves poker.
CS: Last question, who’s the nicest poker player out there? Like just the best all around person?
VVP: Andy Frankenberger.
CS: Okay.
VVP: I like Andy Frankenberger. I like his demeanor, I like his intelligence. He’s a classy guy. I respect him a lot. But there’s lot, there’s a lot of those guys.
Apr 9th
Kenny Smith Interview
Kenny “The Jet” Smith is no stranger to people who follow the game of basketball. An All-American point guard from North Carolina, Kenny still holds the record for career assists by a Tar Heel (769 – including 86 in NCAA Tournament play). He was the sixth overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft and a two-time NBA Champion with the Houston Rockets. He could distribute, drop outside jumpers, glide inside and as soon as his playing days were done, Kenny Smith went straight into broadcasting. He’s been a fixture on TNT since the 1997-1998 regular season.
Leading up to the 2012 NCAA Tournament, Smith is working with Coke Zero to promote the Coke Zero School Shout Out and Enjoy More Madness campaigns. We sat down with Kenny before the All-Star break to chat about the NBA, the NCAA Tournament, the Coke Zero tournament tie-ins and his TNT broadcasting crew. Here’s the interview:
CS: Hey Kenny, who gets further in the NBA playoffs this season, the Clippers or the Lakers?
KS: Wow. As it stands, before possible trades or anything could happen?
CS: Yeah, as the teams stand currently.
KS: As the teams are constructed as they are now, I would say that the Los Angeles Lakers still have an advantage over the Clippers.
CS: I know you know all about trade rumors. You were traded by the Kings to the Hawks and from Atlanta to the Rockets. With the all of the Pau trade rumors making the rounds lately let me ask you, did trade rumors impact your performance when you played the game?
KS: You think about them, but when the game starts you don’t. You only think about it when you get asked in the media before and after games. There’s been great players—I’ve stood next to two of the greatest players that ever played the game, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal. They’ve been traded. So there’s no reason why Pau Gasol would think that he couldn’t be traded, or any other player, because the greatest players in the world are wanted by other teams. So that’s what it is. It’s not so much someone doesn’t want you, it’s other teams want you.
CS: Right, I gotcha. After all the compliments and sunshine do you think Kobe Bryant has given management the okay to get rid of Pau?
KS: No, I just think that as a player on the team, you know, Kobe knows his window of winning championships is short and he’s like “can we figure out what’s going on right now?” I don’t think he would have made the same statement if it was his second year in the NBA.
CS: Yeah, fair.
KS: But being as, you know, he’s got two to three really good years left he’s like “no I gotta make a statement, cause I gotta figure out not only for me—for the team, but for me as well.” So I think that’s when you see that frustration. But Kobe Bryant 4, 5 years ago was asking to be traded to Dallas.
CS: Right.
KS: So he’s been part of this. Every player has been part of this type of situation before.
CS: You played for six different NBA franchises, which team do you think had the best combo of ownership and front office people?
KS: Well I would have to—I played with the Rockets the longest, you know. I played with the Rockets for 7 ½ years so I would say that that combination of understanding players and understanding management, the relationship, I would say, with the Rockets was easily—far easily the best.
CS: Who was the most difficult player you ever had to defend?
KS: Anyone on a hot streak in the NBA. You know because someone says, “hey I gotta play against Chris Paul tonight.” Chris Paul might not play well. And then you get a Jeremy Lin who comes in. A guy who hadn’t been playing and then he gives you 25 points and 11 assists. So the NBA is really about timing, about when you meet guys up, you know. So I don’t think that you can just say “the toughest guy is” on that level. There’s guys who are far ahead. In my era—the Jordan era, he was far above a lot of even the superstar players. But when you get to the superstars, the great players, they’re all difficult to defend and to play against.
CS: Would the Rockets have won those titles if Jordan never retired? Be honest Kenny!
KS: Well, he actually—he played one year. I just can’t help it he was wearing number 45 but…
CS: (Laughs)
KS: He lost to the Orlando Magic. You know they had the opportunity when he came back so I think that we would have won and we already did. We’ve proven that we won when he played. He just didn’t play the first year.
CS: Where do you think Hakeem ranks all time?
KS: In terms of centers or players?
CS: In terms of centers.
KS: Well, he’s definitely in the top five. But when you say the top five centers of all time it’s like picking a banana over an orange, you know what I mean? It’s just a personal choice. And what team are you building around. But Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the top 5 centers of all time.
CS: Speaking of top 5 centers, what’s it like having Big Diesel on the TNT set?
KS: Lots of fun. I think Shaq is finding his niche every day, we’re enjoying having him. He doesn’t have to be the best player on the team, or the most dominant (laughs). He can just come in and be part of the show and have a great deal of fun and that’s what he’s doing.
CS: Tell me something about Charles Barkley that the public might not already know.
KS: About Charles?
CS: Yeah.
KS: Wow. He’s a gym rat.
CS: Really?
KS: A habitual gym rat. Meaning he watches a bunch of basketball on off days. And he’s a movie buff. He can tell you not only the movie, but he can tell you the actors in it. And not the main actors, but the supporting actors.
CS: (Laughs)
KS: He knows those supporting actors names that I would never know.
CS: Do you think that E.J. gets enough respect and recognition for being a total badass?
KS: I think—I think he does. I think people recognize it now. They know what he does and how good he is to our show and how much he has to facilitate things and make them happen.
CS: So you’ve been on TV now longer than you were actually a player in the NBA. Did you always know that you wanted to go the TV route?
KS: No. This is something new—I mean it was new when I first started it. I knew I would be in basketball, I didn’t know that this would be the route. But I’m enjoying the fact that I am and it’s a lot of fun. I really did not know that I would be in television, but I knew I would be in basketball in some type of way.
CS: Now what are your thoughts on that crazy Jumbotron thing that I see on the set? Where you have to go and like stand around life-sized players and stuff. Do you like that? Is it kind of gimmicky or weird? What’s that like in person?
KS: I mean it gives a better perspective because sometimes I can actually show you the position that the defender or the offensive player should have been in. So I can actually be in that spot and say “he should have been here and not over here because the space is not good enough.” So sometimes it’s great, other times I just have fun with it because it’s a really big TV. (Laughs).
CS: (Laughs).
KS: So it’s a little bit of both.
CS: So are you going to be working as an analyst for March Madness again this year?
KS: Yeah I’ll be doing the March Madness. I’ll be doing it with Turner and CBS and that’s why I’m basically on the talking with you now because we’re doing a big promotion with Coke Zero where college basketball fans get a chance to enjoy more Madness and show their school spirit by texting [in the Coke Zero School Shout Out program]. It basically gives kids an opportunity and fans an opportunity by texting “zero” plus their team name to “2653” and they can win free access to March Madness live, which now you have to pay for but you can get it on your Android phone and you can get it on your iPhone phone and you can watch March Madness live for free. And put yourself in for a chance to win tickets to the final four, so I’m all over it.
CS: So do you expect your Tar Heels to cut the Nets down this year? Or if not, who you got?
KS: There’s never a year I don’t expect.
CS: (Laughs)
KS: This year I’ll just expect more (laughs). I just expect more in other years and this year I expect more. I think we have everything that you have. Do we have good guard play? Yes we do. Do we have good inside play? Yes we do. Do we have a great coach? Oh, yes we do. So we have all of the makings of what it would be. Do we have experience? Yeah. We have all the basics to be an NCAA champion.
CS: Do you think this is the year of the mid major?
KS: I don’t think they’re the mid major anymore. I think mid major—that phrase should be eliminated in sports, in NCAA. Because of the fact that so many schools, you know, the top players don’t stay for 4 years or 3 years anymore. Every school has a legitimate chance to win the NCAA championship this year. So I don’t call them mid’s anymore, I just call them season teams now. They’re guys like Butler last year, they had juniors and seniors on their team you know, and that’s the difference from years past.
CS: Who do you like in terms of tournament sleepers this year?
KS: I think once they get out of the league play and we see who actually wins at tournaments, then we get an opportunity to see. Even like let’s say last year we—speaking of Jeremy Lin—but Harvard last year, they were coming out of the Ivy League last year and I was like “Wow, Tommy Amaker’s got these guys playing. They could actually play around and upset a team; they’re not your traditional Ivy League school.” And then they lost and didn’t make the tournament you know? (Laughs)
CS: Yeah. (Laughs)
KS: So we gotta see like how it plays out a little bit over these next weeks or so.
CS: What do you think about Gonzaga’s chances?
KS: I think Gonzaga’s a really good team. You know, they had some inconsistencies at times, but I think they’re a really good team. You know, Murray State’s come out of nowhere. But I mean a school sometimes—say like Florida State who has beaten Duke and North Carolina. They could play around and lose in the first round of the playoffs in the ACC tournament and then be one of those bubble teams you know?
CS: I gotcha.
KS: They’re the team that could beat Duke or North Carolina and may be on the bubble. But that’s what I’m saying, you have to kind of wait and play everything out over these next couple of weeks.
CS: If I had to press you right now for your final four picks what would you say?
KS: I think—I think it’s impossible to pick that right now. Only because I can tell you Duke vs. North Carolina and then all of a sudden they’re in the same region. You know what I mean?
CS: (Laughs) right.
KS: So it kind of—it gets more dictated by who you’re seeded against and where’s your region? Are you a 1 or a 2 in your region and who else is in your region? So that’s what I’m saying, we’ve still got to kind of play out the ACC tournament, the Pac-10 tournament and so forth.
CS: Do you think we’ll ever see a point where college basketball players get paid to stay all four years? Like some kind of reward for sticking around?
KS: I think that guys should get paid if they stay four years and graduate.
CS: Okay, that’s fair.
KS: Key word being graduate. I think they should get a stipend of what’s been made during their—like a percentage. You know, 3% of what’s been made at your university to basketball while you were there. Or 2%, whatever it is. But I think that the amount of money that is generated—and if you stay and you graduate, you should be able to participate in financially after you graduate of what you’ve done.
CS: Right right.
KS: Because a college education doesn’t really add up a lot of times to what they bring in. It’s not an equal agreement.
CS: Yeah, I gotcha. Switching back to the NBA, do you think Lin’s the real deal?
KS: Yeah, Lin’s the real deal. You can’t go this long and not be the real deal.
CS: Do you think “feel good” stories like Linsanity or Tebow-Mania can reach a point of oversaturation where other players start getting sick of the headlines? Like Deron Williams said the other day?
KS: Well, Deron was sick because he was the one who it started on.
CS: Oh right, true.
KS: Yeah. He was the guy that it started on so he had a personal agenda to let everyone know “you know what, I’m still a top three guard in the league. Like if you could name three guards, I don’t know if you can name 3 guards better than me.” And that’s what great players do. They do that every night. They don’t show that just against Lin. But they circle a lot of games. I think what’s great about Lin is we’ve all at one time in our life had been misevaluated in terms of our talent. And he just kicked in the door and shows that you don’t have to be a great Xs and Os guy or a personable coach, you’ve got to be able to evaluate talent. And you know— he’s every underdog story if you think about it. His ethnicity, that’s been a question. The fact that he’s been in the D league, that’s been a question. The fact that he didn’t go to a perennial powerhouse school for basketball, that’s been—like we all understand some part of what he is. That’s what makes his story so great.
CS: Do you think Seattle deserves another chance at an NBA team?
KS: Oh yeah. I mean that was one of the most fun cities to play in when they were the Supersonics. I mean that was—they had so much support. I was surprised that—I mean, I felt that they’d never not had a basketball franchise because of the enthusiasm that was there.
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Time was short, so I had a bunch of questions that didn’t get asked, but just wanted to say thanks again to Kenny Smith for taking the time to chat with us. Make sure you guys check out all the Coke Zero prize-winning action leading up to and throughout the NCAA tournament this year. Check out our post or visit EnjoyMoreMadness.com to learn more.
Mar 5th
Yvonne Strahovski Interview
Yvonne Strahovski is a fox. She’s a butt-kicking, twinkle-eyed fox. Her smile has been known to cause blindness. Her sexy Aussie accent has the potential to melt your face off. Strahovski could be at the supermarket wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, and she’d still be an instant head-turner. Imagine the kind of whiplash you’d get from seeing her after a six hour application of coconut and palm frond body paint for a sexy skinsuit photo shoot in South Beach.
Well thanks to SoBe, you don’t have to imagine this scenario. Strahovski became the third model (after Ashley Greene and Jessica Szhor) to don the body paint for a steamy SoBe Lifewater skinsuit photo session. The pictorial spread, shot by famed swimsuit photographer Raphael Mazzucco, will appear in the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition that hits newsstands on February 14.
The third annual SoBe Skinsuit spread coincides with the launch of three new SoBe with Coconut Water flavors: Pacific Coconut, Pomegranate Nectarine and Mango Mandarin. To celebrate the new flavors infused with coconut water, SoBe used Strahovski body canvas to create sultry scene of strategically placed coconuts and palms.
We got a chance to interview Yvonne and talked about the photo shoot, the application (and removal) of the body paint, her upcoming projects, the intensity of Jason Statham and what she misses most about Australia. Here’s the video
Here are some shots from the SoBe Lifewater spread:
If you want to check out more shots of Yvonne, make sure to visit Facebook.com/SoBe for exclusive behind the scenes photos and videos. You can also discuss the unquestioned hotness of Yvonne by joining the #sobeskinsuit conversation at @sobe on Twitter.
Jan 16th
Jessa Hinton Interview
Playboy playmate Jessa Hinton does more in one week than you do in six months. She’s a model and fashion designer who covers boxing, interviews poker stars and trains with MMA fighters. Jessa still finds time to appear on billboards all over Vegas and stay ridiculously good-looking. Miss July has put together a strong Playmate of the Year case. Jessa’s built up a great brand and she’s smart, engaging and if you’re lucky, she’ll teach you a thing or two about gymnastics and bisexual monogamy.
I had a fun chat with Jessa a couple weeks ago. We talked about breaking the ice at nude photo shoots, Hef, MMA vs. boxing, dating a poker star, hassling the Hoff on the set of Baywatch and how awesome it is to hang out with Jessa’s mom.
CS: When you’re in the middle of a photo shoot how do you get comfortable in the nude? Do people around you crack jokes to break the ice? How does that whole atmosphere work?
JH: The first thing that I didn’t realize—I thought it was going to be more sexy, more of strip down type of atmosphere. You’re basically in your lingerie and they’re like “all right, come up, let’s go.” I’m like, “really?” So the first scene is a little nerve wracking because you’re just meeting everyone. But you’re with them for the week and so by the end of the week you kind of look at them like your doctor. They see so many things and they do crack jokes, and but I definitely do as well. So by the end of the first or second day, we already know each other – names, where they grew up. You have a lot of down time so you get to meet everybody and really know them personally.
CS: The doctor comparison is funny. So there’s a little bit of joke cracking, but it’s still all business at the same time?
JH: Yeah exactly. It’s not—nobody hits on you. It’s not a kind of pervy atmosphere. Most of the time, they’re not even looking at your body parts. They’re dealing with lights. They’re looking at the set. They’re looking at something that needs to be two more inches to the right or their checking the color of the sheets. There’s a lot more that goes into it than just the girl and how she’s posed.
CS: And how many people are on a shoot like this?
JH: Probably seven or eight.
CS: Oh wow. That’s a lot of heads.
JH: Yeah.
CS: So what do you love most about Hugh Hefner?
JH: He’s probably the only guy in the past, I don’t know, let’s say 5 years, that has actually pulled out a chair for me.
CS: (Laughs)
JH: When they say “chivalry is dead,” not with this guy. I mean there’s no creepy side. Whenever you see him you just get kind of star struck. I mean he still has it. The man’s still got it. He’s what? 80—84 years old and he’s still going around like he’s, you know, 28. So just the kind of magnetism that he has is unbelievable. And people are like, “oh well did you ever sleep with him?” It’s not even like that. You just kind of respect what he’s done and you just want to be around him. The stories that he can tell you are just unbelievable.
CS: So you’ve been around boxing and MMA. You’ve done work with Top Rank Boxing and you’ve trained with top MMA fighters at Randy Couture’s gym. How do you think the two sports compare? Can boxing still maintain relevance when MMA just keeps growing and growing as a legit sport?
JH: I mean, I definitely think that MMA has more of a trend factor. I think boxing is more respectable for me. And the kind of fans that I interview or that I’m around at a MMA fight or at a boxing fight are like night and day.
CS: Interesting.
JH: It’s not the same kind of crowd. When I’m around Randy or Rich Franklin, it’s very different than when you’re around, say, Sugar Shane Mosley or Manny Pacquiao. It’s just crazy the kind of respect that the guys get as a boxer as opposed to an MMA fighter. So it’ll take a while for MMA to really get to that point. Boxing’s not going anywhere. I grew up with the Mike Tysons and the Muhammad Alis. Those are the people that my dad used to idolize. So to be around those people and interact with them, it’s more of a shell shock for me than being around Randy Coutures or the Chuck Liddell or Tito Ortiz. It’s very different. And the demographic is, like I said, night and day.
CS: Who do you think is going to win between Pacquiao and Marquez?
JH: (Laughs) Manny’s gonna win. I mean, there’s no question. Warner says it’s going to be a great rematch, but I really think that Manny—I mean what is he, 14-0 right now?
CS: Yeah.
JH: Everybody wants to see Manny and Mayweather. At every single fight that I go to, every single interview that I do, all the fans, that’s what they want to see.
CS: Right.
JH: But Marquez, I mean I just don’t think that he has the speed that Manny does. Manny’s a quick little fucker.
CS: (Laughs)
JH: (Laughs) You know what I mean? I mean you watch that guy and it’s like you wonder what he’s doing during the day when he’s, you know, in Congress in the Philippines and then you’re like, how does he have time to be who he is? It’s crazy.
CS: So what are you going to ask Manny when you interview him?
JH: Well I’m in the talks right now of doing celebrity ring girl for the Pacquiao fight. So not only will I do the press conference and also do co-hosting but maybe – and it’ll add that extra “it” factor if I can do it – I can go up there and take off my hosting coat and strip down to celebrity ring girl, kind of like what Holly did for MMA. But I mean with him it’s just, what is he doing different in this camp? What is he doing that’s going to really make this rematch stand out from the last time?
CS: I read somewhere that you coached competitive gymnastics. What’s that like?
Oct 31st
Nick Offerman Interview
Nick Offerman, who plays salty department head Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, knows a thing or two about awesome facial hair. His character’s signature stache is Selekesque. Really, it’s that impressive.
Now Offerman is putting that impressive facial hair to work for a good cause. Offerman recently teamed up with Budweiser for the“Grow One. Save a Million.” campaign. The campaign asks guys to hold off on shaving for 10 days leading up to World Environment Day on June 5.
On average, dudes waste an estimated five gallons of water with each shaving session. By asking guys to grow out their beards and staches, Budweiser hopes to save 1 million gallons of water.
We got to chat with Nick about the campaign, his Chicago theater roots, beards vs. staches and woodworking. We also asked Nick who gets more laughs at home, him or his wife, the always funny Megan Mullally from Will & Grace and Party Down. Here’s the full interview:
To learn more about the Budweiser “Grow One. Save a Million.” campaign, check out Budweiser’s Facebook page.
Jun 2nd
Kate Upton SoBe Interview
Kate Upton needs no introduction. She’s the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookie of the Year and she can do a damn good Dougie. Last week, Upton was in New York for a #TryEverything SoBe event at Madison Square Park. While other celebs like Hillary Duff, Jessica Szohr and Bernie Williams were trying out new things like mango melon bowling, fuji apple pitching and green tea putt-putt, Upton challenged two fans to see who could milk SoBe Orange Cream from a fake cow the fastest.
We had a chance to speak with Upton while she was at the event. We talked about her fake cow milking prowess, modeling career and what it’s like to be ridiculously good looking. Check it out:
To see more Try Everything adventures, visit SoBe.com or check out #TryEverything @sobeworld.
Jun 1st
Nick Di Paolo Interview – MANjr Podcast
Nick Di Paolo is the best. You may not agree with his views and his politics, but Di Paolo calls it like he sees it. He talks about all the things that no one wants to talk about. He skewers political correctness and isn’t afraid to piss people off in the process. Good comedy needs truth and honesty. Mix in some passion, and a little bit of that pissed off vibe, and you got a solid approach to laughs. Di Paolo has all these qualities, and that’s what makes him so effective.
When we were asked to interview Nick Di Paolo to discuss his upcoming Raw Nerve special on Showtime (which airs on Friday at 9pm), we jumped at the chance. If you’ve ever seen Di Paolo perform stand up, go off on a roast or if you’ve listened to his radio appearances, you know the guy’s just hilarious. We figured it’d be a fun conversation that could go in a few different directions. We knew there’d be a lot of laughs in the mix as well.
Di Paolo didn’t disappoint. During our interview, we talked about a wide range of topics, everything from his Showtime special and Raw Nerve album to the Red Sox, Kobe and Greg Giraldo. We found out who he’d like to roast, who cracks him up and what it was like to write for Chris Rock. He gave us some tips for aspiring comics and some advice on marriage as well. And he made us crack up throughout it all.
The interview starts off a bit slow, but stick with it. It just gets better. Here’s the podcast:
Nick Di Paolo Interview – MANjr.com Podcast
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Don’t forget to check out the Raw Nerve special on Showtime this Friday at 9pm. We haven’t seen it yet, but we pretty sure it’s going to be sick.
Apr 28th
Coco Crisp Interview
Whether it’s the nickname, his cheerful personality or his epic brawl with pitcher James Shields, Coco Crisp is a guy you don’t forget. Born and raised in LA, Crisp has been on four teams during his 9-year Major League career. He came up with Cleveland, won a championship with the Red Sox, and played one injury-plagued season in Kansas City before joining the Oakland A’s last year.
A couple weeks back we had a good chat with the A’s center fielder. After appearing in only 124 games the last two season, Crisp is healthy and excited about his team’s chances this year. During our interview, we talked about his nickname, his charity work, baseball brawls, the A’s outfield, speed vs. power, Charlie Sheen’s UCLA batting practice, who’s got the nastiest stuff and who’s the most underrated pitcher in baseball.
CS: So you started last season on the DL and you’ve had to deal with some injuries in the past. Are you fully healthy going into this season?
CC: Yeah, for the first time in a long time. I think last year was really a challenge for me to even be ready to start the season. Then I end up breaking my finger to start the season which probably was a little blessing in disguise because I don’t know if my shoulder was really 100% ready, but I was good enough to play at a level to compete. So I broke my finger and it was very disappointing to the guys before the season started. But you know like I said, it was probably a blessing. Maybe I would have re-injured my shoulder and then I’d be out the whole year. Right now I feel great. I’ve been in really good shape, able to work out just like I normally would. I’m just ready, ready for the season to start.
CS: Is the team as a whole healthier this year than they were last year?
CC: At least to start this season. We got a little banged up towards the end of last season. To start the season last year, we were pretty healthy I think. Sheets was coming in as a question – whether or not he was going to be ready. Myself, I was a question mark. But for the most part, I think this year there’s no question marks on if anybody is going to be healthy – with the exception of maybe Sweeney and I think he’s doing really well. I know Penny was dealing with some stuff this year. But I think everybody is ready to go and I think our health and our team is really good.
CS: What do you think about the team’s chances this year?
CC: I think they’re greater than last year. I thought we had a great chance last year to win our division, the way our team was structured. You know the thing that we were just talking about—the injuries last year—that kind of changed our season a little bit and made it difficult for us to compete. And we still did a great job of competing, because of our pitching staff was so phenomenal, or is phenomenal.
I think with the addition that we have this year and with some luck and just being blessed and staying away from injuries, I think this year our team is stronger. We have filled the need that we were lacking last year – which are some power players. I think that bringing those players – I mean we still have speed, we have defense and our backbone is our pitching. The only thing that I felt that we were a little low on was power, and they did a great job of addressing that this year.
CS: Do you think with all the additions in the offseason that you’ve got a crowded outfield or is that a good problem to have?
CC: Well for the team (laughs). For the team, that’s always a great thing because you have that many good players that you don’t know who to play out there. You have a lot of options. For the manager, it can get a little bit difficult I think because of those options. It puts a little strain on him. Because they’re so good and probably so close – I mean I’m trying to say “they” but I’m in there I guess – it can be difficult on us to try and shuffle and maneuver guys so they don’t get upset.
On a personal level, you want to be out there every day playing. That’s the heart of the champion and a winner and those are the type of players we have on our team. You want to be out there helping the team. You want to play, you don’t want to just cheerlead. From the top, it’s a good look, but all the way from the bottom it’s kind of like, I want to be out there playing you know. But you don’t want to be that guy to mess up team chemistry either. So I think with the crowded outfield, and the personalities that we have in that outfield, I think we can deal with what might happen or the toughness of being in a crowded outfield. But I think everybody wants to be out there playing. I think depth is always a great thing on the team though.
CS: So are you fired up to be playing with David DeJesus again?
CC: Yeah, that’s my boy! We had good chemistry in the outfield when we’re playing. You know, we didn’t play that long together, because I did get injured in 2009 very quickly in the season. But in spring training, we grew that chemistry and through that first month, it was easy playing alongside him because his moves were easy to see. If he was going for the ball, it was easy to read you. That’s kind of how me and Sweeney were last year as well. That’s just because they are really good outfielders and the communication level and they way they go about it is very similar, and it makes it easy to play alongside them. That’s always a great thing. There’s no fear of running into each other, getting injured.
And as a center fielder, there’s that respect that if I’m calling for it, he backs me up proper. I mean just being a good outfielder makes it easy.
CS: Now you guys are a young team but you’ve still got a lot of veterans, including yourself. Who would you say is the clubhouse leader in Oakland?
CC: Wow, I think from different aspects, I think this year it’s hard to say. I don’t know. I know I’m more vocal. Sheets is a very vocal guy. He was last year. Raj [Rajai Davis] was there last year, he was the leader of our chapels. So there’s different leaders in the clubhouse, and it’s not just about baseball sometimes. Elli [Mark Ellis], you know he’s been there for a long time. So you look at those guys. You look at the guys who are not just older guys, but guys who have also been there throughout the duration of their career. He’s one of those guys, so if I was going to pick somebody I would say him.
CS: What do you think is more important in baseball, having speed or having power?
CC: Wow, you can’t have both? (Laughs)
CS: (laughs)
CC: This day and age, it’s flipping to more of an old school game where speed was more relevant in baseball back then. Then it turned over into power and now it’s kind of coming back to that. But for a ball club I think both are essential in building a team.
CS: Right.
CC: I think you can get away with having less power and more speed guys, than just having a power hitting team, because speed doesn’t slump and power does. You know? So you have a lot of guys that just go for the gusto. It can be a tough time winning with those guys even though it’s going be a fun team to watch. Everybody loves to see the long ball. But the small ball – the bunting, the slap hitting, stealing bases – that can also be fun to watch. It’s just a completely different game. I think the consistency of speed, I think I would choose over power.
Mar 9th
Marisa Miller Interview (Video)
There’s cute, there’s ridiculously-good-looking and then there’s Marisa Miller. One of the top supermodels in the world, Marisa has a level of sexy that can be appreciated by all. She’s the dream girl of the everyman. The English language doesn’t have enough superlatives to describe her hotness. In a world full of 1-through-10s, her hotness goes up to 11.
Diamond encrusted bras line up to be worn by her. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues fly off the shelves when she’s in the mix. Miller’s more than a pretty face, though. She’s developed into a formidable marketing force. She’s a full-fledged brand, and she knows how to wield her brand power to great effect.
Miller is the official spokesperson of Harley-Davidson, the first spokesperson the company has ever had. She’s Captain Morgan’s Official First Mate. She’s also an ambassador for the American Cancer Society and the NFL.
I had the privilege of speaking to this iconic beauty, and she was super cool. We talked about her role in Harley-Davidson’s Second Annual Military Appreciation Month, her love of domestic chores, the need for supermodels to carve out a brand presence and her appreciation for her hometown, Santa Cruz, California. Here’s the video:
Nov 12th
