Sports Radio Interviews

Chuck Pagano on Peyton Manning: “I am going to try to reach out to all these guys and he certainly is one of them.”

Chuck Pagano may have been surprised that the Indianapolis Colts hired him as their new head coach this week, but the former Baltimore Ravens defense coordinator is walking into a situation that may be extremely uncomfortable given the current climate between Peyton Manning and Jim Irsay.

The Colts are tearing their organization down from the top and completely rebuilding from the bottom up. Everyone looks to be expendable, including the franchise quarterback who helped bring the organization out of obscurity and into prominence starting in 1998.

Pagano may be an innocent by standard of this whole situation, but he sure has some tough decisions ahead of him.

Chuck Pagano joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis on The Ride with JMV to discuss his first order of business as Indianapolis Colts head coach, looking to the outside for an offensive coordinator, the type of coach he will become in Indianapolis, bumping into Peyton Manning at the Colts facility and attending Super Bowl XLVI next weekend.

What’s first on the list for you as the new head coach of the Indianapolis Colts?

“Well like you said we are trying to keep a lot of balls in the air right now. I think first and foremost we are trying to put together one of the best staffs in the NFL, so we gotta get busy in contacting guys and getting people in here and try to put this staff in place.”

Is the offensive coordinator position going to remain the same? Are you looking out of house for that?

“Again this thing has happened so quick it wouldn’t be fair to me or anybody else to even comment and say where we are at on that. I just haven’t had enough time to sit down with Ryan Grigson and Jim Irsay and we’ve got a pool of names and certainly there is quality people that have come through here and that are still here and everybody will have an opportunity. We’ll just go about our business and due diligence and get some guys in here and we’ll find a great offensive and defensive coordinator and great special teams coach.”

What type of coach do you feel you will be here?

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Tags: 1070 the Fan in Indianapolis, Chuck Pagano, Chuck Pagano named Colts head coach, Indianapolis Colts, NFL, The Ride with JMV

Posted in Indianapolis Colts, NFL | No Comments »

No Confidence Lacking in Lakers’ Metta World Peace: “I can still guard the top players.”

If Wednesday night is any indication, the battle for Los Angeles is officially underway between the newly formed rival Lakers and Clippers. There was a playoff atmosphere at Staples Center earlier this week, and things got really chippy in a game that the Lakers came back to win. There were technical fouls and ejections and the person at the center of it all was the lockdown defender formerly known as Ron Artest. Metta World Peace showed the fight, the energy, and toughness that the Lakers have been searching for the last two years.

Things have been a bit of a struggle for the Lakers early this season, especially on offense with new head coach Mike Brown. However, the new identity of the Lakers is defense. If Metta World Peace can bottle the play on Wednesday night against the Clippers, Los Angeles will have the defensive stopper they thought they were getting in free agency a few years ago.

Metta World Peace joined ESPN Radio in Los Angeles to talk about whether or not something changed for him prior to the game the other night against the Clippers, if he can still be a good defensive player in the NBA, if he is still the same kind of defender he was when in his prime, on the Lakers/Clippers rivalry, and if he thinks he lost some of his edge when he changed his name to Metta World Peace.

Whether or not something changed for him prior to the game the other night against the Clippers:

“No I just think I’m getting in shape. I planned on playing really hard this season but I couldn’t do that early on because I was out of shape. When I got in shape I wasn’t playing no minutes so I wasn’t able to show the things that I was able to do. For the most part I feel great. Yesterday was different because once the guys started talking to me I had to come out of my shell a little bit, so it kind of woke me up. Former All-Star, former really good player, I had teams where I led my own team and put up big numbers, had big defensive games and I think guys forget because I’m on a team with Kobe and Pau and I don’t score as much. I think sometimes they forget if I was taking 15 or 20 shots a game I could easily give 30 a night or 20 a night. Sometimes guys forget who they’re playing against and who they’re talking to.”

If he can still be a great defensive player like he used to:

“Not as well as I used to be able to. When I got Defensive Player of the Year almost all four averaged six points against me but that was seven years ago. I can still play pretty good defense. At 80 percent of that I’m still one of the best defensive players in the league. I don’t know who’s better. I’m not even at full strength. I can still guard the top players and things like that.”

Whether or not he can be the player he was in the past on the defensive side of the ball:

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Tags: ESPN Radio Los Angeles, Los Angeles Lakers, Metta World Peace, NBA

Posted in Los Angeles Lakers, NBA | 1 Comment »

Tom Coughlin on Super Bowl Bound New York Giants: “The main thing was we stuck together. We hung in there.”

John Mara, the longtime and well-respected owner of the Giants, put it best earlier this week when he said that Tom Coughlin was one of the most under appreciated coaches in the New York sports world. Coughlin is showing the rest of the country now why his New York Giants went from an afterthought at 7-7 into the NFC East champs.

The Giants head coach never lost faith in his team this season despite all the injuries and inconsistency. He also contends that the mediocrity of the NFC East race throughout most of the season was the key factor in giving the G-Men enough time to recover and make a push for a Super Bowl run.

Tom Coughlin joined ESPN Chicago with Carmen, Jurko & Harry to discuss the pros and cons of having a bye week prior to the Super Bowl, what he told the New York Giants when they were 7-7 this season, Eli Manning silencing the critics, Eli  improving since the 2007 Super Bowl title and how he wants to be remembered as an NFL coach.

Do you like this week off between NFC/AFC Championship Sunday and the Super Bowl?

“Well there’s no choice about this one. You either play every week, which has really proven for us the better thing to do, but this is a week in which you’re given two weeks to prepare. You do have to be smart and you got some guys that do damage if they were pushed even further, but could show a strong recovery rate if you allow to get them some time to rest. However I think it is important that you practice this week. Practice hard. No game on Sunday, so you need to get your three solid good days in and it gives you a chance to instill a great majority of your game plan.”

What did you tell your team when you were 7-7 and on the outside looking in?

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Tags: 1000 ESPN Chicago, Carmen, Jurko & Harry, New York Giants, NFL, Super Bowl XLVI, Tom Coughlin

Posted in NFL, New York Giants | 1 Comment »

Former Rutgers Lineman Jeremy Zuttah Reconnects With Coach Greg Schiano in Tampa

Jeremy Zuttah was part of the building process at Rutgers when Greg Schiano took over and put together a winning program. The offensive guard now hopes he’s a part of the same sort of thing, but at the next level.

Schiano has been hired as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, reuniting with his former offensive guard at the professional level. While some college head coaches transitioning to the next level have struggled, Zuttah says Schiano may be just what the Bucs need at this point, as he will give every player a chance but won’t cut corners in building a winner.

Jeremy Zuttah joined WDAE in Tampa to discuss his reaction to the hiring of Greg Schiano, what his teammates can look forward to in their new coach, if he thinks the state of the Big East had anything to do with the decision, what Schiano was able to accomplish at Rutgers, what happened to the Bucs this year, and what he’d say to fans that are shocked by the hiring.

What was your initial reaction to your team hiring your former coach Greg Schiano?:

“It was a little surprising. It just kind of came out of nowhere for a lot of people, I think, but I think it’s a great hire. Coach Schiano is a great man and a great coach and we look forward to seeing what he can do in the NFL.”

What do your teammates have to look forward to in their new head coach?:

“He’s a great coach. You know he’s a tough coach, but you can tell by the way he does things that he cares about everybody. He cares about, most importantly, doing everything the right way. That’s going to be big for a lot of the players and that’s what he’s going to harp on. … He’s just a guy that, most importantly, believes in building things the right way. Just the way he did things at Rutgers, he could’ve done things the quick way or the easy way to get to wins, but I think he built something that’s going to last after he’s gone.”

Do you think his decision came partially because of the current state of the Big East?:

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Tags: Greg Schiano, Jeremy Zuttah, NFL, Rutgers Scarlett Knights, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach

Posted in College Football, NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 Comment »

Tom Brady’s Personal Coach Says the QB Will Avenge his AFC Title Game Performance, Could Fix Tim Tebow in Two Weeks

If you watched football on Thanksgiving, you’ll recognize Tom Martinez as the personal quarterback coach to Tom Brady and many others. At the time, Brady and the rest of us believed Martinez was on his deathbed. Martinez was given a week or two to live, but has survived that scare.  Though he reportedly still has bad days physically, Martinez is hanging in there and searching for a kidney transplant.

Martinez still has his opinions, including that Brady, whether he throws for big numbers or not, is audibling like Peyton Manning but without the theatrics. He believes Brady is making it a point to bounce back from a rather pedestrian AFC Championship Game. He also says he could fix Tim Tebow’s mechanics in a matter of two weeks.

Tom Martinez joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta with Mayhem in the AM to discuss his relationship with Tom Brady, the quarterback’s performance in the AFC title game, the other big names he’s coached, Brady having a chip on his shoulder after a mediocre AFC championship game performance, his health problems, the play of Tim Tebow and how long it would take to fix Tebow’s mechanics.

Tell us a little bit about the origin and history of your relationship with Tom Brady:

“We began at about 13 years old. His sisters were really good softball players and I ran softball hitting camps and they came to those and he would come with them. One year, I also ran a quarterback camp and he also showed up at the quarterback camp. I guess he was 13 and we’ve worked together ever since then, every year.”

On some of the other big names that he’s coached over the years:

“Yeah, I have. The one I think that’s the most disappointing was JaMarcus Russell. I did his pro day for him and to watch his talent, he was unbelievable. John Elway when he was back in the 80s. Over the years, I’ve probably worked more with college and high school guys. Then the Brady success factor started to hit the road.”

Did he call you after the AFC Championship Game?:

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Tags: JaMarcus Russell, John Elway, New England Patriots, NFL, Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLVI, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady, Tom Martinez

Posted in NFL, New England Patriots | 3 Comments »

David Beckham: “I didn’t want to walk away”

In 2007, the MLS got an enormous boost. David Beckham, one of the best and most popular soccer players of this decade signed a record five-year $32.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, although it was reported to be a five-year $250 million contract with all his endorsements. This past year looked like it was going to be the English star’s final season with the Galaxy. It would’ve been the perfect way for him to go out. Not only did Beckham have his best season in the MLS but he helped the Galaxy capture the title. At 37-years-old, he could have called it quits and gone out on top with another national title. Or he could’ve taken one of the lucrative offers he had to return to Europe and play soccer there. Beckham rejected both of those offers and instead will return to Los Angeles for two more years.

This is a huge coup for the MLS and for soccer in America. One of the most brilliant European players of the last decade has decided to stay in the United States and hopefully it will help the game continue to grow

David Beckham joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about the kind of pressure a soccer player feels versus the pressure a field goal kicker does, whether or not he thinks about one thing in particular when he is about to take a penalty kick, how long he thinks about a missed kick, how nice it was to be courted by so many teams this offseason, and if he wants to own an expansion team if that opportunity comes up.

On the pressure a soccer player feels versus the pressure a field goal kicker does:

“Oh of course. It’s all on you. There’s kind of a lot of pressure in soccer and football with penalty kicks. I’ve taken a couple, missed a couple, and scored quite a few. Of course there’s pressure with that.”

Whether or not he thinks about one thing in particular when he is about to take a penalty kick:

“Not really. You just kind of concentrate on hitting the back of the net and making sure you have that one spot in mind. I think when I took that penalty that I did in the World Cup I did against Argentina and  four years before I had been sent off and had a long three or four years leading up to this World Cup. A lot of things went through my mind then but as soon as the ball hit the back of the net it all blacked out and I forgot about everything that had gone on in the last four years.”

How long he thinks about a missed kick:

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Tags: David Beckham, Los Angeles Galaxy, MLS, Soccer, The Dan Patrick Show

Posted in Soccer | 2 Comments »

Kyle Lowry: The Best NBA Point Guard That Fans May Have Never Heard Of

After an offseason of changes it was tough to know what to expect from the Houston Rockets early this year. After a sluggish start, they are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Houston has won seven of their last eight games and put themselves right back in the playoff picture in the tough Western Conference. They don’t have the quintessential “superstar” and they probably can’t keep up their torrid pace, but they might have the most underrated and least talked about player in the NBA with Kyle Lowry.

After a breakout season a year ago, Lowry is stuffing the stat sheet for Houston and should be in the conversation for his first ever All-Star appearance. The Houston floor general is nearly averaging a double-double this season with career highs in minutes per game, points per game, steals per game, assists per game, rebounds per game, free throw percentage, and three point percentage. It took four years for Lowry to finally get his shot at being a full-time NBA point guard. He got that shot last year and has used it as a springboard to a career year.

Kyle Lowry joined KILT in Houston to talk about his play so far this year, whether or not he is playing the best basketball of his career, what he thinks about people overlooking the Rockets because they don’t have a “superstar,” on the amount of time it took for the team to get going, the difference between new coach Kevin McHale and former coach Rick Adelman, and what he thinks of the addition of Samuel Dalembert.

On his play so far this year:

“Just trying to win games. Doing things to help my teammates and I get wins and just get to the playoffs. We haven’t been to them in the last couple of years so get Houston back in the playoffs.”

If he is playing the best basketball of his career:

“Yeah. I mean I believe so. Numbers don’t lie. Just (being) given the opportunity that Coach McHale has given me and the trust that my teammates have given me and the organization, you don’t want to let anyone down. I gotta do what I have to do to prove everyone right for believing in me and just have an opportunity to play a game I love.”

On the perception that Houston can’t keep up the pace because they don’t have a “superstar” player:

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Tags: Houston Rockets, KILT, Kyle Lowry, NBA, Western Conference

Posted in Houston Rockets, NBA | No Comments »

Mark Cuban claims Dirk Nowitzki is just ‘fine’ during his sabbatical, feels personalized medicine is the next big financial opportunity

The last time we heard from Mark Cuban here on SRI he was discussing the Dallas Mavericks off-season plans. Now with the NBA season back into full swing coming off the lockout, the Mavs owner sounds confident that his team will be able to pick up their play in the second half of the season. The NBA lockout has changed the spectrum of the season as Cuban has devised a plan with his team to rest certain starters throughout the season to keep their legs fresh, one of those starters being Dirk Nowitzki.

Cuban is also known as a brilliant businessman who’s claim to fame came during the internet boom then he bought the Dallas Mavericks and turned them into an NBA Championship franchise is a very short time. For a man that knows a thing or two about running a successful business he gives his take on the next big opportunity on the market.

Mark Cuban joined Fox Sports Radio with Daybreak to discuss Dirk Nowitzki’s four day sabbatical, the reason why he bought the Dallas Mavericks, the secret to being a successful business man, trying to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers and the next big financial opportunity in the economy.

Dirk Nowitzki is going on a four day sabbatical. How do you feel about that?

“He’ll be fine. In this season it’s just crazy with the number of games in the compressed schedule, so Jason Kidd already had a few days off. Vince Carter is getting some time off. Now it’s Dirk’s turn. We are fine. We just want to make sure he has got his legs going into the second half of the season.”

Why did you buy the Dallas Mavericks? What was the reason behind it?

“I was a season ticket holder and it was the 1999-2000 season and opening night we were playing the Golden State Warriors and we weren’t close to being sold out. There was no energy in the building. I was like you know what, I’m excited about this season. If I owned this team I could do a better job and boom. I was like ‘Wow. Now I can put my money where my mouth is.’ I got a hold of Mark  Aguirre who was connected to then owner, Ross Perot Jr., and we hooked it up. The rest is history.”

What does it take to be a successful business man?

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Tags: Dallas Mavericks, Daybreak, Dirk Nowitzki, Fox Sports Radio, Mark Cuban, NBA

Posted in NBA | 3 Comments »

Murray State Stands Alone as Men’s College Basketball’s Only Unbeaten

One by one, college basketball’s undefeated teams have fallen. Only one stands alone and it’s Murray State out of the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers enter Saturday’s game against Eastern Illinois with a perfect 20-0 answer and certainly have national conversations brewing about where they belong in the rankings or where they’d be seeded in the NCAA tournament.

Murray State put together a pretty decent non-conference slate and has solid victories over Southern Miss, Dayton and at Memphis. But playing in the OVC isn’t really doing the Racers any favors, despite coach Steve Prohm speaking up that the league isn’t given enough credit.

Steve Prohm joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta with Barnhart and Durham to discuss having the bullseye on their backs, the increasing hype, the biggest victories of the season, the early debates on where Murray State should be seeded and the Ohio Valley Conference.

Can you feel the bullseye on you? Are opponents gearing up to try to take down the unbeaten?:

“Yeah, it’s definitely been like that. It’s been exciting, though, as well. We’ve had basically sellouts since we played at Memphis December the 11th. … Every road game that we’ve had in conference has either been sold out or right at capacity. … You’re going to get everybody’s A game and our guys recognize that, so they’ve got to be really dialed in.”

As the hype increases, do you try to keep having discussions with your guys to tell them it’s just another game?:

“It’s been great for our community. They’re having the time of their lives with this. USA Today’s been here, ESPN All Access has been here, the New York Times has been here, CBS Sports is coming down here. It’s been a remarkable run and it’s exciting, but we talked to our team early in the year about just a little slogan that says, ‘Don’t seek honor; honor will find you.’ What that basically means is if you continue to do your job, you do things the right way, you continue to win games and represent this program the right way, all the accolades, the postseason honors and appearances, that will come. One thing that our guys have done a great job with is going practice to practice, game to game, turning the clock, turning the page.”

Nationally, everyone wants to talk about the victory at Memphis, but the one at Austin Peay might have been just as big, right?:

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Tags: College Basketball, Murray State Racers, NCAA Tournament, NCAA tournament seeding, Ohio Valley Conference, Steve Prohm

Posted in College Basketball | 2 Comments »

Ryan Clark: “It seems like for the Ravens right now always the bridesmaid and never a bride.”

For Ryan Clark it was extremely difficult to watch his teammates go down the way they did at Sports Authority Field at Mile High against the Denver Broncos on Wild Card weekend. As Tim Tebow hit a streaking Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime, Clark wanted in some way to help, but he couldn’t due to a sickle cell trait that could have been problematic in the high altitude of Denver.

The good news for No.25 is that he was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time and will replace Ed Reed. As for Clark’s feelings on the Baltimore Ravens, a team that beat the Steelers twice this season, losing tragically to the New England Patriots over the weekend in the AFC Championship game? Find out below.

Ryan Clark joined 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh with Seibel, Starkey, and Miller to discuss the phone call where he found out he made the Pro Bowl, NFL players tweeting during the Pro Bowl, his feelings on the Baltimore Ravens losing to the New England Patriots over the weekend, and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers season end on the sidelines against the Denver Broncos.

How did it work? How did you find out? Who made the call to tell you that you made the Pro Bowl?

“It was big for me. Definitely a huge moment. I was actually sitting in a carpool dropping off my daughter to school. I was just waiting in the carpool line and Omar Khan from the Pittsburgh Steelers called me and was kind of very matter of fact was like you are going to Hawaii! For me it was one of those situations like I didn’t scream. I wasn’t incredibly excited or anything. It was just a surreal moment. It was probably something I never expected to do kind of the way I came into the league and the things I went through being cut, but it’s such a blessing. I always wanted to get to a Super Bowl, but an opportunity to play in the Pro Bowl is really amazing. Definitely a gift from god.”

You are a very active tweeter. The NFL said they are going to allow the players to tweet during the Pro Bowl on the sidelines with tweet stations. Do you have some good material for us?

“That’s going to be really important for me. I think I can even if we don’t win the game – I think I can win the tweet war. That’s going to be what I am going to go out there and really focus on if the game gets out of hand…either way I am going to go out there and try to be the best tweeter possible.”

What were your feelings on watching the Ravens lose to the Patriots lose over the weekend?

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Tags: 2012 Pro Bowl, 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Baltimore Ravens, Miller, New England Patriots, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Ryan Clark, Seibel, Starkey

Posted in NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers | 3 Comments »