Thursday, April 30, 1998
O’Brien Q&A
Q&A: Author reveals goals of novel, how he chose favorite
athletes
By Stanley L. Johnson Jr.
Daily Bruin Staff
In a recent interview with the Daily Bruin, Pat O’Brien
discussed his new book "Talkin’ Sports: A B.S.-er’s Guide" and
topics ranging from the importance of staying in school – as
opposed to going directly into professional sports – to the UCLA
Athletic Department’s student athletes.
What are your reasons for writing your latest text?
People used to stop me at the airport all of the time, and they
would say "Pat, I am completely deformed when it comes to sports."
Everyone is going to get involved in a sports conversation at some
point in their lives. There is also a lot of stuff that we have
spent a lot of time researching that is really great trivia.
I wrote this book to give people a guidebook and to give people
reasons of how to go to their first game, what to do during a
commercial break (from a game) and how to ask certain questions
about a sport that you would otherwise feel embarrassed about.
So, your primary audience would be those who have little or no
knowledge of sports?
It is written for that person who is frightened about sports and
for those who would otherwise not know what to say. This book is a
way to fight back against all sports teams in America.
Who are some of your other favorite athletes of all time?
(Figure skater) Scott Hamilton. Not because he was the gold
medalist in 1976, but he brought it (figure skating) to an
entertainment level, and he still does and his impact is something
that will last forever.
(Basketball coach) John Wooden. No argument there. There will
never be another college coach to win as many games and do what Mr.
Wooden did.
(Basketball) Michael Jordan.
(Soccer) Pele.
All of the athletes that I chose as the greatest were chosen
because of the impact that they brought to their relative sport and
to humanity.
Regarding college athletes and their roles as student leaders,
considering the situation with our basketball team earlier this
year (i.e. Kris Johnson and Jelani McCoy scenario), how important
is it for coaches to instill in their athletes the importance of
character?
The Kris Johnson thing was a lesson on why you go to college. In
college you get the social skills to learn how to deal with
adversities. This is why guys should not go out early because they
do not have those skills. Adversity in college is one thing.
Adversity in the NBA is another thing. Adversity in the big bad
world is another thing. The reason why I am always against kids
coming is that if you stay in college, Steve Lavin is going to put
you through a hundred more practices and you get 30 or 34 games
more per season and you learn your fundamentals. If you come out
(of college), you lose all of the comeraderie with your team, and
all you are thinking about is how much money are you going to make.
And that is not good for anybody.
What about Jelani McCoy’s resignation?
I think it is great that McCoy is staying in school. One has to
stay in school and learn to deal with problems and learn to grow up
and learn to listen to the guy that you are supposed to listen to
outside of your parents – and that is your coach. You know, in
sports or in life, kids never change, young people are young
people. Parents change, and that is the problem. One is supposed to
listen.
Why do you feel Muhammad Ali is the greatest boxer of all
time?
Here is a guy (Ali) who did not give a shit back in the ’60s
when he said no to Vietnam. I was a part of that. Ali changed his
name from Cassius Clay. First of all, Cassius Clay is a funny name
(No pun intended). But, to go ahead and change his great name to
Muhammad Ali not knowing as we know now the religious significance
of it and the great personal struggle that he was going through
within himself, and his identity makes Ali a very wonderful
person.
Ali paved the way for all that is great because I feel if
someone wants to change their name, then it is their choice. Ali
was the king of the world.
How do you feel about Gender Equity in sports?
Title IX becomes more of a topic because of the WNBA. The WNBA
is great because women can tell their daughter that they, too, can
become a professional basketball player if they want to. The good
thing about the WNBA is that fathers and mothers can now tell their
young girls that they can become professional basketball players if
they want to. In the past, this was not an option.
UCLA recently had the inaugural for the Arthur Ashe Student
Health and Wellness Center. Could you comment on your relationship
with Arthur Ashe as a friend, player and humanitarian?
Arthur Ashe was a friend of mine. When you read his book, "Days
of Grace," and you wonder how anyone could lead a life life that. I
mean, he led his life with such dignity during a time when it was
almost impossible for an African American to lead a life of
dignity. He was thrown out of places.
My favorite story about Arthur is that when he was in South
Africa, he was one of the first players to play there, and he was
traveling all over South Africa during apartheid. A little black
kid was following him around. The little black kid kept staring at
him. Finally, Arthur went up to the kid and the kid said, "Because
you are the first free one I’ve ever seen."
Arthur took this experience and, for the rest of his life,
devoted his life for freedom. The obvious freedoms would be the
freedom of equality, and freedom to learn, and how to get access to
tennis, which is not a black man’s or woman’s sport. That’s what
Arthur did. He wanted people to remember him not by his game but by
his dignity. That is why we love Venus and Serena Williams.