Interview with Dan Patrick of ESPN Radio November 4, 1999

2254 Nov. 4 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999 A tape was not available for verification of the Mr. Patrick. Have you put one on in the content of these remarks. White House and maybe, you know, tossed a football or played basketball in them? The President. Yes, I playedÐI shot a few Interview With Dan Patrick baskets with a Kentucky jersey they gave me of ESPN Radio the other day, not very long ago. November 4, 1999 President's Favorite Athletic Events Mr. Patrick. Mr. President? The President. Yes? Mr. Patrick. Now, what's the one event Mr. Patrick. It's Dan Patrick with Rob you would want to go to that you haven't Dibble. been to, sporting-wise? The President. Hey, Dan. How are you? The President. That I have never been Mr. Patrick. I'm great. I appreciate you to? I'd like to go to a Super Bowl, and I'd calling in. I've been dancing a little bit, ad- like to go to a college championship, now libbing for an hour and a half, but I know that the new football system is in. you're a busy man. I just want you to know, Mr. Patrick. You haven't been to the I've been sweating. [Laughter] Super Bowl? The President. I'm sorry. I owe you one. The President. Never. I've watched a lot Mr. Patrick. You know what I could use, of them, but I've never been to one. a hug right now is what I could use. [Laugh- Mr. Patrick. You know what? You can ter] come with ESPN this year; it's in Atlanta. The President. If I could give you one I'd be more than happyÐÐ of those, I'd do that, too. The President. I've never been. You Mr. Patrick. I asked the callers to give know, I have seen some great events. I went me some suggestions for you. And do I have to the NCAA championship game in Arkan- to call you Mr. President? In all respect, it's sas, one in '94, and that's the only time I've a very personable show. Can I call you some- ever been to that. And then I went toÐI thing thatÐÐ saw the women's World Cup finals this year The President. Call me whatever you when we beat China with the overtime, with want. the kickoff at the end, which was stunning. Mr. Patrick. No, you tell me what to call It was one of the most exciting athletic events you. I want it to be comfortable here, be- I've ever seen in my life. cause, Mr. President, that puts me at a dis- advantage, asking you sports questions. SportsCenter [Laughter] Mr. Patrick. Set the scene in the White The President. You don't have to call me House when you're watching SportsCenter. anything. Just ask the question. The President. When I'm watching it? Mr. Patrick. All right. Could I call you Mr. Patrick. Yes, like where are you Bill? andÐÐ The President. You can call me whatever The President. Oh, all right. Well, I watch you want. It's fine with me. it all the time, you know. I'm either in the kitchen, where Hillary and I and Chelsea, Team Jerseys when she's home, we have our meals in a Mr. Patrick. Okay. What are you doing very informal atmosphere in the kitchen with all those jerseys that you get when teams when there's no one else there, or I'm up- come to the White House? stairs in what's called the Solarium; it's up The President. Believe it or not, I save on the third floor, and it's a big kind of sunny them all because I'm such a big sports fan. room. And I watch TV there at night, espe- And when I get out of here, I'm going to cially when my brother-in-law or someone put them all together and decide whether else is staying with us. to either display them or take turns wearing Normally, I'm watching SportsCenter ei- them. But I actually save them all. ther around dinnertime when I come in or Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999 / Nov. 4 2255 late at night when I come in from an event lives of the children of Newark. I think that and I'm sitting, visiting with other people. is an amazing thing. Mr. Patrick. Have I said anything stupid Mr. Patrick. I think it's great. I think it's on SportsCenter that maybe you wanted to great. But I'm worriedÐwe finance these criticize or critique me? Because you canÐ stadiums. Should taxpayers finance the stadi- you get critiqued all the time. Feel free, you ums if we don't have any say on when those can take a shot at me. teams can leave? The President. No, I don't think so. I The President. The practical answer to think as long as I'm in office, I should be that is that stadiums cannot be financed un- criticized but not return the favor. [Laughter] less the political leaders support it. And so Everybody in America gets to criticize the the political leaders should decide on the President. That's part of the privilege of front end, I guess, what they expect out of being a citizen. the teams in return for financing the stadium. You know, it was interesting when Bob La- Athletic Organizations' Community nier was mayor of HoustonÐone of the most Involvement popular mayors Houston ever had and a very Mr. Patrick. The President of the United able manÐhe let the football team go to States, joining us on the Dan Patrick Show Tennessee because he didn't want to finance here on ESPN Radio. You're a part of this a new stadium. So it's not likeÐnobody new markets incentives. I know you're in makes these communities do these things. New Jersey. The Nets are donating to the They make their decisions. And I think if city of Newark, which I think is great. Do they think there ought to be some conditions you see teams that don't give back to the or some requirements, that ought to be dis- community enough? The taxpayers build cussed with the owners in advance. these stadiums, and maybe they don't get something in return for promoting and sup- PGA Golfer Casey Martin porting their teams. Mr. Patrick. We are going to have Casey The President. Well, let me put it in more Martin on in a little bit. positive terms with regard to the Nets. I The President. Good for you. think that taxpayers finance these things be- Mr. Patrick. But you being the avid golfer cause they enjoy having professional teams that you are, do you think that having a golf in their communities, because they believe cart is that much of an advantage inÐI mean, it brings their communities some prestige, the outcry over Casey Martin using a golf and because they think it generates a lot of cartÐdid it surprise you? And where do you other economic activity. But I think that the stand on that issue? opportunity for a professional sports team to The President. I'm for him. I'm solidly give something back to the community on behind him. I think he ought to be able to a scale far greater than anything that's hap- play. The only way it would be an advantage pened so far is embodied by what the Nets to him, in my view, is if he really didn't have are doing. the debilitating condition in his legs that he I mean, this is a stunning thing that Lew has. So I think that to me, this is like the Katz and Ray Chambers are doing with the golf version of the Americans with Disabil- Nets. And now, you know, they're partners ities Act, you know, where we try to make with the Yankees, and so they've got a smaller the workplace accessible with people with percentage of the overall joint operations are disabilities who are otherwise just as good going into community operations not only in at work as all the rest of us. Newark, New Jersey, but also in the Bronx, Well, Casey is just as good at golf and bet- where the Yankees are. ter than most of the rest of us, and he's got I just think it's amazing. Here are these this condition, which will probably shorten two guys that have made a lot of money, and his career, anyway. And so I think that the they're going to dedicate almost 40 percent proper course is to say, ``Look, we can't let of the profits of this sports franchise to rede- everybody start running around the golf veloping the economy and developing the course. We don't want to change the nature 2256 Nov. 4 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1999 of the game, but this man has a unique dis- contribution was Jesse Owens, because he ability which prohibits his walking around won the multiple Olympic gold medals in the but doesn't prevent him from being a terrific face of Nazi Germany and against Hitler's golfer, and for however many years he can racial theories. So I think he was both a great be competitive, we think we ought to give athlete who had to show an extraordinary him a chance.'' That's what I think the rule amount of personal courage, and he did ought to be.

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