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| | Wednesday, September 15 | |||||
| President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore have the daunting responsibility of running the most powerful nation in the world. Foreign policy, balancing budgets and making life easier for taxpayers are just some of things they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
But no matter how hectic life in the Whitehouse can get, the two always seem to find time to enjoy the great moments in sports.
President Clinton witnessed the Arkansas basketball team win the national championship in 1994. He was also in attendance when Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played streak in 1995. And when Tennessee won the national title in football last season, Vice President Gore had no trouble finding time to celebrate. "The last time that happened was when I was three years old, so you better believe that I was cheering my lungs out," said Gore, the former Tennessee senator, on a recent edition of ESPN's Up Close with Gary Miller. If you missed the vice president's Sept. 14 appearance on Up Close, the following are excerpts from his interview. Miller: Tell me about the Tennessee/Arkansas game (for the SEC title last December, in which Tennessee came from behind to win) with your fellow man in the White House. Did he actually make a premature call of celebration, thinking that the Razorbacks would beat the Vols? Gore: Well, no, he didn't do that, but I think he was kind of licking his chops over the impending victory. I actually had to substitute for him to flying to Malaysia that day because we had a foreign policy crisis going on with Iraq. When I left, Arkansas was way ahead, and he was there watching the game and we made a bet on it at the time: some barbecue ribs against some Tennessee country ham.Of course, the way Arkansas lost that game was especially painful for the Arkansas fans. Tennessee actually made its own luck. You know (former Texas coaching legend) Darrel Royal once said that "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." We were prepared; the opportunity came. We marched all the way down the field 41 yards, I think, after that fumble. So it was something that we were prepared to seize upon and then, of course, Tennessee went on to win the national championship. The last time that happened was when I was three years old, so you better believe that I was cheering my lungs out. Miller: In the White House, the president always gets a team jersey from a championship team. Is the real reason why you're running for presidency to get more of those jerseys? Gore: Absolutely, the rest of it is just a front. It's the jerseys. Miller: Who do you think is the greatest politician that has been in Congress, that you are aware of? Gore: (laughing) I'm not sure if I want to get into that one because Bill Bradley would certainly be in the running. Now Steve Largent is a Hall of Famer, Jack Kemp was a fantastic football player. There are a bunch of them. I've looked at the list on the best of the century. I think that's one where I am prepared to vote. My bet is Muhammad Ali. Miller: And why? Gore: Just because he's a champion in every aspect of what he did. He overcame so much. He really changed the face of boxing. I think that his triumph of the human spirit with the challenges that he has had, later in his life, have been inspiring. When he carried the Olympic torch in Atlanta, I think there probably wasn't a dry eye in that stadium. I think that he brought more excitement and sure thrill to sport than anyone that I can remember. Miller: Now, Michael Jordan is contributing money to Senator Bill Bradley's campaign. Would you still put him in the top twenty list? Gore: Of course, anybody would. | ||||||
