Friday, October 27, 2006

The things that make Ricky tick

Bob McCown and Stephen Brunt spent a fascinating hour with Argonaut running back, Ricky Williams on Thursday afternoon, and they shared the sit down with listeners and viewers of Prime Time Sports. A session that included a segment with all pro and legendary running back Jim Brown, an icon in American football who has become rathe close to Williams over the last few years.

During the course of the sixty minutes, they asked him about his year in the CFL, his NFL years, his college ball experience and his outlook on the larger picture of life itself. They tried and failed to get him to say he didn't want to leave Toronto, though he didn't rule out the possibility of playing for the Double Blue again.

For those that thought of him as just another high profile NFLer up for a vacation, the interview might change your impression. He came across as a thoughtful young man, with some interesting experiences and a pretty grounded way of looking at life. Not quite the impression that Canadians might have had when he signed with the Argos this spring.

He compared the differences of both the Canadian and American game, suggesting each had its strengths and weaknesses, he didn't dismiss the CFL brand as inferior nor its players. He very much sounds like a student of the game who has spent his six months wisely in Canada learning about a brand of the sport that many Americans are oblivious to.

He's destined to return to the NFL, contractually obligated as McCown put it, but yet you sense that he's rather enjoyed his time in the CFL and might miss the Canadian style of the game and life.

McCown's home station The Fan has posted the interview as an hour long podcast, it's well worth a listen, you may find yourself rooting for an Argo running back after you tune in.

No comments: