Nice athletes and coaches

After his last game before the Heisman ceremony, at USC, he stayed forever in the shower, grabbed his clothes and tried to escape into the equipment guys area. He flat refused to be interviewed. When the PR guy finally convinced him to come out, he said jack shit. A total ass that day.


To answer the thread title: 95 percent of the NHL. Teemu Selanne might head the list.

 

Ex-heavyweight boxer George Chuvalo -- actually the only athlete who after interviewing that I've asked for an autograph from.

Canadian Olympic bobsledder Lyndon Rush

Former NHLer Lance Ward
Former NHLer Cory Cross
Clarke MacArthur
Former Oilers part owner Cal Nichols
Brian Sutter

There's a bunch of guys from the CFL -- Mike Pinball Clemons might be the nicest guy on the face of the planet.

Forgot Georges Laraque. Not sure how I forgot him, he should just about be at the top of the list. I also have heard many stories about him when the cameras are not around, that never make it to the media, and some of the amazing things he has done. He is genuinely just a real nice guy. Ive seen him at several charity golf tournaments over the years, except he HATES golf. Still he usually sets up at a par 3 and runs a closest to the hole/hole-in-one type of deal instead of actually golfing. Always the most approachable guy at these events and does extra signings and hanging around and talking with the patrons. He's the type of guy I am sure would give you his shirt off his back if you asked for it. Not bad for a 6-foot-four, 250 pound vegan NHL-enforcer. If I remember correctly one of the things he butted heads with coach Craig MacTavish in Edmonton with is that he was to giving of his time, he didn't know how to say 'No' and that it took away from his game. Have never heard before or since of a player getting in trouble for being too good.

 

Alan Trammell. What a love and respect for the game, and a truly nice guy.

 

Nice!

Oh, and Jim Larranaga.

 

The nicest NFL coaches I ever dealt with were Jeff Fisher and Steve Mariucci.

Among NFL players, Matt Hasselbeck is the runaway winner.

 

This thread begins and ends with the great John Force.

 

I'll see Larranaga on Saturday. Always a pleasure chatting with him.

 

This is another of those "I think you're talking nice as in awesome with the media."

Force's family and some of his competitors might disagree with you at times.

 

Force is an all-timer.

 

Met Chuvalo a few times at various fight cards in Toronto. Always has time for everyone. Never met Clemons but have never heard a bad word about him from the media or people I know who have dealt with him. Interviewed Angelo Mosca once around the time Flutie was leading the Argos to the Grey Cup and while he had nothing but contempt for Flutie, he said he thought so much of Clemons and what he did for the CFL there was nothing he wouldn't do for him.

 

Steve Nash
Trevor Linden
Brad May
Former NHL tough guy Louie DeBrusk
Former offensive lineman for the Washington Huskies Matt Rogers who went on to American Idol fame

 

John Wooden

Chris Paul