Talkin’ Hoops With the Ragin’ Cajun

By Matt Crossman
I just got off the phone with the Ragin’ Cajun, James Carville, an LSU grad and hardcore Tigers fan. With Luke Russert, son of Tim Russert from Meet the Press, Carville co-hosts a sports show on XM Satellite Radio called 60/20. The show gets its title from the men¹s respective ages, and it was borne from their arguments about sports.
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Former President Clinton will be on the show Friday to predict his Final Four. The show airs live at 3 p.m. ET and again at 4 and 5, with replays throughout the weekend.
Highlights from my talk with Carville:
SN: How good of a bracketologist is former President Clinton?
RCJC: Last year, he got two out of the Final Four, he ate a lot of chalk, he picked the No. 1 seeds, a lot of them. Not quite as good as a secretary who doesn’t know a basketball from an avocado. But then no one is.
SN: How big of a sports White House was it when the Clintons were in? Was there always a game on?
RCJC: He likes college basketball. He likes Arkansas a lot. He went to Georgetown. He’s pretty knowledgeable.
SN: What takes longer, Hillary Clinton deciding to run for president or Les Miles deciding whether to coach Michigan?
RCJC: (Laughs.) What’s the answer?
SN: I don’t know. I’m asking you
RCJC: Hillary decided to run for president a lot quicker, I think.
SN: What’s your favorite sport?
RCJC: Whatever’s in season. I¹m most intent about LSU football.
Nothing in sports ruins my day like LSU losing, or makes my day like them winning. I grew up 20 miles south of Tiger Stadium. I bet I didn’t miss an LSU game from the second grade until I joined the Marine Corps.
SN: Have you ever met Les Miles?
RCJC: I knew Saban. I’ve never met Coach Miles.
SN: What are your impressions of Saban?
RCJC: Very intense. The only way you engage Coach Saban is talking about football. I don’t think he has many outside interests.
SN: Who among famous politicians is the best athlete, not counting Jim Bunning?
RCJC: President 41 Bush was a good athlete. He was a baseball player, pretty good golfer. He’s a big sports fan. President Ford played center for Michigan. They say (Barack) Obama plays a decent game of street basketball.
SN: Who’s side are you on in that race between Obama and Hillary Clinton?
RCJC: I’m for the missus.
SN: Is she a true Cubs fan?
RCJC: Yes. She grew up on the North Side. I know her brother is.
I can’t imagine somebody who grew up at that time is not. I can’t say that I’ve ever asked her what Ernie Banks lifetime slugging average was.
SN: What do you think she would say if you asked her that? Would she be like, “what in the world are you talking about?” Or would she guess a number?
RCJC: She would probably say, “I know he had over 500 home runs.”
(Editor’s Note: President Clinton’s Final Four picks for this year are UNC, Memphis, UCLA and Georgetown. Chalky, yes, but at least he went with one No. 2 seed.)↵