Getting an exclusive interview with a former president is a tough task. But don’t tell that to 14-year-old baseball blogger Matt Nadel, who was able to get a back-and-forth with George W. Bush:
“At first I sent questions directly to him,” Nadel told The Rumble. “He sent me a picture signed by him. So the my dad [hedge fund lawyer Steven Nadel] contacted Marvin Bush, who happens to be my dad’s client.
Marvin Bush is George W.’s younger brother.
“I emailed questions to Marvin, Marvin emailed them to George, George emailed them back to Marvin and Marvin emailed them back to me,” Matt said.
Matt started his blog in April 2012 and contributes to MLB.com.
“I feel honored,” Matt said. “Not a lot of people get to interview a president of the United States.”
An excerpt from the Bush interview:
Matt: When you owned the Texas Rangers, if you could’ve added any non-Rangers pitcher and hitter from all of baseball history onto the team, who would it have been and why?
President Bush: For my pitcher, I would have added Sandy Koufax because of his tenacity, power and intelligence. For my hitter, I would have added Willie Mays for his speed, powerful arm and charisma.
Matt is entering high school at Golda Och Academy in West Orange N.J. His blog is Baseball with Matt (baseballwithmatt.mlblogs.com), his Twitter handle is @BaseballwMatt. He is a black belt and assists in special needs karate classes at Hwang Karate in Milburn, N.J. He guest blogs on eight other sites, including one based in Cuba where his work is translated into Spanish (Universo Beisbol).
His interview wish list includes Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, President Obama, Koufax, Bud Selig, President Clinton, Willie Mays, Howard Stern, Jay Z and Buddy Valastro. He recently interviewed Billy Crystal. His dream? To work at MLB Network with Harold Reynolds and Greg Amsinger.
Barca has the book on unbeaten Irish
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Notre Dame’s last national championship. The undefeated 1988 team coached by Lou Holtz is considered one of the best teams in college football history. That squad finished 12-0, and defeated the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 teams in the nation while winning 10 of its 12 games by double digits.
Jerry Barca’s new book “Unbeatable,” due out Tuesday, chronicles the inside stories behind a team that signified the rebirth of Notre Dame football.
Barca discusses the events that led to the pregame “Catholics vs. Convicts” brawl with the Miami Hurricanes and the post-fight locker room scene that culminated in Holtz telling his players, “Save Jimmy Johnson’s ass for me.”
He writes about how Notre Dame recruiter Vinny Cerrato (later Redskins general manager) was so prolific the NCAA had to change their recruiting rules in order to limit his effectiveness.
Barca dives into the truth behind Holtz’s suspension of the team’s leading rusher and receiver before the regular season finale at USC.
The book also provides behind-the-scenes details of Tony Rice’s rise to become Notre Dame’s first full-time African-American starting quarterback.
Cowboys welcome special fan to camp
The Dallas Cowboys welcomed Patrick Aspinall, the 26-year-old young man battling cystic fibrosis who was chronicled in last week’s Rumble, with open arms Wednesday.
Patrick, accompanied by his devoted girlfriend Nicole Buckley, by befriended by Tony Romo, Sean Lee, coach Jason Garrett and a host of other Cowboys during an unforgettable visit.
“Nicole and Patrick arrived early and we set them up with gear, a tour of our camp set-up and prime seats on the field to watch practice,” Cowboys Public and Community Relations Coordinator Whitney Brandon wrote in an email. “After practice Patrick got to meet a few players and made a quick impression on Coach Garrett. … It is fans like Patrick that renew our enthusiasm for what we do every day.”
When it was over, Patrick, who will need a double lung transplant, tweeted: “Today was the best day of my life. I’ve dreamt since I was 5 to make friends with the @dallascowboys.”
Johnny Mac camp looking for stars
The John McEnroe Tennis Academy has seen phenomenal growth in its first three years, expanding to Westchester and Long Island while helping cultivate two top juniors already — elite boys singles player Noah Rubin of Long Island and leading girls junior Janie Loeb of Ossining.
Nevertheless, Mac still is looking for a few more youngsters to join him, and will hold an open clinic for all kids at his Sportime Lake Isle Academy Annex in Westchester on Aug. 24, before the start of the U.S. Open. The clinic and meet and greet with McEnroe and his team of pros is open to all kids, who can register in advance at http://www.SportimeNY.com/LakeIsle.