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CNN Live At Daybreak
Talking Sports with Dave Johnson
Aired October 11, 2002 - 05:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: OK, let's switch gears here and talk a little sports. We want to do our regular Friday feature with our regular sports guy, Dave Johnson. Dave is the sports director at WTOP and the voice of the Washington Wizards.
Good morning.
DAVE JOHNSON, WTOP RADIO HOST: Good morning.
I don't know how regular I am. I'm back from Wilmington, North Carolina, where I'm trying to justify my expense report being with the Wizards.
COSTELLO: We can all certainly relate to that.
Hey, first of all, I want to ask you about something serious. I want to ask you about these sniper attacks that have been happening in the Washington area and the mood of the people here, or there, rather.
JOHNSON: Yes, you know, we try to go about business and try to lighten up during the day, but it's something that pretty much haunts people in this area right now. It's never far from your mind. It's something you're talking about and it's affecting sports. A major girls soccer tournament that attracts 370 teams -- that's about 6,000 kids -- has been canceled for this weekend.
So it's having a tremendous impact and while we'd like to just enjoy the fall, it feels like our childhood has been taken away again.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes. Let's talk about the sniper victim from Bowie, Maryland, the 13-year-old boy. I understand some sports figures in the Washington area have visited him in the hospital?
JOHNSON: Yes, they have. A bright spot on the horizon in what has been just a terrible story, the 13-year-old boy from Bowie who fortunately is recovering at Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C. But the way that the story goes is that he whispered McGrady to one of his doctors, referring to Tracy McGrady, the NBA player with the Orlando Magic.
So Tracy McGrady sent a taped message to the youngster and also a signed jersey and said when he gets better, he's going to bring him down to Orlando to see a game with Tracy McGrady. So this is the good part of the story and the part that, it really does touch your heart. It makes you feel good knowing that when things get bad in general people are good. COSTELLO: Yes, and I understand that little boy needs all the help he can get. He's in serious but stable condition and he's fighting for his life every day. But doctors do think this 13-year- old is going to pull through. So he needs all the help he can get.
Let's talk about the Washington Redskins for just a bit, because they're going to try out a new quarterback.
JOHNSON: Yes, well, you know, this should be the time of year where that's all we're focused on in Washington. As you know in Washington, the quarterback position is the second most powerful position in this town, and sometimes that's even debated. But we're talking about Patrick Ramsey, who last week came off the bench after the starting quarterback, Danny Wuerfel, was injured, and showed that strong arm, made some big plays, throwing touchdown passes and leading the Redskins to a victory over the Titans.
The Redskins have had 13 quarterbacks in 10 years. It's like a change of Italian governments or something. But finally they believe they've got a leader that'll at least take them through this week. But people are pretty excited about Patrick Ramsey. He showed a lot last week.
COSTELLO: Yes, who will be the quarterback next week? Are you taking bets now?
JOHNSON: But that is a big debate in this town, as you know. I mean it's two things, politics and Redskins football, in Washington, D.C. and Patrick Ramsey right now has the center of attention.
COSTELLO: OK, Dave Johnson, we appreciate it, as always, from WTOP Radio in Washington.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 11, 2002 - 05:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: OK, let's switch gears here and talk a little sports. We want to do our regular Friday feature with our regular sports guy, Dave Johnson. Dave is the sports director at WTOP and the voice of the Washington Wizards.
Good morning.
DAVE JOHNSON, WTOP RADIO HOST: Good morning.
I don't know how regular I am. I'm back from Wilmington, North Carolina, where I'm trying to justify my expense report being with the Wizards.
COSTELLO: We can all certainly relate to that.
Hey, first of all, I want to ask you about something serious. I want to ask you about these sniper attacks that have been happening in the Washington area and the mood of the people here, or there, rather.
JOHNSON: Yes, you know, we try to go about business and try to lighten up during the day, but it's something that pretty much haunts people in this area right now. It's never far from your mind. It's something you're talking about and it's affecting sports. A major girls soccer tournament that attracts 370 teams -- that's about 6,000 kids -- has been canceled for this weekend.
So it's having a tremendous impact and while we'd like to just enjoy the fall, it feels like our childhood has been taken away again.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes. Let's talk about the sniper victim from Bowie, Maryland, the 13-year-old boy. I understand some sports figures in the Washington area have visited him in the hospital?
JOHNSON: Yes, they have. A bright spot on the horizon in what has been just a terrible story, the 13-year-old boy from Bowie who fortunately is recovering at Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C. But the way that the story goes is that he whispered McGrady to one of his doctors, referring to Tracy McGrady, the NBA player with the Orlando Magic.
So Tracy McGrady sent a taped message to the youngster and also a signed jersey and said when he gets better, he's going to bring him down to Orlando to see a game with Tracy McGrady. So this is the good part of the story and the part that, it really does touch your heart. It makes you feel good knowing that when things get bad in general people are good. COSTELLO: Yes, and I understand that little boy needs all the help he can get. He's in serious but stable condition and he's fighting for his life every day. But doctors do think this 13-year- old is going to pull through. So he needs all the help he can get.
Let's talk about the Washington Redskins for just a bit, because they're going to try out a new quarterback.
JOHNSON: Yes, well, you know, this should be the time of year where that's all we're focused on in Washington. As you know in Washington, the quarterback position is the second most powerful position in this town, and sometimes that's even debated. But we're talking about Patrick Ramsey, who last week came off the bench after the starting quarterback, Danny Wuerfel, was injured, and showed that strong arm, made some big plays, throwing touchdown passes and leading the Redskins to a victory over the Titans.
The Redskins have had 13 quarterbacks in 10 years. It's like a change of Italian governments or something. But finally they believe they've got a leader that'll at least take them through this week. But people are pretty excited about Patrick Ramsey. He showed a lot last week.
COSTELLO: Yes, who will be the quarterback next week? Are you taking bets now?
JOHNSON: But that is a big debate in this town, as you know. I mean it's two things, politics and Redskins football, in Washington, D.C. and Patrick Ramsey right now has the center of attention.
COSTELLO: OK, Dave Johnson, we appreciate it, as always, from WTOP Radio in Washington.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
