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CNN Live At Daybreak
Talking Sports With Dave Johnson
Aired January 03, 2003 - 05:37 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And let's check out sports now. As usual, Michael Jordan brought the crowd to its feet at the United Center in Chicago, only last night Jordan was not wearing the Bulls' home uniform.
Dave Johnson, play by play man for the Washington Wizards, was courtside for M.J.'s second return to Chicago as a Wizard.
And Dave joins us on the phone for his regular Friday chat.
Good morning, Dave.
DAVE JOHNSON, WTOP RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning.
Happy new year.
Indeed, he brought them to their feet last night in Chicago. They didn't want to sit down. In fact, when they were getting ready to introduce the Chicago Bulls there were some boos, because they wanted to keep cheering Michael.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And it was a sellout crowd, wasn't it?
JOHNSON: A sellout...
WHITFIELD: And, you know what? He played well, but he didn't give up his usual 40 points a game. Instead it was something like 10, right?
JOHNSON: He didn't need to. As somebody pointed out last night, he just was the conductor of the symphony. He didn't have to play all the instruments. In fact, last night he only had to play 30 minutes. He had 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. And when everything was in control, he can sit back down and just let everybody else finish the business.
So that he didn't have to over exert himself last night. But he did put on a show for the folks in Chicago, made some big shots early for the Wizards, set the tone and they had a rather easy win over his old team, the Chicago Bulls. But it was an emotional night. It was a three minute plus standing ovation for Jordan to start the evening and I think the rest of the team, the rest of the Wizards team fed off that.
WHITFIELD: So I guess, Dave, this speaks well for the Wizards and it really says something about the Bulls, doesn't it? JOHNSON: Yes, it definitely does speak well for the Wizards and it's an important victory because the Bulls had a very good month of December, were a hot team. They were coming off a big win and, again, the Wizards, there's some pressure on them to make the playoffs this season in Jordan's final season. So it was a very big win for the Wizards.
WHITFIELD: All right, you want to talk a little college bowl, maybe the Orange Bowl specifically in Miami last night?
JOHNSON: Yes, we're running out of bowl games, but we, the Orange Bowl last night, and in Iowa, C.J. Jones runs back, the opening kickoff, a hundred years for a touchdown. You're thinking all right, Iowa. They're onto something here. But this guy Carson Paul, the quarterback for Southern Cal really is something. He could be the top pick of the NFL draft, 304 yards passing and Southern Cal gets the win, 38-17 last night.
So now we're just down to the big game tonight for all those tostidos and the national championship game, the Fiesta Bowl.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And talking about that Fiesta Bowl, I mean this kind of sums it up. I mean, you know, new year's, all these college bowls and now it finally comes down to one this evening.
JOHNSON: Yes, Ohio State and Miami, but, again, it's still too confusing for me and I wish they'd go back to the old days when you understood where all the teams were supposed to go, like the Rose Bowl when it used to be packed down in big time. But tonight we're going to see two undefeated teams. This is what everyone wanted when it was all designed and in theory you're supposed to then be able to determine yes, this is the national champion and it's supposed to be one of these teams tonight, Ohio State and Miami. And I'm going to go with Miami.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dave Johnson, I like that.
Thanks very much.
You can't keep up with those bowls, there are so many. I think I've lost count.
All right, thanks a lot.
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 January 3, 2003 - 05:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And let's check out sports now. As usual, Michael Jordan brought the crowd to its feet at the United Center in Chicago, only last night Jordan was not wearing the Bulls' home uniform.
Dave Johnson, play by play man for the Washington Wizards, was courtside for M.J.'s second return to Chicago as a Wizard.
And Dave joins us on the phone for his regular Friday chat.
Good morning, Dave.
DAVE JOHNSON, WTOP RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning.
Happy new year.
Indeed, he brought them to their feet last night in Chicago. They didn't want to sit down. In fact, when they were getting ready to introduce the Chicago Bulls there were some boos, because they wanted to keep cheering Michael.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And it was a sellout crowd, wasn't it?
JOHNSON: A sellout...
WHITFIELD: And, you know what? He played well, but he didn't give up his usual 40 points a game. Instead it was something like 10, right?
JOHNSON: He didn't need to. As somebody pointed out last night, he just was the conductor of the symphony. He didn't have to play all the instruments. In fact, last night he only had to play 30 minutes. He had 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. And when everything was in control, he can sit back down and just let everybody else finish the business.
So that he didn't have to over exert himself last night. But he did put on a show for the folks in Chicago, made some big shots early for the Wizards, set the tone and they had a rather easy win over his old team, the Chicago Bulls. But it was an emotional night. It was a three minute plus standing ovation for Jordan to start the evening and I think the rest of the team, the rest of the Wizards team fed off that.
WHITFIELD: So I guess, Dave, this speaks well for the Wizards and it really says something about the Bulls, doesn't it? JOHNSON: Yes, it definitely does speak well for the Wizards and it's an important victory because the Bulls had a very good month of December, were a hot team. They were coming off a big win and, again, the Wizards, there's some pressure on them to make the playoffs this season in Jordan's final season. So it was a very big win for the Wizards.
WHITFIELD: All right, you want to talk a little college bowl, maybe the Orange Bowl specifically in Miami last night?
JOHNSON: Yes, we're running out of bowl games, but we, the Orange Bowl last night, and in Iowa, C.J. Jones runs back, the opening kickoff, a hundred years for a touchdown. You're thinking all right, Iowa. They're onto something here. But this guy Carson Paul, the quarterback for Southern Cal really is something. He could be the top pick of the NFL draft, 304 yards passing and Southern Cal gets the win, 38-17 last night.
So now we're just down to the big game tonight for all those tostidos and the national championship game, the Fiesta Bowl.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And talking about that Fiesta Bowl, I mean this kind of sums it up. I mean, you know, new year's, all these college bowls and now it finally comes down to one this evening.
JOHNSON: Yes, Ohio State and Miami, but, again, it's still too confusing for me and I wish they'd go back to the old days when you understood where all the teams were supposed to go, like the Rose Bowl when it used to be packed down in big time. But tonight we're going to see two undefeated teams. This is what everyone wanted when it was all designed and in theory you're supposed to then be able to determine yes, this is the national champion and it's supposed to be one of these teams tonight, Ohio State and Miami. And I'm going to go with Miami.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dave Johnson, I like that.
Thanks very much.
You can't keep up with those bowls, there are so many. I think I've lost count.
All right, thanks a lot.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
