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American Morning

Talking Sports: Cotter's Corner

Aired November 22, 2002 - 06:46   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: Now it's time to talk a little sports. Chris Cotter, our friend from 790 The Zone here in Atlanta, is with us again this morning to talk basketball and college football. But I think we should talk basketball first.
CHRIS COTTER, 790 THE ZONE ATLANTA: All right, let's start with that then.

COSTELLO: Charles Barkley -- should we show the video right now -- he had an usual bet going.

COTTER: Yes, roll it. You know what, I've gotten into a lot of trouble here in Atlanta locally from making some bets and guarantees here lately, I will never do anything like this. Charles Barkley, who I think is great for basketball and for TV and everything, makes a bet that Yao Ming, of course the No. 1 draft choice of the Houston Rockets last year, would not score 20 points this year in the NBA.

COSTELLO: Oops.

COTTER: And last night, lo and behold, he best (ph) that 20- point total by going for 30 points.

COSTELLO: Oh!

COTTER: So Charles Barkley's bet was that he would kiss the backside of a donkey's arse (ph), if you will;...

COSTELLO: Yes.

COTTER: ... and sure enough,...

COSTELLO: I think we have pictures of it.

COTTER: We do have pictures. And Kenny Smith from TNT actually found the -- here it is the...

COSTELLO: Oh, let's pause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Kenny's -- that's -- this is...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man of your word.

CHARLES BARKLEY: Uh-oh.

(LAUGHTER)

COTTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) there of course. He's a former NBA player helping Charles out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to kick him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He kissed it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COTTER: You see Charles is a great sport.

COSTELLO: Oh yes.

COTTER: I mean Charles gets it, and that's, you know, something that...

COSTELLO: He certainly does.

COTTER: ... I think a lot of the former NBA players or former athletes that get into the business maybe do or don't. But Charles certainly does and he makes it a lot of fun, and that was great.

COSTELLO: Well he doesn't take himself too seriously.

COTTER: He doesn't, and that's -- I think that's important. And why should you? I mean it's all about fun. It's professional sports. It should be a lot of fun.

COSTELLO: Everyone should kiss the arse of a donkey.

COTTER: I will not. No need to worry, folks around here, we want to go to the zoo or anything, that will not happen with me. I promise.

COSTELLO: Oh yes. OK, let's talk a little college football now because the big match-ups are on tap for this weekend.

COTTER: Yes, and you know it all started last night, Pittsburgh in Miami. Miami, No. 1 of course in the BCS, and Pittsburgh a very, very good team had a shot at beating them. And this one went all the way down to the wire. Miami survived, and that's really going to be the theme, Carol, over the next couple of weeks, surviving. Because when you look at the BCS and who's atop the BCS, all these teams have a shot and they all have tough games left to play. Ohio State is undefeated. They have Michigan this week, their big rival.

COSTELLO: Oh, and I know the history when it's like you know.

COTTER: Oh.

COSTELLO: When they have to beat Michigan, Ohio State just can't seem to do it.

COTTER: Ohio State, in the past they have not had an easy time with it. But it's a new regime for Ohio State, new coaching and everything, so this may be the year.

Washington State plays in what's called the Apple Cup against Washington, so their big rival. And Washington would love nothing more than to beat them and knock them out.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, Texas Tech. They beat Texas last week and knocked them out of the whole thing, so it's a tough game for Oklahoma.

Georgia has the -- has Georgia Tech and the SEC championship game coming up, but they still have a chance if they can win out and some of these other teams lose.

Southern Cal-Notre Dame is coming up.

Iowa right now in this whole list, they're the only team that is just kind of sitting back. They're finished with their season. They're sitting back and watching everybody else and hoping that everybody else loses, which is a possibility.

I've never seen the BCS poll so up in the air this late in the year with only a couple of weeks to go and so many teams still having a shot at getting to Tempe, playing in the Fiesta Bowl for the national title.

COSTELLO: So you going to make a prediction?

COTTER: No, after what I just saw, never.

COSTELLO: Forget it.

COTTER: I'll never make a prediction. I'll tell you this though, I do think that Miami and Ohio State have the best shots. Just win one game and you're in, both those teams.

COSTELLO: Oh I hope. Ohio State -- it's been a long time since Ohio State's been in the Rose Bowl.

COTTER: It's -- you know especially with a national championship on the line. And when you look over the last 10 years, they've had their chances and they've always seemed to lose the one game to a Michigan State or an Iowa or a Wisconsin that has cost them the entire thing. And they've sent millions of people to the pros, to the NFL, millions of their players. So they -- this is the -- I think this is the shot. They've got one game against Michigan, but boy wouldn't those Wolverines love to spoil it for them?

COSTELLO: Oh yes they would.

Thank you -- Chris Cotter.

COTTER: Sure. COSTELLO: We'll see you on Monday.

COTTER: OK.

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 November 22, 2002 - 06:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now it's time to talk a little sports. Chris Cotter, our friend from 790 The Zone here in Atlanta, is with us again this morning to talk basketball and college football. But I think we should talk basketball first.
CHRIS COTTER, 790 THE ZONE ATLANTA: All right, let's start with that then.

COSTELLO: Charles Barkley -- should we show the video right now -- he had an usual bet going.

COTTER: Yes, roll it. You know what, I've gotten into a lot of trouble here in Atlanta locally from making some bets and guarantees here lately, I will never do anything like this. Charles Barkley, who I think is great for basketball and for TV and everything, makes a bet that Yao Ming, of course the No. 1 draft choice of the Houston Rockets last year, would not score 20 points this year in the NBA.

COSTELLO: Oops.

COTTER: And last night, lo and behold, he best (ph) that 20- point total by going for 30 points.

COSTELLO: Oh!

COTTER: So Charles Barkley's bet was that he would kiss the backside of a donkey's arse (ph), if you will;...

COSTELLO: Yes.

COTTER: ... and sure enough,...

COSTELLO: I think we have pictures of it.

COTTER: We do have pictures. And Kenny Smith from TNT actually found the -- here it is the...

COSTELLO: Oh, let's pause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Kenny's -- that's -- this is...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man of your word.

CHARLES BARKLEY: Uh-oh.

(LAUGHTER)

COTTER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) there of course. He's a former NBA player helping Charles out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to kick him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He kissed it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COTTER: You see Charles is a great sport.

COSTELLO: Oh yes.

COTTER: I mean Charles gets it, and that's, you know, something that...

COSTELLO: He certainly does.

COTTER: ... I think a lot of the former NBA players or former athletes that get into the business maybe do or don't. But Charles certainly does and he makes it a lot of fun, and that was great.

COSTELLO: Well he doesn't take himself too seriously.

COTTER: He doesn't, and that's -- I think that's important. And why should you? I mean it's all about fun. It's professional sports. It should be a lot of fun.

COSTELLO: Everyone should kiss the arse of a donkey.

COTTER: I will not. No need to worry, folks around here, we want to go to the zoo or anything, that will not happen with me. I promise.

COSTELLO: Oh yes. OK, let's talk a little college football now because the big match-ups are on tap for this weekend.

COTTER: Yes, and you know it all started last night, Pittsburgh in Miami. Miami, No. 1 of course in the BCS, and Pittsburgh a very, very good team had a shot at beating them. And this one went all the way down to the wire. Miami survived, and that's really going to be the theme, Carol, over the next couple of weeks, surviving. Because when you look at the BCS and who's atop the BCS, all these teams have a shot and they all have tough games left to play. Ohio State is undefeated. They have Michigan this week, their big rival.

COSTELLO: Oh, and I know the history when it's like you know.

COTTER: Oh.

COSTELLO: When they have to beat Michigan, Ohio State just can't seem to do it.

COTTER: Ohio State, in the past they have not had an easy time with it. But it's a new regime for Ohio State, new coaching and everything, so this may be the year.

Washington State plays in what's called the Apple Cup against Washington, so their big rival. And Washington would love nothing more than to beat them and knock them out.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, Texas Tech. They beat Texas last week and knocked them out of the whole thing, so it's a tough game for Oklahoma.

Georgia has the -- has Georgia Tech and the SEC championship game coming up, but they still have a chance if they can win out and some of these other teams lose.

Southern Cal-Notre Dame is coming up.

Iowa right now in this whole list, they're the only team that is just kind of sitting back. They're finished with their season. They're sitting back and watching everybody else and hoping that everybody else loses, which is a possibility.

I've never seen the BCS poll so up in the air this late in the year with only a couple of weeks to go and so many teams still having a shot at getting to Tempe, playing in the Fiesta Bowl for the national title.

COSTELLO: So you going to make a prediction?

COTTER: No, after what I just saw, never.

COSTELLO: Forget it.

COTTER: I'll never make a prediction. I'll tell you this though, I do think that Miami and Ohio State have the best shots. Just win one game and you're in, both those teams.

COSTELLO: Oh I hope. Ohio State -- it's been a long time since Ohio State's been in the Rose Bowl.

COTTER: It's -- you know especially with a national championship on the line. And when you look over the last 10 years, they've had their chances and they've always seemed to lose the one game to a Michigan State or an Iowa or a Wisconsin that has cost them the entire thing. And they've sent millions of people to the pros, to the NFL, millions of their players. So they -- this is the -- I think this is the shot. They've got one game against Michigan, but boy wouldn't those Wolverines love to spoil it for them?

COSTELLO: Oh yes they would.

Thank you -- Chris Cotter.

COTTER: Sure. COSTELLO: We'll see you on Monday.

COTTER: OK.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com