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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Matt McNally

Aired October 19, 2003 - 09:44   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And from the World Series we're going to another high-stakes game. The Monopoly championship. Hasbro recently hosted a national competition on board a train named -- get this -- "The Reading Railroad." The winner got real money, $15,140 to be exact. Tell you why that number in just a moment.
The new chairman of the Monopoly board is Matt McNally. He joins us now, live from New York.

Matt, obviously congratulations are in order.

MATT MCNALLY, MONOPOLY CHAMPION: Thank you very much.

COLLINS: Good for you. I have to tell everybody, I really like this game a lot. I played it for a long time, nowhere near as well as you. But why the 15,000 -- what was the number? It's how much money is in the bank, right?

MCNALLY: $15,140, that's the amount of Monopoly money in a game when you buy it from the store. So that's what they thought would be a great first prize.

COLLINS: I think it's a great first prize, too. Tell us about this train ride. You were on "The Reading Railroad" while playing the game.

MCNALLY: Yes, it was a chartered Amtrak train. There were 48 national competitors. We all met in Chicago last Thursday, when the Amtrak train departed for Philadelphia. We were able to play all our preliminary games on the way to Philadelphia in order to establish what would be a final table. And that final table, we duked it out in Atlantic City to see who would be our national champion and represent the U.S. in the world competition in 2004.

COLLINS: That is so funny looking at this video of you playing on the train. And then getting the check. Good stuff for you. What was the difference, though? Obviously, you had been playing this as you grew up. Sort of at the kitchen table with family.

MCNALLY: Yes.

COLLINS: Now it's a serious competition.

MCNALLY: Yes. It was just an exciting -- just an exciting atmosphere. A very competitive atmosphere. Of course everyone wanted to finish first, but at the same time it was just great to share time with everyone who shared the similar interests.

COLLINS: Tell us what the best part was. Obviously, we are seeing you winning here. That was clearly a key point. People who play Monopoly like myself, as a total amateur, I don't know about strategies. I know Boardwalk and Park Place are big gets. You actually got those in this final round here, right?

MCNALLY: I did. I was very fortunate enough to score a natural Monopoly on Park Place and Boardwalk, which means that I scored them without having to trade for them. And was able to develop them with enough time and enough money, and bankrupt my opponents. All of who were very worthy of winning. It just came down to a few dice rolls, and with certain strategy applied, fate smiled down upon me.

COLLINS: It sounds like it. I've got to ask you a quick question. When I was playing with friends when I was like ten, we always used free parking. You'd get all kinds of money in the middle. When you landed on free parking you win this big pot of money. That doesn't really exist, does it?

MCNALLY: Not here. Not here. Part of the reason about Monopoly is to -- the goal is to bankrupt your opponent. So the more money you actually put into the game, into the middle of the board and eventually give to someone, the longer your game is going to go. So you can actually finish a game of Monopoly within an hour and a half, generally, if you play by the standard rules.

COLLINS: We're playing a little Monopoly right here right now, and Suzanne looks like she has already gotten the Boardwalk and Park Place and all the money. So I think I'm in big trouble.

Matt, let me quickly ask you, if you had some tips for kids. I know it's important to you to try to get kids in on this game. What's so different about monopoly? What does this offer children?

MCNALLY: First of all, the game is -- you have to remember that this game is based on two different things. One, it is a political and communication-type game. That it's going to talk to you so much about the real world. Just about business in general. And -- also you get to understand all the pragmatic aspects of the game. What it is to add and subtract, what it is to make decisions, and really get behind those decisions, and do what you can to win.

COLLINS: What about the wheeling and dealing? There's a lot of that that goes on. I don't think I'm familiar with that. When we played, we tried to get all the properties and put hotels on them. There's a true art to wheeling and dealing and trying to bankrupt the other players.

MCNALLY: There is. A large part of my game is nonverbal communication. I'm -- part of my strategy going in is, while other people are looking at how much they have to pay for rent or how much they have to -- how much they have to give to make a certain trade, I'm actually looking down the road three or four turns from that point, and I'm looking at my other competitors and trying to find out what properties are going to interest them, and I try to get my hands on those. It gives me a better trading position.

COLLINS: Well, you have done an excellent job. We know this means you will represent the United States in the 2004 world championships in Hong Kong, which I bet is going to be quite a thrill.

MCNALLY: I can't wait.

COLLINS: What was that?

MCNALLY: I can't wait.

COLLINS: You can't wait.

MCNALLY: It will be fabulous.

COLLINS: I can't wait to learn all the tricks you could probably teach me. I think Suzanne is stealing from the bank here.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: At least you get real money.

COLLINS: Yes. Matt McNally, thank you very much.

MCNALLY: Thank you.

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 19, 2003 - 09:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And from the World Series we're going to another high-stakes game. The Monopoly championship. Hasbro recently hosted a national competition on board a train named -- get this -- "The Reading Railroad." The winner got real money, $15,140 to be exact. Tell you why that number in just a moment.
The new chairman of the Monopoly board is Matt McNally. He joins us now, live from New York.

Matt, obviously congratulations are in order.

MATT MCNALLY, MONOPOLY CHAMPION: Thank you very much.

COLLINS: Good for you. I have to tell everybody, I really like this game a lot. I played it for a long time, nowhere near as well as you. But why the 15,000 -- what was the number? It's how much money is in the bank, right?

MCNALLY: $15,140, that's the amount of Monopoly money in a game when you buy it from the store. So that's what they thought would be a great first prize.

COLLINS: I think it's a great first prize, too. Tell us about this train ride. You were on "The Reading Railroad" while playing the game.

MCNALLY: Yes, it was a chartered Amtrak train. There were 48 national competitors. We all met in Chicago last Thursday, when the Amtrak train departed for Philadelphia. We were able to play all our preliminary games on the way to Philadelphia in order to establish what would be a final table. And that final table, we duked it out in Atlantic City to see who would be our national champion and represent the U.S. in the world competition in 2004.

COLLINS: That is so funny looking at this video of you playing on the train. And then getting the check. Good stuff for you. What was the difference, though? Obviously, you had been playing this as you grew up. Sort of at the kitchen table with family.

MCNALLY: Yes.

COLLINS: Now it's a serious competition.

MCNALLY: Yes. It was just an exciting -- just an exciting atmosphere. A very competitive atmosphere. Of course everyone wanted to finish first, but at the same time it was just great to share time with everyone who shared the similar interests.

COLLINS: Tell us what the best part was. Obviously, we are seeing you winning here. That was clearly a key point. People who play Monopoly like myself, as a total amateur, I don't know about strategies. I know Boardwalk and Park Place are big gets. You actually got those in this final round here, right?

MCNALLY: I did. I was very fortunate enough to score a natural Monopoly on Park Place and Boardwalk, which means that I scored them without having to trade for them. And was able to develop them with enough time and enough money, and bankrupt my opponents. All of who were very worthy of winning. It just came down to a few dice rolls, and with certain strategy applied, fate smiled down upon me.

COLLINS: It sounds like it. I've got to ask you a quick question. When I was playing with friends when I was like ten, we always used free parking. You'd get all kinds of money in the middle. When you landed on free parking you win this big pot of money. That doesn't really exist, does it?

MCNALLY: Not here. Not here. Part of the reason about Monopoly is to -- the goal is to bankrupt your opponent. So the more money you actually put into the game, into the middle of the board and eventually give to someone, the longer your game is going to go. So you can actually finish a game of Monopoly within an hour and a half, generally, if you play by the standard rules.

COLLINS: We're playing a little Monopoly right here right now, and Suzanne looks like she has already gotten the Boardwalk and Park Place and all the money. So I think I'm in big trouble.

Matt, let me quickly ask you, if you had some tips for kids. I know it's important to you to try to get kids in on this game. What's so different about monopoly? What does this offer children?

MCNALLY: First of all, the game is -- you have to remember that this game is based on two different things. One, it is a political and communication-type game. That it's going to talk to you so much about the real world. Just about business in general. And -- also you get to understand all the pragmatic aspects of the game. What it is to add and subtract, what it is to make decisions, and really get behind those decisions, and do what you can to win.

COLLINS: What about the wheeling and dealing? There's a lot of that that goes on. I don't think I'm familiar with that. When we played, we tried to get all the properties and put hotels on them. There's a true art to wheeling and dealing and trying to bankrupt the other players.

MCNALLY: There is. A large part of my game is nonverbal communication. I'm -- part of my strategy going in is, while other people are looking at how much they have to pay for rent or how much they have to -- how much they have to give to make a certain trade, I'm actually looking down the road three or four turns from that point, and I'm looking at my other competitors and trying to find out what properties are going to interest them, and I try to get my hands on those. It gives me a better trading position.

COLLINS: Well, you have done an excellent job. We know this means you will represent the United States in the 2004 world championships in Hong Kong, which I bet is going to be quite a thrill.

MCNALLY: I can't wait.

COLLINS: What was that?

MCNALLY: I can't wait.

COLLINS: You can't wait.

MCNALLY: It will be fabulous.

COLLINS: I can't wait to learn all the tricks you could probably teach me. I think Suzanne is stealing from the bank here.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: At least you get real money.

COLLINS: Yes. Matt McNally, thank you very much.

MCNALLY: Thank you.

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