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00:00 Caitlin Clark is always primetime, but she's part of primetime hoops on Fox 8 p.m.
00:04 Eastern Saturday night and I'm joined by Gus Johnson who will be on the call and Gus, you know
00:11 I saw you call her must-see TV, but you've called a lot of big games a lot of big game players over the years
00:16 How would you describe Caitlin star power right now? I
00:19 Don't know. She's like a combination of
00:22 pistol Pete Maravich and Steph Curry
00:26 I think she's one of the biggest stars in
00:30 Sports in America right now as a matter of fact, I was talking to the SID here at
00:34 Iowa and they said on Saturday for her game
00:38 there's a reporter and a photographer coming all the way from Italy to cover so
00:42 her play and her her her style is starting to
00:46 Move all around the world and I think that's wonderful and it's just it's an honor and a privilege
00:54 To have a chance to watch a player
00:56 like Caitlin Clark, she's a star and
00:59 Almost like a she's transforming things. I mean, I don't think I've ever seen a
01:06 Female shoot the ball from where she can shoot it last night. She shot a ball against Purdue from the hash and
01:14 It's just she's remarkable. She's a virtuoso
01:17 So it's gonna be fun to watch him in a great game on Saturday night
01:22 Against Indiana who can really really play
01:25 Yeah, and it's really added to the the women's game, right?
01:29 Because I'm thinking about the the March Madness as we typically go in and when you're looking at star
01:34 But I felt like the women's tournament was a bigger deal in the men's tournament last year
01:37 And if you're talking about college sports in general, I'm not so sure anybody's bigger than Caitlin right now. I
01:42 Don't think so at all. I mean, I think she's one of the biggest stories in American sports right now. Um
01:49 Not the biggest but one of the biggest stories in American sports
01:53 every night she goes out there and and she does things that are just mind-boggling amazing and
01:59 Watching her practice today. I just got out of practice from watching them and she's so unassuming just cool smooth
02:06 fluid and I
02:09 Tell you she is the kind of player that
02:12 That comes around once every blue moon and it's just you know, I'm looking forward to watching practice tomorrow
02:19 And then call them the game against IU on Saturday
02:22 And obviously it should be a highly competitive game with it with that, Indiana team against Iowa as we're talking about
02:28 But one of the things dealing with it, that's the present going to the future is where Caitlin Clark goes from here
02:34 What do you think she could mean for the WNBA eventually?
02:37 Well, she's gonna be an incredible player for the WNBA. I was fortunate enough
02:43 Earlier in my career to have a chance to call WNBA games for 10 years as the voice of the New York Liberty on radio
02:49 And television with Doris Burke and I always tell Doris Burke
02:53 I taught her everything she knows but she won't give it up to me nor will she send me a
02:57 watch or anything like that, but I
02:59 Think that when she gets into the WNBA, she's going to continue the incredible play of the ladies in the top league in the world
03:07 When I was in the WNBA, I had players. I call players like Cheryl Swoops and
03:13 Cynthia Cooper and
03:15 Teresa Weatherspoon and Becky Hammond was on the Liberty at that time Vicki Johnson some wicks
03:21 Kim Hampton just great players and I think that
03:27 Caitlin when she gets up to that NBA, I mean that WNBA level is gonna just continue to carry the torch
03:35 she's wonderful and
03:38 It's gonna be fun to continue to watch her
03:42 Evolution when she leaves college basketball and becomes a professional
03:47 You know, it's interesting because obviously we're spending a lot of this time on on Caitlin and and obviously she's gonna be used to hype
03:53 This matchup. Do you get a sense from the opposition?
03:55 That that puts a little bit of a chip on their shoulder because you know
03:59 We're not spending the bulk of this time discussing, Indiana and and where they're at right now. I
04:04 Think Indiana understands. I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. We'll talk to them. I think Saturday
04:11 They're not gonna shoot around tomorrow Friday, but they're gonna shoot around because the game is a primetime game Saturday
04:17 Morning
04:20 But I think that everybody understands. This is the greatest player in college basketball right now
04:25 on the female side and
04:28 More than anything Indiana wants to beat him and I believe Indiana
04:33 Not only thinks they can beat him but can beat him
04:37 That's the difference this Indiana team can really play. I was watching their game the other day against, Michigan
04:43 They hit their first 15 shots 15 of 15. I don't think I've ever seen that before
04:48 So they're gonna come into a hostile environment. It's gonna be sold out here Carver Hawkeye Arena
04:53 as the
04:56 Caravan continues for Caitlin Clark. She's a rock star
05:00 It's like watching the Beatles or the Rolling Stones or you know, I see you got four four four Jay Z
05:05 You know, it's like watching a star like that and the Hoosiers are gonna be all business
05:11 This is one. I'm sure is circled on their calendar. They split with them last year
05:15 So I know Indiana's gonna be ready to play. We're gonna see a great I
05:19 Mean a great ball game on Saturday night
05:23 While we're talking legendary musical acts you've got a little attention for an Eminem reference you made on a broadcast
05:29 Recently and obviously it was lose yourself
05:32 You know you only get one shot one moment one opportunity and all the different moments that you've called over the years
05:37 Is there one that stands out to you that you know?
05:40 Was the one moment that you're glad you were able to be a part of
05:43 Well, you know you're absolutely right up. I've seen so many great moments in sports been all over the world of
05:50 cover college basketball college football pro basketball pro NFL football
05:56 soccer
06:00 Nationally have done two Champions League finals to FA Cup finals called the Winter Olympics. It's been
06:05 Wonderful, but I think for me
06:09 the moment that always stands out was my first big moment and
06:14 That's in 1996 when Princeton took on UCLA at the RCA dome
06:19 in the NCAA tournament UCLA was the defending national champions and
06:24 Princeton beat him on a backdoor cut a signature Princeton Pete Carrillo play
06:29 and
06:31 Carrillo was sitting there pulling his hair out on the sidelines. It's funny. You know 1996
06:35 That's a long time ago. I was a young guy and just starting and learning and
06:42 hoping that I could
06:45 keep the job and
06:48 It's one thing to get to this level. It's next another thing to stay so looking back on it
06:53 I think that was the moment that sticks out for me more than any other moment in my in my
06:58 Professional broadcasting career as a matter of fact, they had like a 25-year reunion
07:03 the Princeton guys for that game, you know Mitch Henderson is
07:10 The coach at Princeton and
07:13 They had me
07:16 To speak to the guys on a zoom it was during Colvin so we couldn't I couldn't go to it
07:22 I don't even think they I don't know if they really got together as but anyway, I did a zoom thing and
07:28 Had a chance to talk to him about that. I mean those guys
07:30 Sidney Johnson was on that team. He's a college coach and
07:35 Good rich and the Welles and yeah, man. Yeah, that's what I remember
07:40 Yeah, I mean what you said 1996 you referenced the Jay-z album cover behind me. That was reasonable doubts here the debut Jay-z. Um, that's right
07:48 speaks to your longevity, right
07:54 Love that song on that album. I love that song on that album are reasonable doubt. My favorite song on that album is 22 twos
08:01 Hmm, remember that a reasonable doubt. Oh, I would go with I would go with feeling it or the evils personally, but yeah 22
08:09 Jay on the on the front end of it, right?
08:12 Right and Maria Taylor was there and you know game was in the back yelling. Anyway, yeah, I got
08:18 Marvin Harrison jr. Declares for the the NFL draft
08:22 Obviously, you know you're a little bit of a part of his career arc with the Maserati Marv nickname
08:27 How much do you think you'll be linked to where he goes from here? I don't know
08:33 Is that caught on does anybody use that?
08:35 I mean because some people like it and some people don't a lot of kids young kids
08:39 I was at the Indiana game the other day
08:41 Indiana Ohio State and I took a picture with the father
08:45 The father had me take a picture with his son and the kid was about 12 and his father said man
08:51 My son really likes that Maserati Marv. I like it. I mean, you know, it's different
08:55 I mean, I know some people like it some people don't maybe but hopefully it sticks Marvin. I talked to Marvin
09:01 About it before the Michigan game. I'd say you like that. He said yeah, I do
09:05 I say you want me to keep using it? He said yes, I do so
09:08 If he likes it, I like it and you know, I just I love my job
09:13 I'm so fortunate and so blessed to be able to do this for a living and
09:17 then I've done it for a long time and
09:20 It's important to me to delight in the excellence of these great athletes that I get a chance to watch
09:27 whether it be Marvin Harrison or Caitlin Clark or guys in the pros and
09:32 And I just want I just like to make it fun and I you know, I
09:36 Think about this stuff all the time. It's always on my mind
09:40 Even when I'm not working
09:42 it's been this job has been a
09:46 Safe haven for me a refuge
09:48 so I just want to delight in the excellence of other people like Maserati and
09:53 And just continue to hopefully come into people's homes and they allow me into their homes and do a good job
10:00 Well, we enjoy when you're on the call and you'll get to delight in that excellence of Caitlin Clark as Iowa takes on Indiana
10:07 Indiana Fox primetime hoops Gus appreciate the time today
10:11 Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it and
10:16 Go Lions
10:18 [BLANK_AUDIO]