Todd Hoffner: Lost Reputation
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, ESPN)
ESPN.com
ESPN The Magazine (on newsstands Friday, May 31)

Minnesota State Mankato football coach Todd Hoffner’s life changed last August when he was charged with child pornography after school officials discovered video of his naked children on his work-issued cell phone. Although cleared, Hoffner was not allowed to return to his coaching job and now finds himself unemployed. In his first television interview, Hoffner tells Steve Delsohn how the chain of events has affected him and his family.

“I couldn’t believe it. I watched the videos and I’m like, come on. They’re laughing; they’re singing; they’re playful; they’re having fun. I just didn’t see the magnitude of arresting somebody for that. I just couldn’t see it.”– Todd Hoffner, on the video that caused him to lose his Minnesota State University coaching job

“My family has been through a nightmare. We will never recover to the point where we were before. Our life isn’t ruined. We won’t let it be ruined from this, but it has changed.” – Melodee Hoffner, wife of Todd Hoffner

Warrior and Warhorse
 (Memorial Day Weekend)

Just a few miles from the Saratoga Racetrack, retired thoroughbreds work with returning veterans in theSaratoga Warhorse program at Song Hill Farm. Tom Rinaldi reports on the emotional reunion of soldiers from the US Army 2^nd Battalion, 135^th Infantry, and how their pairings with horses helped them take the first step toward healing after the death of a fellow soldier.

“If you come here, we know you’re struggling. We know that you’re shut down. I’m not here to fix anyone. But I am here to give them an experience that can change their life.” -- Bob Nevins, Vietnam veteran of 101st Airborne, who runs the Saratoga Warhorse program

Annika Forges a Name in Business
espnW.com

Mechelle Voepel reports on Annika Sorenstam: “Annika, the initially shy Swedish golfer, has transformed into ANNIKA, the head of her own business empire.

“Her endeavors include a golf academy, clothing line, golf-course designing business, wine label, fragrance, financial-planning group, charitable foundation and role as an all-purpose golf ambassador.”

Griner: No Talking Sexuality at Baylor
espnW.com
ESPN The Magazine (upcoming ‘Taboo’ issue on newsstands Friday, May 31)

Brittney Griner talks to ESPNW.com’s Kate Fagan about the difficulties of publicly expressing her sexuality at Baylor.

Subject of E:60 Piece Cited in Illinois Legislation

On October 16, 2012, reporter Jeremy Schaap and ESPN’s award-winning news magazine, E:60 presented an investigative piece revealing that if a high school football player suffers a devastating injury, he may not be properly covered, if at all, by insurance. The example featured was the case of Rocky Clark, a former Eisenhower High School (suburban Chicago) football player who was paralyzed from the neck down when he was tackled during a game 13 years ago.

On Monday, the Illinois House gave final approval to legislation (originated by State Senator Napoleon Harris) that seeks to make sure there are insurance options for student athletes permanently disabled while playing for their school teams. The measure now goes to the governor’s desk for his consideration.

National Championship Game to be Played Monday, May 27, at 1 p.m. on ESPN & WatchESPN

Top-seeded Syracuse leads the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by Northwestern Mutual field – set to air on ESPN networks Saturday, May 25 and Monday, May 27, from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The semifinals will be shown on ESPN2 and WatchESPN as No. 7 seed Duke faces unseeded Cornell at 2:30 p.m., followed by Syracuse against No. 4 seed Denver at 5 p.m. The 2013 season will culminate with the National Championship game Monday at 1 p.m. on ESPN and WatchESPN

ESPN has covered 30 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships since 1980 and 2013 marks the 19th consecutive year of televising the championship weekend games.

Game Features

• Microphones will be worn by all three game officials during the semifinals and championship, providing on-field dialogue throughout the telecast with periodic switches to each official
• Additional microphones will be mounted on the goals and on-field audio will also be present
• The telecast will use nine cameras, plus the SkyCam and Super Slo Motion camera,  which will allow viewers to experience a visually enhanced presentation
• The SkyCam returns for the fourth year and a Live SkyCam Presentation of the title game on Monday can be seen on ESPNU, ESPN3 and WatchESPN with announcer audio and replays
• Among the stories ESPN will be tracking, include: Cornell’s Rob Pannell’s quest to break the NCAA Division I all-time scoring record; Denver’s Wesley Berg, averaging six goals per game during postseason, and is positioned to break the tournament scoring record; Duke, under coach John Danowksi, has been to the Final Four in each of his seven year; Syracuse returns to the semis for first time since 2009; and Denver coach Bill Tierney has amassed an impressive resume in his 27 years of coaching

Commentators
ESPN’s top lacrosse commentating team will again be in position for championship weekend.

• Play-by-play voice Eamon McAnaney will lead the booth
• Joining McAnaney is analyst Quint Kessenich and sideline reporter/analyst Paul Carcaterra – during their college careers – Kessenich (Johns Hopkins) and Carcaterra (Syracuse) both played in four NCAA Championships and each won a national title with their respective teams.

Studio

• Host Anish Shroff and analyst Mark Dixon will cover the National Semifinals from ESPNU’s Charlotte, N.C., headquarters
• The duo will be on site at Lincoln Financial Field for the National Championship on Memorial Day with pregame and halftime reports
• In addition,  Shroff and Dixon will anchor  the NCAA Lacrosse Championship Post Game Show on ESPNU and WatchESPN, immediately following the title game, which will include game reaction, postgame celebration, trophy presentation and net cutting
• Andy Shay, 10^th-year head coach at Yale, will join Shroff and Dixon in studio for the coverage of the semifinals

ESPN Digital

• Both semifinals will be shown on WatchESPN
• The title game will be on WatchESPN, ESPN3 and ESPN MobileTV
• ESPN.com’s Dana O’Neil will have all the weekend’s coverage from Lincoln Financial Field, including game previews and columns

ESPN International

• The semifinal games will be shown live on ESPN Europe and ESPN Middle East
• The title game will air live on ESPN Brazil, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN Europe, ESPN Latin America, ESPN Middle East and Africa and ESPN PacRim

It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sport
ESPN’s ongoing “It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports” brand campaign is celebrating men’s lacrosse with the Flow Chart. The initiative allows lacrosse fans and players a fun way to show off their flow, the cascade of hair falling outside the back of their helmet, by uploading images on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #ESPNFLOWCHART. The Flow Chart is also taking to the road, setting up in the fan activation areas of premier lacrosse events, including on semifinal Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. To view the chart and for more information visit www.espnflowchart.com.

ESPN’s Coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by Northwestern Mutual (Subject to change)

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ESPN Audio will be syndicating the Paul Finebaum show and distribution agreements will be forthcoming. Additionally, Finebaum will appear on a variety of other shows and outlets, including SportsCenter, College Football Live, College GameDay and in ESPN The Magazine.

As the former 20-year host of The Paul Finebaum Show which was syndicated on stations from South Carolina to St. Louis and heard nationally on Sirius XM, Finebaum is known for his ability to tap into the deep-seeded emotions college sports fans have for their teams. As both moderator and provocateur, Finebaum has curated a forum for passionate discussion and debate across the spectrum of college sports while amassing an audience of millions nationwide. Additionally, his former home station, WJOX, became the second-highest rated sports station in the country, thanks largely to Finebaum.  His show attracted nearly a quarter of the adult male listeners in Birmingham, ESPN’s highest-rated college football television market the past several years.

Justin Connolly, senior vice president, programming for the SEC Network said, “Paul has incredible range as a writer, radio personality and reporter. We’re excited to have him join the ESPN team. Paul’s show will create appointment television for viewers and differentiate SEC Network programming in the marketplace.”

Finebaum is the first on-air hire for the SEC Network. Additional announcements will be made in the coming months.

Finebaum said, “I remember something the late Steve Jobs said: `Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.’ In other words, dare to be different. That’s what ESPN and the SEC Network are about. You have the extraordinary coalescence of the premier brand in sports combined with the preeminent conference in intercollegiate athletics.’’  

About Paul Finebaum

After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Finebaum found his way to Birmingham in 1980 and became an award-winning columnist and investigative reporter for the Birmingham Post-Herald and later the Mobile Press-Register. In 2001, he launched the Paul Finebaum Radio Network and quickly became the leading voice on college football in the South. The Tennessean named him one of the SEC’s top power brokers in 2002, and in 2009, the Orlando Sentinel named him one of the SEC’s 10 most powerful people.

The SEC Network

The Southeastern Conference and ESPN have signed a 20-year agreement through 2034 to create and operate a multiplatform network which will launch in August 2014. The new network and its accompanying digital platform will air SEC content 24/7 including more than 1,000 events in its first year. The network will televise approximately 45 SEC football games, more than 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, and events from across the SEC’s 21 sports annually. Programming will also include studio shows, original content such as SEC Storied, spring football games, signing day and pro days coverage. Hundreds of additional live events from various sports will be offered exclusively on the digital platform.

About ESPN Audio

ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPNRadio.com and ESPN Podcasts comprises ESPN Audio.  ESPN Radio, which launched January 1, 1992, provides more than 9,000 hours of talk and event content annually, reaching 24 million listeners a week on 450 nationwide stations, including more than 360 full-time affiliates and clearance in the top 25 markets with owned and/or operated FM stations in New York and Dallas, AM signals in Chicago and Los Angeles.  ESPN Radio programming is also available on Sirius XM and via digital distributors Slacker Radio and Tune In.  ESPN Deportes Radio is the only all-sports Spanish radio network, and has 46 affiliates covering 72% of the Hispanic DMA with stations in the top 10 Hispanic markets, including owned and/or operated stations in New York and Dallas.

ESPNRadio.com is the most listened to live stream of any terrestrial broadcaster in the world — reaching more than 714,000 unique listeners per month who logged more than 95.3 million total listening hours in 2012, with 11.2 million session starts per month (source: Ando Media). ESPN Podcasts logged 188.8 million completed downloads in 2012 via the ESPN PodCenter and iTunes.

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Media contact: Keri Potts, ESPN PR or keri.a.potts@espn.com; 860-766-4483

Scheduling Information
ESPN Images 

LIVE on ESPN Deportes TV  / ESPN Deportes Radio /  ESPN Deportes+
(all times Eastern)

Soccer

Liga MX Final
Cruz Azul vs. Club America
Thursday, May 23, 9:50 p.m.
ESPN Deportes TV / ESPN Deportes Radio

ESPN Deportes will present Cruz Azul vs. Club America in the first leg of a home-and-away Liga MX Final between Mexico City’s two popular clubs. ESPN Deportes Radio’s Jorge Ramos and Hernan Pereyra will provide commentary live from Estadio Azul in Mexico City.  ESPNFC’s Eric Gomez says the match “will be one of the most awaited finals in the league’s history, America will either put a deliciously sweet cherry on top of an unlikely sundae of a season, or will part with what could possibly be considered the most bitter letdown in the team’s 96-year existence.”

International Friendly
Chelsea FC vs. Manchester City
Friday, May 24, 3 a.m. (Delay)
ESPN Deportes TV

Soccer on Other ESPN Deportes Platforms

Copa Libertadores

MLS

International Friendly

 NBA Playoffs

Western Conference Finals
San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies – Game 3
Sunday, May 25, 9 p.m.
ESPN Deportes TV

ESPN Deportes’ coverage of the Western Conference Finals continues with Game 3 when the Memphis Grizzlies and Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol host the San Antonio Spurs and four-time NBA Champion Tim Duncan. The Spurs currently hold a 2-0 lead over the Grizzlies in the series.  San Antonio is 6-1 at home this postseason, while Memphis 1-6 all-time in postseason road games against the Spurs (ESPN Stats and Info).

MLB

Sunday Night Baseball:
Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets
Sunday, May 26, 8 p.m.
ESPN Deportes TV / ESPN Deportes Radio

The New York Mets and David Wright host a divisional showdown against the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves and Justin Upton. This will mark the first series between the teams this year. The game will be available on ESPN Deportes TV, as well as ESPN Deportes Radio and in the New York area, fans can access the game on ESPN Deportes Radio New York AM 1050, which will serve as the flagship radio station for Mets throughout the season.

Boxing

ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates Boxing
Freddy Hernandez (30-4, 1, ND, 20 KOs) vs.
Delvin Rodriguez (27-6-3, 15 KOs)
Friday, May 24, 10:00 p.m.
ESPN Deportes TV and ESPN Deportes+

This week’s Viernes de Combates will feature two top Junior Middleweights – Freddy Hernandez (30-4, 1 ND, 20 KOS) and Delvin Rodriguez (27-6-3, 15 KOS) — in the 10-round main event from Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. Pablo Viruega and Leopoldo Gonzalez will call the fights, with reporter Bernardo Osuna will present live interviews and reports and Claudia Trejos anchoring the studio on site.

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• The matches will begin Thursday, May 23, at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and WatchESPN with a matchup between two of the top three teams in the 2012-13 Barclays Premier League – Chelsea vs. Manchester City – live from Busch Stadium in St. Louis.  Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman and Alexi Lalas will provide commentary.
• ESPN Deportes, ESPN2 and WatchESPN will present Cruz Azul vs. Club America in the first leg of a home-and-away Liga MX Final between Mexico City’s two popular clubs on Thursday, May 23, beginning at 10 p.m.  ESPN Deportes Radio’s Jorge Ramos and Hernan Pereyra will provide Spanish-language commentary live from Estadio Azul in Mexico City.  Dan Thomas and Alejandro Moreno will call the match in English on ESPN2.
• This week’s Major League Soccer on ESPN will feature the Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders on ESPN2 and WatchESPN at 11 p.m. Healey and Twellman will call the match, with Lalas providing on-site studio analysis.
• ESPN’s English-language commentators for the Mexican Men’s National Team – Fernando Palomo (play-by-play), analyst Alejandro Palomo and reporter John Sutcliffe – will be at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Friday, May 31, at 9 p.m., to call the international friendly between reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup champions Mexico and Nigeria, the African Cup of Nations title holders, on ESPNEWS and WatchESPN
• Play-by-play commentator Ian Darke will call two U.S. Men’s National Team matches ahead of its three matches in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying series in June.  Darke, analyst Taylor Twellman, reporter Monica Gonzalez and studio analyst Alexi Lalas will call USA vs. Belgium on May 29, at 8 p.m., live from FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.  On Sunday, June 2, Darke, Twellman and Gonzalez will call USA vs. Germany, at 2 p.m., live from Washington, D.C.  Award-winning studio host Bob Ley, analysts Kasey Keller and Lalas will provide studio commentary from RFK Stadium. 
• On Friday, June 7, ESPN networks will air 14 European qualifying matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup highlighted by Czech Republic vs. Italy at 2:45 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN.

 The schedule (subject to change):

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In addition, Griner will be interviewed in the 1 p.m. hour of SportsCenter on Friday, May 24. ESPN Classic will run a Memorial Day weekend marathon from games of the “3 to See’s” college careers. (See schedule below.)

Veteran play-by-play commentator Pam Ward returns with analyst Carolyn Peck and reporter LaChina Robinson to call the Mystics at Shock, while Ryan Ruocco joins ESPN’s WNBA coverage as a play-by-play voice this season, and will be paired with analysts Rebecca Lobo and reporter Holly Rowe for the Sky at Mercury telecast.

Sue Bird – seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA Champion with the Seattle Storm – will join ESPN anchor Max Bretos in ESPN’s studio on Monday. Bird is sidelined for the 2013 season while recovering from left knee surgery.

   ESPN Classic Memorial Day “3 to See” Marathon

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The May 24 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra  will feature former Junior Middleweight and Welterweight title challenger Delvin Rodriguez (27-6-3, 15 KOs) and former Welterweight title challenger Freddy “El Riel” Hernandez (30-4, 1 ND, 20 KOs) in the 10-round Junior Middleweight main event. Friday’s show from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., will air live at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN. Friday’s card is promoted by Star Boxing.

Commentators:
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN2 HD, while studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will be on site presenting all the latest boxing news and highlights. Pablo Viruega and Leopoldo Gonzalez will call this week’s fights ringside for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights) with Claudia Trejos anchoring the studio on site. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will present live interviews and reports for both shows.

Main Event:
Connecticut’s Rodriguez, who also doubles as a boxing analyst for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates, is making his 16^th fighting appearance on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Rodriguez has had impressive wins throughout his career, including wins over Mike Arnaoutis (W12), Shamone Alvarez (W12), Oscar Diaz (TKO11) and a 10-round unanimous decision win in a rematch over Pawel Wolak, which led to a Junior Middleweight title shot against defending titlist Austin Trout. Rodriguez’s first match against Wolak–a 10-round draw televised on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights–was named “2011 Fight of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). In his last fight in February, Rodriguez scored a sixth-round TKO win over George Tahdooahnippah.

After the fight, ESPN.com boxing writer Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn)  wrote: “Rodriguez, with his home-state fans loudly behind him, simply pummeled Tahdooahnippah, who had nothing but heart and a good chin. Rodriguez nearly stopped him late in the second round as he teed off with flush right hands over and over. Rodriguez opened a cut on the bridge of Tahdooahnippah’s nose in the third and continued to pound him relentlessly, round after round. This was a strong performance from Rodriguez against an utterly overmatched but game foe.”       

California’s Hernandez, who challenged former titlist Andre Berto for his WBC Welterweight belt in 2010, enters Friday’s fight with wins over former world titlists Luis Callazo (W10), Mike Anchondo (TKO4) and DeMarcus Corley (KO5). Hernandez is looking to get back to his winning ways following a 10-round unanimous decision loss to 2008 Olympian Demetrius Andrade in his last fight in January.

“He (Hernandez) needs to get a ‘W’ now to get some more opportunities, and he’s fighting a guy who’s going to give him that opportunity,” advisor Nigel Burns said. “That’s not a knock on Rodriguez, but Rodriguez is more of a fighter than a boxer. I think it should be a good fight. Rodriguez is a good fighter and has fought some good people, and I expect him to actually stand in the pocket and trade with us.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit undefeated Junior Welterweight Issouf “Volcano” Kinda (16-0, 6 KOs) against Chris “Hurricane” Howard (15-2-1, 7 KOs). Kinda scored a second-round knockout win over Javier Loya in his last fight, while Howard is coming off an upset third-round TKO win over Bayan Jargal.

Friday Night Fights-Best KOs & Mike Tyson’s Greatest Hits to Air Before Friday’s Show:
ESPN2 and WatchESPN  will air the best KOs of Friday Night Fights at 9 p.m. and Mike Tyson’s Greatest Hits at 9:30 p.m. prior to Friday’s live show at 10 p.m.

Follow ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like it on Facebook. Follow ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo.  Also score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round.

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The next edition of KIA NBA Countdown is Saturday, May 25, at 8 p.m., followed by Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at 9 p.m.

Michael Wilbon on Memphis in Game 1 and Zach Randolph

Memphis had stage fright; I think they’ll get over that. Zach Randolph can’t get just have shots, he needs to score points. He needs to be up at that 20-point level. Gasol as well.

Bill Simmons on Marc Gasol

I want to see Memphis shoving guys around, banging bodies and getting back to where they were. Gasol has a chance to be the best player in this series. He needs to start playing like it. Usually, the best guy in the series is going to win.

Magic Johnson on key to Grizzlies victory

The Spurs have two advantages that they utilized in Game 1: speed and quickness. If Memphis can’t keep Tony Parker out of the lane, they’re going to have trouble in this series. That penetration has killed the Grizzlies.

Jalen Rose on Tim Duncan

The last couple of games for Tim Duncan, he’s struggled. He got benched against Golden State and he scored in single digits for Game 1. He needs to have a big game in Game 2.

Johnson on defending Tony Parker

You have to double team Tony Parker coming off that pick and roll to make him kick it early, because he has too many options in that lane. Look for Memphis to double team Parker to get it out of his hands early.

Rose on Grizzlies urgency

If the Grizzlies get down 0-2, they have a 16 percent chance to win the series. If we are expecting a long series, the Grizzlies need to show up tonight.

Wilbon on thriving small market teams

You look at the two teams in the Western Conference Finals – San Antonio and Memphis – we’re talking about one-team cities. You’re talking about places where the basketball team is the dominant team.

Johnson on Commissioner Stern

When I came in, The Finals were on tape delay, now they’re on live TV. He got the collective bargaining agreement done. This man is a marketing genius. This game has grown because of his leadership.

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Highlights from the conference call include lots of discussion about the favorites – Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal – including how to beat them, Serena’s maturation as a player and her chance of breaking Evert’s mark of 18 major titles (or even Graf’s 22), plus the state of Roger Federer’s career and the diminished difference between clay courts and grass courts compared to years ago: 

Q. I want to ask you, Chris, whether you think Serena Williams might finally add a second French Open title given the way she’s playing in general and particularly on clay these days.  I’m wondering, given all of her talent, are you surprised that she hasn’t already won several?

CHRIS EVERT:  That’s a good question.  I think it’s long overdue, her second French Open win.  It’s mind-boggling to me that she hasn’t been in the final since 2002.  To me, that’s mind-boggling.  So she hasn’t had her best results at the French.  She has improved tremendously on the clay.  We talk about how she’s improved her game.  But in my mind I’m impressed with how consistent she’s become and how patient she’s become and how she’s harnessing that power to be not only an effective clay court player but a tremendous clay court player.  I think she had a quote, I can’t remember the newspaper, about, When I look in the mirror, that’s my chief competition.  The thing is, if Serena Williams doesn’t have a bad day like she did last year against Razzano, she just manages to play her normal game, I think she will win her second French Open, yes.  

Q. I wanted to ask about Nadal, another person who’s just been dominant this year.  In January everybody was wondering, oh, my God, is he ever going to come back, will he ever be the same.  Can you talk about what he’s done so far and is he invincible on clay. 

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  Yeah, I think he is invincible on clay.  To be honest, it’s not just a clay court comeback.  He’s only lost a couple of matches.  I guess there’s a lesson to be learned from taking a lot of time off when you’re injured.  He’s clearly by most definitions a clear favorite to win the French.  That said, I’ve picked Djokovic to win it because I’m a big believer in Novak’s game and I believe he’s going to be able to take him down.  

CHRIS EVERT:  Wow, Cliff.  If I can say one thing about Djokovic.  I was so impressed with the way he played Nadal last year at the French Open, especially when Nadal kind of cruised through the first two sets, then Djokovic went on a tear and won the third set, was up a break in the fourth.  That made me realize then that Djokovic was a definite contender for the French Open.  I think Nadal looks like the favorite, but I think Djokovic can threaten him definitely.  I wonder if Nadal is a little fearful of playing Djokovic.  I think that’s going to be the intriguing matchup.  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  In 2011, he took Rafa down a few times on the clay, which was really I think when the whole thing changed for Djokovic.  I think he’s a different player now.  He doesn’t have the same record that Nadal has at this point.  If I had to bet my house on it, I guess I’d have to go with Rafa for sure based on his record and the way he’s playing now.  But there are some questions about the fact he hasn’t played that much, he took all that time off, and his knees obviously.  

Q. Chris, this is sort of geared toward Nadal.  Could you speak to the main challenge of a top player returning to the game after an extended break, in his case seven months.  Is it confidence, ball striking, timing?  What all goes into regaining that form after an extended break? 

CHRIS EVERT:  Oh, my God.  All of the above.  That’s a great question.  Maybe Cliff can answer this, too, because maybe he’s taken time off.  I took a period of three or four months off, and I came back.  Definitely confidence, no doubt about it.  Your confidence is waning a little bit.  Definitely the timing, the striking of the ball, the reaction time.  Definitely the concentration.   You’re going to get more winded because you haven’t done tennis cardiovascular.  You maybe trained hard off the court, but a match cardiovascular is a lot different. 

I just think every element is affected both physically, mentally and emotionally, psychologically.  Everything is affected when you first come back.  For these champions, it only takes about two or three tournaments to get back, for me.  Once you have those two or three tournaments under your belt, I think you’re fresher and your mind is more clear and you’re better off than when you left for seven months.  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  I totally agree with the last thing you said.  There are two sides to that coin.  You take time off, it might hurt you, but it also gives you, as you said, a new enthusiasm quotient, liveliness quotient.  You really want to be on the court.  You’re not tired out.  It’s like picking up a new tennis racquet sometimes.  A new piece of equipment gives you a new lease on life.  History is dotted with people who have come back.  We talk about Serena.  How many times has she come back and shows no signs of a negative result because of it.  

Q. Chris, with clay, the surface from your standpoint, what are some of the things you love about it as a player, what are some of the things that you hate about it as a player?

CHRIS EVERT:  First of all, I think the clay is fast.  I think the balls are faster, the clay is faster.  The conditions are faster than when I was playing.  Plus the fact that players are obviously hitting the ball harder.  I guess the point I’m trying to make, you have to have patience up to a certain point, but you don’t have to have as much patience as my days, when you played moon ballers, you had rallies of 20 shots.  

The tough thing is sliding.  If you haven’t grown up on clay, it’s hard to learn that instinctive sliding technique.  So if you’re not used to sliding, if you don’t like it, you’re going to have trouble.  That’s one tough thing. 

Again, you’re going to have to hit three or four more balls to win a point.  Kind of backtracking, contradicting myself.  Patience is a factor.  If you’re not patient, you’re not going to win on clay.  So the patience, the sliding is tough.  

I like the fact that you have a little more time to think of a strategy, a little more time to work the ball around the court, to sort of work the point.  I like that.  You’re not as rushed as on other surfaces.  You feel if you’re a defensive player, you’ve got at least a shot.  It’s important to be defensive and offensive on the clay.  But it’s better to be defensive on the clay.  It gives you more benefits than being defensive on any other surface.  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  I think Chris made the best point when she said the surfaces have become more universal.  The balls are much more lively now than they used to be.  The court is playing much quicker than it used to.  You’ve got the options on clay now, as well.  

To me the biggest thing about clay is it’s so much easier on the body.  I think Rafael Nadal might get his wish one of these days, there may be more tournaments played on clay.  There’s discussions about even turning Miami into a clay court tournament.  It’s easier on the body and I think it would help the longevity of the players. 

From a technical standpoint, as Chris was saying, it’s a different kind of game.  The transition from the French to Wimbledon used to be really dramatic, and it’s not as dramatic now as it was, because Wimbledon is much slower and the French is much quicker.  

Q. Chris, do you think any of the women on the tour are mentally in position to be able to beat Serena?  And to both of you, the status of Federer’s game, in particular his movement? 

CHRIS EVERT:  That’s a good question.  I just think when I look at someone like Azarenka, she actually played a good second set against Serena.  She didn’t play a bad match against Serena, yet she won four games.  When I look at that stat, then I look at Maria, she handled Maria so easily on the clay.  

I don’t think it’s going to take a player to overpower her.  First of all, I don’t think anybody out there can overpower her.  The thing that we have to remember is this is still Serena’s weakest surface.  Let’s not lose sight of that.  She has to, as she said in her own press conferences, she has to remain really consistent, cut down on the errors.  She likes to go for her shots.  This is where she’s transformed herself into a better clay court player.  

If there was a player that came out of the blue that was crafty, had a great dropshot, had some great short angling to get her off the baseline, bring her up to the net, I think that’s the only chance that anybody has.   The day of the Martina Hingis type players, I don’t see those players as much anymore.  I just see players that just like to bash the ball from the baseline and use their power more.  I think it would take a versatile player like that to carve shots, dropshots, slice, get Serena off her rhythm, bring her up to the net.  If there’s a player out there like that, maybe we’ll see her in the next couple weeks.  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  You’ve got to remember that her serve is so dominant now.  The court is playing a little faster at the French, so that’s helping her.  Number two, she’s not squawking and squealing like she used to on the court.  She’s much calmer.  I think that’s made a huge difference to her as well.  

You talked about patience earlier.  She’s much more patient.  She doesn’t take things as seriously as she used to.  She’s in a much better place mentally.  She cannot be beaten by anybody but herself.  

CHRIS EVERT:  I think you’re absolutely right.  If you look at her on TV, she’s managing her emotions in between points so much better and she’s managing her energy.  She’s conserving her energy.  She’s like in her own little zone, own little world.  She’s going to need that for the French.  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  All that said, I want to emphasize what you said, don’t forget this is her weakest surface.  If there’s a chance to beat her, this is it.  

CHRIS EVERT:  And the first week.  Because once she gets grooved, going into the second week, she’s going to be tougher.  

Q. Cliff, your feelings on Federer, the status of his game, particularly his movement? 

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  Don’t write him off.  We’ve written him off a few times in the past.  My sense always with him is he’s also mentally in a really good place.  He doesn’t mind losing matches.  Just from a technical, mechanical standpoint now, he may be, all things being equal, I think Andy Murray and Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, would be at least 50, maybe a little above 50 on the head-to-head with him, 50/50, but he is still a contender.  I just caution you, if you check his record, he’s never anywhere other than at the end of the a tournament.  If you get to the semifinals, anything can happen in these events.  I know it’s a cliché, but I’m cautioning everyone that we’ve written him off before.  Suddenly two years ago he wins the French championships and he’s No. 1 in the world. 

I think his movement has always been his strong point.  I think it still is one of his strongest points.  If there’s an issue with Fed, sometimes his confidence during a match, he starts to spray balls.  He used to be able to get away with it, but he doesn’t anymore.  Djokovic, Nadal, Andy Murray don’t allow you to get away with it.  

CHRIS EVERT:  The thing with Roger, two things have to be working for him to win a Grand Slam again:  his serve, his forehand.  Like Cliffy said, when he slaps that forehand around, he can slap it for winners or he can slap it for errors.  But that forehand has to be a weapon.  He’s got to be making those slaps.  His first serve, he’s got to win some free points.  It’s a lot of work for him on the clay.  That’s why for me, Wimbledon is the one tournament where he can get away with a big serve and a big forehand a little bit easier.  Anyway, I put him like fourth or fifth as a favorite.  

Q.  Sorry to dwell on Serena, but do you feel like she needs that second French to secure her place to the upper echelon, if you will? 

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  Not in my book.  

CHRIS EVERT:  No, no.  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  She’s secured it already.  The fact that she hasn’t won the French twice, she’s won it once.  You know, I look at it sort of from a historical standpoint and wonder who would you put up against Serena.  Chris can answer this question a lot better.  Try to put herself up or Martina or even Steffi.  It’s hard for me to imagine, day in, day out, if Serena is playing like she’s playing now, that you can’t count her already as one of the all-time greats even if she doesn’t win the French.  

CHRIS EVERT:  It’s not going to put a blemish on her record at all, especially if she continues to win Wimbledon and the US Open and the Australian.  I think with her serve and her athleticism, her power, her court mobility, I just think when she’s on, she’s the greatest player we’ve ever seen, ever.  Now, whether her record is the greatest remains to be seen because she hasn’t retired yet.  But I think she is really the greatest player.  I have seen Martina and Steffi at their best.  There are little chinks in those players’ armor, but it was a different era, where you didn’t need to be the perfect player.  

On the one hand I hate comparing generations because I feel the current generation is going to be better, but on the other hand it’s hard to imagine a better player than Serena when she’s playing well.  I don’t even know if that was the question, but I just had to answer it that way.  If you talk about Grand Slams, you know, to me she’s going to pass Martina and I.  It’s still a reachable goal for her to win 22 and match Steffi.  If she plays another two, three, four years healthy, she can break all those records.  

Q. Do you think there’s any concern for Djokovic considering he lost in the first round to Dimitrov and then lost the match to Berdych where he was 5-2 up?  Do you think he’s placing too much pressure on himself for the French Open?  And then there’s 12 American women in the top 100 of the WTA.  Do you see any of those women besides Serena making noise in the second week of the French Open? 

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  On Novak, no, I don’t think that he came that close.  I think mentally he’s very strong.  He’s the kind of player who does not get down on himself because of a loss.  The things that he says, his thought processes are kind of like Andre Agassi who talked about enjoying the journey, the process, of getting to places on a tennis court.  I just think that, no, it doesn’t hurt him.  If anything, losing early gives him a little more rest.  I watch him play.  I wonder how the heck these top players can play week in, week out at that intensity and level. 

I don’t think it hurts Djokovic.  If it would have hurt him any way, it would have been mentally for him to say, Oh, gee, I’m not playing as well.  I don’t think he’s susceptible to that kind of thinking.  

As for the ladies, the 12 in the top 100 in the U.S. I’m very excited by that.  I think Madison Keys has got a real shot.  It’s a matter of maturity.  I think Sloane Stephens is equally in.  Maybe not a legitimate shot to win, but I’d be very surprised if we don’t see a move from either her or Madison Keys, Lauren, Jamie Hampton, with real serious shots at getting top 10 and then eventually even top 5.  Most of them are young, enthusiastic and really talented.  This has a really high enthusiasm quotient for me.  

CHRIS EVERT:  The first question about Djokovic, he’s gone on record saying that the French Open is the most important tournament for him this year.  I just think that speaks for itself.  I think whatever has happened before, he does have a win over Nadal this year.  Whatever has happened, I think he’s going to erase the losses and go into this fresh.  He wants this one badly, very much like a Maria Sharapova wanted the French last year.  In saying that, that I think is going to give him more motivation.  

As far as the women, I agree with Cliffy.  Nobody stands out for the French Open as far as really doing some damage the second week.  We’ve got a really consistent roster.  Bethanie Mattek, she’s had wins over Sloane Stephens, Errani, who is a great clay courter.  She’s gone from like 400 to 100 in three months.  I think she is the most improved American player we’ve seen in the last few months.  There’s some big names, and Cliff mentioned them.  Madison and Sloane, Christina McHale, Lauren Davis just beat Christina McHale, and I’m proud of her because she trains at my academy.  But there’s some good, solid American girls that I think in the next couple years could be top 20 definitely.  

Q. I was hoping you would give some advice to Maria on what she can do at this point to make more of an impression on Serena’s game on clay or in general.  Serena leads 13-2 head-to-head.  She’s No. 2 in the world, vying for the No. 1 spot from time to time. 

CHRIS EVERT:  And remember, Maria didn’t have to beat Serena last year at the French Open, right?  She didn’t have to beat Azarenka in the French.  I think last year, the draw opened up perfectly for Maria.  The tough thing about Maria, the tough thing for her playing Serena is that Maria’s strength, which is her return of serve, really isn’t a strength against Serena, so she can’t win those free points on her return of serve because Serena’s strength that feeds into Maria’s strength is so dominating.  

When you get on the clay and you start to look at how important moving is, sliding on the clay, really Serena I think is head and shoulders above.  Even though Maria’s movement has improved, Serena is still head and shoulders on the clay as far as movement.  It’s tough, but at the same time Maria has to believe and just keep that confidence going because she did play a great set and a half at Sony Ericsson.  She was dominating, moving well, dictating the points.  Serena was a touch off.  I think it’s an uphill battle for Maria.  Knowing how mentally tough she is, how much she is a fighter, she has just got to hope that Serena has a little bit of a lapse maybe of concentration or whatever and just dive in there at that point.  That’s how I feel about that.  What do you think, Cliff?  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  What you said, I could not add anything to it that makes any more sense.  You’re exactly right about the points that you’re making.   It is about the movement.  That’s the problem.  The question always is, How can she beat her?  Maybe tripping her up when they’re crossing sides after 1-Love in the first set, that would be the best solution.  Going back to one thing you said, Chris, to add to what you said earlier, believe it or not this is the best chance you have to beat Serena on this surface overall.  You have to bear that in mind.  Take comfort in the fact this is her least effective surface, do whatever you can.  I think I’m very impressed with the way Maria has come back.  She had a tough time with Azarenka last year.  But she’s just such a mentally tough competitor, always has been, and it stays that way.  It’s all about Serena.  Every tournament is all about Serena.  But Maria is still in there with her mental strength.  She could do it.  Look, Serena may lose again early.  You never know.  

CHRIS EVERT:  The other thing is she’s players, like Cliff said, when they go into a match against Serena on the red clay, they have to have a little bit of confidence anyway knowing that Serena’s only won this title one time, and that clay hasn’t been her best surface in the past.  Maybe there is a shadow of doubt.  She may be impatient.  She may make errors.  They’ve got to see that there’s a little window when they play her at the French versus the other Grand Slams.  

Q. Thinking back to a year ago at Roland Garros, Errani making it to the final.  Chris, are there two or three names you would throw out there who have never won a Grand Slam title, maybe never made the final of a championship, who you think could be a surprise person to make a run into the second week? 

CHRIS EVERT:  I think Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the way her form has been the last two months, being an American, she’s at a really good place right now in her life and with her tennis.  Most of the people that come to mind, like Li Na, who has won it, you can’t underestimate her.  Radwanska, I’m still waiting for her to make that step because I think she’s the kind of crafty, smart player that should on paper do well at the French.  I don’t think that’s been one of her better tournaments either.  So look for her a little bit to do something.  (But) it’s a tough one.  I look at Sam Stosur.  There’s a lot of players, as I said before, like Ivanovic, like Li Na, like Sam Stosur, who have shown they can do well on the red clay.  Maybe Ivanovic is another good one.  She’s had some good results lately.  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  I was going to mention her.  I wonder what you think about Wozniacki, have we seen the last of her?  I think she’s got another big win in her, too.  She’s a potential surprise because she’s got the defensive game and clay is by definition good for the defensive players.  I like you’re call about Ana because she had her serving problems the same way Maria did, and she seems to have overcome them.  

CHRIS EVERT:  Cirstea, Errani, they’re all dangerous players.  You mention Wozniacki, two years ago she’s No. 1 in the world.  She seems to be losing.  Before she never lost to players she never should lose to.  Now she’s losing to players ranked below her.  I want to see her do well, but she hasn’t shown me she’s a threat. 

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  Makarova.  There’s my outside pick.  

Q. It’s the Serena day.  When you’re talking to other players, how incredibly dominant she is, it’s hard to come up with anybody who has a chance to knock her off, how demoralizing must it be for the other players?  How many players out there do you think really believe, I can beat Serena Williams?  You have perspective that we don’t have about what goes into the mindset of all these women going into a tournament knowing that this woman is just steamrolling over everybody.  What would be able to keep you hopeful you could beat her?  Do you think people go into it defeated when they play her? 

CHRIS EVERT:  I think 99% of the players go out there knowing that they’re going to lose.  I do think that.  Azarenka, Maria, I just think they definitely give themselves a chance.  There’s no way they walk out on the court with Serena and think they’re going to lose.  They give themselves a chance because they’re confident and they have beaten Serena before.  They do, especially at the French, this is her weakest surface, she could have a bad day.  She has the ability to make errors.  I’m going to get a little more time to return that dominating serve.  I think of all the Grand Slams, this is the one those top players feel they do have a shot and feel a little more confidence. 

As far as the other players, the only thing is, if you go out there and play Serena, you see that she’s not in a good mood, she’s starting to spray balls, then I think the body language could give players confidence after a couple of games.  It has a lot to do with her body language, the way she’s playing.  It almost doesn’t matter how you’re playing.  It almost doesn’t matter.  You know what, the other players probably hate it when we say this, but it really is all about Serena and how she’s feeling and how she’s playing.  

Q. Would you have liked to have played her, Chris? 

CHRIS EVERT:  Well, really, do we have to ask that question (laughter)?  I mean, I would have played her 30 years ago.  That’s unfair to ask.  I mean, with my mind I probably would have definitely drawn her in.  When I’m commentating, I’m screaming.  I’m like under my breath, ‘Dropshot, hit a short angle, come in, show her something different.’  You can’t be banging balls from the baseline with her.  You’re not going to win.  She’s got a good volley, she doesn’t have a great volley, but she has a great everything else.  Expose her weaknesses a little more.  Is it tough to get a dropshot, absolutely.  But she will give you some mid-court balls.  You’ve got to be creative and do something different with those shots.  I don’t think Maria has that in her repertoire.  I think Vika does.  I think Li Na does.  You’ve got to really try to find the right shots to use against her.  To me they’re the dropshots, short angles, drawing her into the net.  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  If you look at it from the other angle, the other question along the same lines is not are the other players beaten when they take the court against her, but what about from her standpoint.  She’s lost only two matches this year.  She’s only lost two matches this year.  But there is time after all the weeks, the practicing, the matches, when you get to a point in a match sometimes where you say, Wait a minute, what is this pip-squeak doing breaking my serve in the first set?  You start to think about it, spray a few balls.  There’s always the hope from someone playing against her, Errani did it last year, where you do see the opening that Chris was talking about.  It’s not a foregone conclusion.  You wouldn’t bet against her, but there’s two sides to the mental equation.  

CHRIS EVERT:  Also she’s not 21, she’s 31.  I always found that even though she’s had a lot of not vacations, but periods where she’s taken rest and rehabilitated, she’s been out of the game, she still has played a lot of matches.  She has to play seven solid, good matches.  When you get older, as Roger Federer is finding out the hard way, you have more off days.  No doubts about it, you have more off days because you’re not as mentally fresh as you were when you were 21.  That could be a danger for her also.  My last two years that I played, I’d wake up in the morning and I didn’t want to get out of bed.  I dreaded knowing I had to go out there and play a match.  That happened not frequently but once in a while.  

Q. I have so enjoyed this game planning talk.  Would you both take a crack at Nadal.  In other words, how would you construct a game plan against Nadal at the French?  Is there any point in trying to play better defense or be more patient?  What do you expose? 

CHRIS EVERT:  You know what, same thing.  

Q. Same answer applies? 

CHRIS EVERT:  I have seen Nadal eight feet behind the baseline.  I have seen players dropshot him.  He doesn’t like it.  He doesn’t like running up.  He doesn’t like being on the defensive.  He doesn’t like being at the net.  You got to take them out of their power zone, right?  You have to hit the short angles, dropshots, slice it.  I think you have to bring him in, hit them shorter.  And I think you have to have a big first serve.  Cliffy, what do you think?  

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  I think those are all really good points.  It’s hard for me to imagine.  There’s got to be more to it than that.  My feeling on Rafa, he’s way behind the baseline, like you said.  By definition with his strokes, they’ve got so much topspin on them, they’ll jump up a lot.  But eventually by definition they end up short.  In 2011 the way that Djokovic took him down was by standing on the baseline waiting for the short ball and then making Rafa run every which way from east to west on his side of the court.  That is still the formula for beating him.  It’s easy to say from a strategic standpoint; it’s not that easy to do.  

A guy like Federer, for example, with the one-handed backhand, he just can’t do that, whereas a Djokovic can.  Andy Murray has also got a kind of game, but I’m not sure he can do it on the clay courts, that can do that same thing:  stalk the baseline, wait for the short ball, then bang it.  That’s how Rafa is vulnerable.  The problem is you have to do it for five sets, four hours, and be in great shape.  You don’t have that much margin because, by definition, you’re a much more flat ball hitter than he is with all the topspin he has.  That’s the solution.  

CHRIS EVERT:  I think that Roger’s backhand, I could be completely wrong on that, but I think on the clay he has a good slice.  He can hit that high backhand slice, hit a short angle.  He has that dropshot.  But I think Roger, again, could take a set off him.  But to keep that up for five sets, yeah, I think Djokovic is the only one. 

But Djokovic has the touch.  He’s got to mix it up, though.  

Q. As analysts, when you’re watching the matches, can you tell before the players themselves that the wheels are starting to come off the bus, that they’re starting to lose things? 

CLIFF DRYSDALE:  That’s an interesting question.  I think both Chris and I can tell, you have a sense for when a match is turning around.  It’s quite clear often.  You can see it before your eyes.  But I’m not sure that we can tell before the players themselves.

CHRIS EVERT:  I think that we can tell before the opponent can see it, for sure.  When we’re up there in the box, we’re watching the action down on the court, we’re seeing like Victoria Azarenka play Serena, all of a sudden the point is over, the person that is kind of starting to be upset, starting to show more body language, we see it because the opponent, her attention is centered around herself.  She’s not like looking to the other side of the court and saying to herself, Whoa, she’s really upset, I’m going to use it to my advantage.  The beauty of commentating is we can see that pretty quickly.  Both Cliffy and I, this is the advantage of having played a lot, having had good careers, Grand Slam careers, definitely we can sense, especially knowing the person, what the next move is going to be, how they’re going to react.  I think we can see the wheels falling off quicker than their opponent can see it.  

-30-

RICH FEINBERG:  For myself and my colleagues on the phone and the rest of our team behind the scenes, we’re really excited about being able to broadcast the Indianapolis 500 on ABC at 11 o’clock this coming Sunday.  It will be the culmination of months of planning.  We’re really, really excited about it.  What we’ve seen in the past couple of weeks and this past weekend from the story line point of view really gives us a great opportunity to put on a tremendous show for our fans and viewers.  Speeds at over 228 miles an hour, a great front row with Ed Carpenter on the pole, the first owner driver to do so since A.J. Foyt in 1975.  The rookie, and the youngest driver to qualify on the front row ever at the Indianapolis 500, Carlos Munoz, and of course one of the great names in motorsports and in Indianapolis Marco Andretti also on the front row. 

So we’re blessed with tremendous story lines.  It’s a privilege and an honor to do what we get to do, so thank you. 

EDDIE CHEEVER:  I think we’re really having a continuation of what we had last year with these new cars.  There is no single group or two groups, which in the past have been Penske and Ganassi, that have a monopoly on speed.  If you look at the front row, it’s a very diverse group with Ed Carpenter on pole and a rookie, and Munoz and Andretti in third place.  It’s been amazing to watch all these different teams running as competitively as they have.  Definitely Chevy came back after the loss it had last year with a vengeance.  They have really dominated qualifying.  It will be interesting to see how Honda fights back from the technical perspective over these very tough 500 miles. 

I’d say the biggest story that we’ve seen so far is the almost dominance of Andretti Autosport.  All their drivers have been fast throughout the month.  They haven’t put one foot wrong.  They have two drivers on the front row, and of course, Marco Andretti being out there, and he’s no longer a young driver.  I think he’s done seven of these 500s so far. 

You can expect a lot of the younger drivers pushing for a win.  I think, obviously, every year we witness history.  But I think this time it will be a very difficult race to call because there will be so many cars competing for the win.  They also have the nuance that is sitting there that this might be the first time in many, many years that we’re going to add a driver to that very rare group of racing drivers that have won the Indy 500 four times.  So Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves will have to get everything absolutely perfect to join that very elusive club. 

SCOTT GOODYEAR:  First off, let me say I always enjoy coming back for this event.  And as a driver, I always said it was a team effort because the driver drove the race cars and very much the same way for the television group that, although they see us in the booth, there is a whole team of people behind us in the hundreds that are there to make the event happen.  So I’ve never lost on that. 

To follow up something that Eddie was saying; the second year with these new cars, tremendous running again.  We saw that last year with multiple passes and drivers being very comfortable being able to run in traffic.  Speaking to most of them again here this month, they’re saying the same thing.  Also witnessed on Sunday, which is after pole day being Saturday and bump day being early on Sunday, a lot of drivers out there running in traffic, in packs, getting prepared for the race in groups of 12, 14, 15 cars.  It was almost like a mini race going on there for about 20 or 25 minutes, people doing full tank runs.  So very encouraging that we’re going to have another tremendous race again this year much as we saw last year. 

The four time winner, obviously, we might have a fourth four time winner, which we’ve talked about this month, which is very exciting.  I’m also thinking a little of the changing of the guards.  We’ve talked about, and Rich mentioned it, a rookie on the front row; the youngest driver ever to sit up there.  Well, he’s 21 years old, the youngest driver in the field.  Buddy Lazier is back, and he’s 45.  16 starts, if I can recall for Buddy. 

Just wondering if there’s a bit of the changing of the guard happening here.  The young drivers are very aggressive.  They are very much up in the front each and every weekend.  Dario just turned 40 on Sunday, if I’m not mistaken, Helio is 38.  Starting to see a little bit of the changing of the guard for these young drivers which is exciting to watch because they’re always aggressive and always put on a great show. 

MARTY REID:  A lot of yellow cars.  I don’t know if anybody’s noticed.  Every year there seems to be another color that is predominant on the paint scheme, and shades of yellow seem to be this year.  The thing that excites me is I started coming to this race when I was working at the local NBC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio in ’82, and started working with a company covering qualifying and Carb Day in ’91, and it’s now my 8th year now of being in the play by play seat.  I still get the same feeling every time I pull through that tunnel, and for all of us that love motorsports, this is hallowed ground. 

As Eddie mentioned, we’ll write another page of history, and it may be very significant history because, obviously, with Dario and Helio going after number four, it could be a monumental day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  I get so excited thinking about it. 

What’s really been neat and we haven’t mentioned Lindsay Czarniak who is going to be our host this year, and this will be her first, And she’s wide eyed.  She was here this past weekend for qualifications, and she’s absorbing everything and really just been a sponge, she loves it so much.  That really excited me also, because I knew she knew Motorsports and loved it, but she’d never been here for the 500.  Now she’s got the same kind of fever that we all have.  So we’ve got a great team and looking forward to a great day. 

Q.         My question would be for Eddie and Scott.  Just looking at the performance of the American drivers with Ed Carpenter on the pole, and A.J. Allmendinger qualifying fifth and with Hunter Reay in the fast nine and being the defending series champion, I’m wondering is there any significance that could be ascribed to that?  Is that indicative of a resurgence of an American driver trend?  Just want to get your thoughts on that if there’s something bigger going on there?

CHEEVER:  I was really hoping somebody today would ask that question, because this morning I was going through all the nationalities that are racing at the Indy 500.  And if I’m correct, there are 11 American drivers, there are two American drivers on the front row.  There is a certain point in time when A.J. Foyt didn’t exist, nor Rutherford, nor the youngsters.  And they became what they became through the 500. 

I think like Scott alluded to before there is a whole new guard of drivers that are on their way and the Americans are, I would say very well positioned to win this 500.  It’s great as the next American driver who has raced all over the world in all sorts of races to come here and be working at ABC and assume this resurgence of American drivers. 

Who knows.  We might be starting a brand new dynasty on Sunday.  And anybody who is going to win this race is going to have to beat a very large contingency of American based drivers, and that is great.  I have many friends all over the world that I have raced with from Brazil, France, Italy.  There is nothing to say against them.  It’s great to see so many drivers are representing America in this year’s 500. 

GOODYEAR:  It’s very interesting to see how the American drivers are putting themselves in the right place at the right time.  A lot of times we’ve had drivers that maybe weren’t placed on the right team with the right equipment and in the right situation, and that’s certainly changed here.  It’s been changing for the last couple of years, obviously, with AJ Allmendinger who is noted as a rookie, but has a lot of open wheel experience along with his NASCAR experience, is with the right team, there is no doubt about it.  Very impressive how he’s adapted to the new cars and gotten up to speed with all of the pressures that he has on him for running for Penske and some of the things in the outside world that have gone on in his life. 

But you think about JR Hildebrand, over 25 years old, if I’m not mistaken, and just a driver that has a lot of talent and wealth and has gone through the feeder system that the IndyCar Series has put in place.  I think we’re paying more attention today to the junior formulas for young race car drivers and they now have an outlet and a ladder system that the IndyCar Series has put together, whether it’s the form of a Ford, now the form of the F, the Mazda series, the Indy Lights series, they now have a stepping stone and they have something that they can set their eyes on. 

I know when I got involved in racing there was not that type of series, and you hoped that you were in the right series that was getting the right amount of attention drawn to it and that the team owners were paying attention to it. 

You know, we’d send letters after every Sunday sending a note out to all team owners.  I would, anyways, including Roger Penske, that this is how we did this weekend.  We didn’t have social media back then.  That probably makes it a little easier.  But the drivers today have to go out there and market themselves just as hard off the track as they do competing on the track. 

One other note on that:  We talked about the American drivers and you mentioned Ed Carpenter.  Let’s not forget, that is a single car team, a single car team with a good budget, not a massive budget like Ganassi or Penske.  And they have multiple cars and multiple information packets coming to them.  That’s why this is so impressive by Ed. 

If you watch that run, 229 and the car starts to slide, he doesn’t take his foot off of it.  He has now arrived as an American race car driver that is competing at a top level he can compete in around the world.  So I think we need to really give him the recognition he deserves.

Q.         Following up on the American drivers.  What about Graham Rahal?  Can you talk about him reuniting with his dad, what kind of chance that gives him, and just the chance to have a second, talk about history, a father son combo to win this thing?

CHEEVER:  I never drove for my father, but I would have said I would have dreaded driving for my father because it would be difficult to differentiate business from personal things.  But seeing him raised with his dad, I think it’s great.  His dad is definitely a thinker driver, and if he can pass that over to his son, it will be a great team.

I always enjoy listening to Bobby on the radio when he’s talking to his race car drivers, and I think it’s great.  I think it’s really important that those relationships continue and that the public can embrace this whole new generation of drivers. 

If we look at what happened inside and how successful the Unser family was, again, we might be starting that same opportunity here with the Rahals.  What I have found interesting was he raced in many a team before he returned to his father’s team; whereas, Marco Andretti has only raced in Andretti Motorsport.  It’s just a different way of approaching your son’s career if you’re looking at it from a father’s perspective. 

GOODYEAR:  I have to say, my youngest son, Michael, started karting just a couple years ago, and Eddie and I have spoken about this because his son is also racing karts in Europe.  There is a lot of pressure on younger drivers whose fathers have competed in cars.  I have always felt for Marco, because I could always see the pressure on him, the strain on his face.  Then four years ago when my son started karting, I think it became apparent that it might not be the best thing for young drivers.  It can be the best thing and the worst thing, and I guess it’s how you accept the pressure. 

Marco has always said he’s his own driver, and I know Michael during his career, because we raced against each other even starting Formula 4 at a young age through the IndyCars.  All the interviews Michael said, I don’t feel the pressure; I’m going to do my own thing.  And since he’s been out of the car.  I have seen him comment that he did know there was a lot of pressure on him.  He was very conscious of it, and it has to play a part when you are walking around the pit lane or especially when things are not going well. 

For that, I really congratulate Marco because for him to go out and run and be able to compete well as he’s done, especially this year.  I think he’s now getting comfortable in himself.  It’s taken quite a few years.  To Eddie’s point about Graham, maybe it would have been better for Marco to go off and go somewhere else.  Maybe he would have reached this level sooner than what he has done. 

But he’s matured.  He’s becoming a thinking driver.  His off season preparation this year, I think, also going off and looking at his performance and getting a driving coach, I think he’s become as serious as he maybe should have been a few years ago about trying to get the job done and trying to go outside the box as far as what he needs to do to do that. 

With Graham, I’m surprised he’s not running better.  I think if you ask him, he would say that he’s disappointed and probably shocked that they’re not running better.  He wasn’t very happy the last couple of years and the spring time before the first race he did speak on interviews and a lot to say about the team before he was left, and how this was going to be much better. 

With the exception of a second at Long Beach, it’s not been great.  So this is, hopefully, the first race where he can make the car run up front and improve his standings in not only the series but each individual race perspective. 

But there again, as the son of a former race car driver, the pressure on these drivers is intense. 

Q.         Scott and Eddie, the Foyt name will always be huge in the state of Texas, but nationally and internationally it’s hit a little bit of a dry spell in the last decade.  What’s it mean to the sport to have Foyt’s team making a resurgence this year? 

GOODYEAR:  I would just add a quick comment on that and then I’ll let Eddie because Eddie drove for A.J., though I had an offer from A.J. when I was competing in CART.  I went a different direction.  But there again, I think if you drove for A.J., there’s going to be a lot of pressure there.  There is probably no doubt about that. 

I think everybody still knows the name A.J. Foyt like they do Mario Andretti, but it’s great to see that their names are still involved in this sport because the changing of the guard happens often. 

When I got involved, the guys that started to retire were A.J. and Mario, and the next wave seemed to be Rahal and Sullivan.  There is no doubt the sport is getting younger.  But I think for the fans out there, they love to see A.J., Mario, and the Unsers around.  If they’re still competing, I guess their names will be out there. 

And that is the trick of this business right now is continuing to create stars, and I think we’re on that road now with the American drivers, as we discussed, and it’s getting a resurgence back to having Americans competing at a high level in IndyCar.  I’ll pass it along to Eddie. 

CHEEVER:  I’ve always been a firm believer that the allure of the 500 was based not only on the circuit and the prize money and all the noise that surrounded the Indy 500, but on the characters of the drivers that were driving in that era.  I think it’s not too big of a sentence to say this sport was built on the shoulders of the A.J.s and the Unsers and the Rutherfords, and I could go on and on and on. 

Anywhere I’ve gone as a race car driver as I talk about the Indy 500, all over the world, they all understand what the Indy 500 is and they will inevitably ask me about A.J. Foyt.  He is an American icon. 

I ended up racing for him in the ’90s, and it was a great experience.  I’ve walked through airports with him, and I’ve seen grown men drop what they’re doing and go grab a piece of paper and get in line like little kids to get his autograph.  I have to say seeing his son doing as well as he is running the team, I think it’s great.  I think it’s great for the series.  I think it will be great for the 500. 

He is very eclectic.  You might see him throw a computer farther than they throw the discus in the Olympics if something goes wrong in the 500.  That’s him.  There is no filter with Foyt.  He’s lived his life exactly how he wants to.  I believe, and Scott can correct me because he probably has it all written down in front of him, but Foyt qualified for 36 Indy 500s and has won four of them.  I think qualifying for 36 times in the Indy 500 in itself is a record that will never be beaten. 

So getting back to your question, is it good for the sport?  I think it’s tremendous for the sport.  I’m convinced they’ll do a great job.  And if things go their way, they’ll be in the hunt for the win.  And it will be an emotional win because it will be a big thing for everybody, and especially for A.J.

Q.         The IndyCar Series is the only series that has road courses, street courses and ovals.  Why do you think that so many of the drivers who grew up driving in road racing, street racing, that type of situation have such a problem adapting to the oval? 

GOODYEAR:  I almost think it’s the opposite way.  I came from a road course background, had never gotten into an oval car in Junior Formulas until I sat in an IndyCar at a test at Phoenix and getting prepared for the 1990 season.  You have the utmost respect because of the speed, because of the high G forces, and essentially you will learn very soon that if you make a mistake or something happens in the car that you have really no control over your car and you become a passenger. 

In a road course setting or street course setting, sometimes you’re a little luckier.  You may still end up hitting something, but obviously at a much slower speed.  I learned that in my second day of driving IndyCar for Shierson Racing in 1990 at Phoenix where I knocked myself out and crashed a wall.  So I went off and made sure I could understand how to make the IndyCar work on oval and really examined everything that Rick Mears did. 

If you look back on it, I would think you would say Emerson Fittipaldi, Eddie Cheever, obviously, and myself, and people who really just did road courses, adapted to the ovals.  I think what you’re seeing now is that it’s a little tougher for people to go from oval experience to road course experience. 

Probably the big question there would be for Ed Carpenter.  I mean, absolutely ultra fast on ovals.  Came up through the midgets and through USAC and dirt tracks, clay tracks, paved tracks really the old American way like A.J. did.  He is usually a second and a half or two seconds off on a road course and will admit to you that he struggles.  It’s a trained talent, if you will, to be able to do that, which takes years of development.  So if I was a driver getting into it today, I’d probably rather have the road course experience and knowing that you’re getting on to the oval and you will adapt.  On that, I will say that a driver can make up for inefficiencies in a road course car by driving it hard. 

On an oval, if it’s 75, 25, 75% the car, 25% the driver, in race conditions, but you have to have a great car on the oval.  And as a driver, you have to make it perform that way.   

CHEEVER:  That’s a great question, and we’re asked that question very often.  But let me give you an analogy.  If you were to build an oval, say if you were to build the Indianapolis 500 the exact same photocopy of that in the middle of the desert and there was a white line on the outside of it that showed when you were going off the track, I think anybody could drive the Indy 500.  You went over the white line, the whistle blew, they brought you back in, and you’d be okay. 

Technically, it’s difficult, but it’s not impossible to do.  You learn what your balance and what your car’s capable of doing.  You keep your foot on the throttle and do all the things that you have to do.  The problem is it doesn’t take Einstein to understand what happens to a car and its driver when it hits the wall at 250 miles an hour.  It’s a very unfriendly environment.  So a lot of the drivers of my generation, many of which had won, even somebody like Allen Jones who won the Formula 1 championship in 1982, came here, did a lap and said I’m not going to do this.  This is crazy.  For somebody that spent all of his life driving on road courses where if you make a mistake you go through 30 feet of sand, then you hit a tire barrier and then a guardrail, it’s a lot different.  You absorb the energy over a space of time. 

Driving on an oval is exactly like Scott said, you spin, anything happens.  It’s the luck of the draw.  So it is more of a mental state than it is the physical attributes to drive one or the other. 

And Ed is a very good example.  Ed is a USAC driver who came up on ovals who, I think, can take on anybody when it comes to courage and skill and on the 500 this coming weekend.  But he struggles on the road courses, because that’s not what he did.  And I think a lot of that applies to NASCAR drivers right now.  They spent most of their careers racing, going down the straightaway, turning left.  So it’s just a different mental state, and it’s a different preparation for driving one or the other. 

The greatest road racing series in the world, you’d have to say is Formula 1, but all they concentrate on is road circuits.

Q.         The reason I asked the question is because a couple weeks ago I talked to Will Power.  Will was saying I know a lot of people are excited about Indy, and I’m excited about Indy.  But for some reason, you know, ovals have not been my friend. 

CHEEVER:  It will be.  Will Power is one of the most talented drivers I’ve seen in the past decade.  It’s amazing he would admit that, and what he’s telling you is he’s still not gotten his arms around it.  You put him on a road course and he is blindingly fast. 

Again, he’s not somebody that I would discount from the 500.  But if I were to compare Ed Carpenter to Will Power with an equal car on this Indy 500, I would wager that Ed will do better than Will would do because he’s spent more time on ovals. 

You know, you can win Long Beach, Barber, and all those races, you can win five of them in a row, and they don’t have the same stature that winning an Indy 500 does, and I can say that through experience.  When it comes to American open wheel racing, the event is the Indianapolis 500.

Q.         Marty and Rich, I’m curious.  Obviously the ratings are going to be there for the 500.  But I wonder if there’s anything in the works to prop those up for the package the rest of the season.  And secondly we saw this past week and the fast nine was sort of preempted for post race coverage for the Preakness.  I’m kind of curious what you guys think that says about the state of IndyCar and the pecking order right now?  Well, I guess in terms of the ratings, the ratings are going to be there for the 500, but we’ve seen them go up and down at other races obviously.  Texas is one that’s going to be in primetime this year, so that is sort of new and exciting.  But I guess what are some of the things that ABC and ESPN are doing to sort of build that fan base up right now for open wheel racing? 

FEINBERG:  Well, I think the best way to put it is our role in production is to document the event.  We try to do so in an entertaining way, in a creative way with voices of knowledgeable and expert announcers, all of whom are on this call today and will be doing the rest of our races. 

The racing itself in IndyCar is absolutely tremendous.  One would hope that through marketing and promotion and other efforts as people sample IndyCar Racing, they’ll be more attracted to it.  I’ve long ago learned that it’s an exercise in futility, really, to predict ratings, so I’m not going to do that. 

I know the IndyCar ratings have been challenged in certain areas, but as a production team, the best thing we can do is tell the stories of these tremendous drivers.  Certainly as it relates to the Indianapolis 500, it’s an opportunity for us to touch people who don’t watch other races.  In our production discussions, we discuss how we can hopefully turn people who sample the Indy 500 into fans who will watch the other races, but ultimately that’s the viewers’ decisions. 

I do think that last year’s 500 was tremendously successful.  I think it was the most passes ever in the race.  We have, as I said, earlier in the call today, a great front row, a lot of tremendous stories we’re talking about.  Two drivers attempting to go for history and winning their fourth, so those are all the pieces that we can do.  At the end of the day, the viewers decide, and predicting ratings is not something that behooves us.

Q.         My question is about two drivers.  One, Carlos Munoz, you talked about him.  The youngest driver to ever be on the front row, and the comparisons to Juan Pablo Montoya back in 2000 when he had accomplished a lot and came to Indy, and pretty much did things that hadn’t been seen before.  He had a very dominant win.  What are the similarities, both Colombians, but do you see in those two guys because Munoz’s lines that he had on Saturday in qualifying were as aggressive as I’ve seen from anybody in qualifying in a long time.  And James Hinchcliffe who has won two of the first four races, what are his prospects?  Something has clicked for him this year.  Is it Craig Hampson?  Is it that he knows he can win now?  What have you seen in James Hinchcliffe that could possibly see a Canadian win an Indy 500 on Sunday?  

GOODYEAR:  I think the comparison to Montoya would be that Carlos Munoz is fast, just as Juan Montoya was.  We’ve all been impressed how quickly he’s gone.  His timing is right, and I mentioned that earlier on the call about American drivers now being with the right teams at the right time.  Would he be talked about, would he be on the front row if he was with another team other than Andretti?  Because Andretti has certainly brought themselves back being into what we always refer to in this business as one of the top three teams.  They were there for a long period of time, especially back when they were winning and winning championships and Indy 500s. 

They went away for a little while because they certainly didn’t have the results that we would expect of them, and we only start talking about Penske and Ganassi.  But you almost have to say now with Ryan Hunter-Reay winning the championship that the guys that are the best out there week in, and week out certainly seem to be Andretti Autosport led by Michael Andretti. 

So I think with Carlos right now, right place, right time, the right talent, the right attitude, and he’s fast.  As Eddie and I have talked throughout this week that there are race car drivers who have hit the wall at Indy, and there are race car drivers that are about to hit the wall at Indy.  We hope he makes it all the way through. 

But the 500, I always went into that race with the mindset that it is five 100 mile races, and if you think about it, it’s a long time to be in the car.  It’s a long time to focus mentally.  It is very difficult to come in and make seven or eight perfect pit stops in traffic and pit lanes, making the right decisions on restarts.  He has a lot of weight on his shoulders.  He has the equipment, he has the speed, he has the talent, and now he’s going to put the package together. 

With my fellow Canadians, we’ve known James and his family fair long time.  They’ve spent a lot of time and effort to get to this point.  I think in speaking with James, he will tell you that he is more relaxed, more comfortable, settled into a team for the second year in a row, and I think he’s now just getting a chance to showcase his ability and talents that we probably saw on the tracks in Canada many years ago. 

But there again, they took a shot at qualifying, wanted to have the front row, wanted to have the pole position, and went too far.  So he’s probably going to be a lot more racy on race day than he was showing in qualifying. 

CHEEVER:  I’d like to add something about Carlos Munoz, if I can.  Scott covered all of the qualities, the timing and everything.  I’d like to just add one other, and that is the quality that comes with youth, especially not having hit anything beforehand, he is incredibly brave.  This kid has so much talent.  His hands are so quick, and he’s afraid of nothing that he’ll put the nose of his car anywhere and still get out of trouble. 

Now, having said that, if I’m sitting and his team manager’s chair for a minute.  I’m trying to think of how I’m going to manage so much talent and so much speed for a 500 mile race.  At this point we really can’t do anything.  You’d have to have him go on his instincts, and they’ve provided correctly.  But I can guarantee you he’ll be creating a lot of anxiety for the other drivers that have done five, six, seven, eight, nine Indy 500s that are sitting behind him because he’s never gone through turn one.  It’s a whole new experience. 

He’s going to have all these brand new experiences being thrown at him in the first half of the race.  If can he get through the first half of the race without getting caught up in somebody else’s problems or without creating a problem of his own, he has as much chance as anybody else does. 

I really take my hat off to the whole team for having let him run like they did.  And staying out of trouble.  It’s been a great effort until now, and it can continue but it is high risk. 

When it comes to Hinchcliffe, he’s almost the de facto leader of the Andretti Autosport team.  They all seem to get along well.  There is a great chemistry with the team, and most importantly, he’s won two races.  So he’s coming in here into this race with a head of steam.  And all of them know that to put themselves on the map, they have to win the Indy 500.  So they have five drivers there that have all the same aspirations, and it looks like the same equipment. 

GOODYEAR:  If I might add something, as a rookie, you’re going to be told by your team managers, as Eddie was explaining, what you need to do.  As a driver, you listen to everything like that.  But once you slide in the cockpit and put your helmet on, you’ve preprogrammed yourself.  You’re in your own world, and you’re not going to change the nature of how you drive your race car.  That might be a little worrisome for turn one, lap one, especially when you’re on the front row and the pressure that comes with it. 

He won’t realize the pressure until he gets in the car and starts doing a couple of parade laps and sees 250,000 plus people there.  He’s been here and seen the speedway, and we might have 10, 15, 20, 25,000 people here maybe on qualifying day.  It doesn’t put a dent into the speedway. 

When you’re out there throughout the month practicing and qualifying, it’s really upon a stark, gray grandstand with no color, no movement.  He gets in the car on race day, and that place becomes alive from the moment you leave your garage, and you walk out and you see all the people that are 10, 12, 15 stories high to the massive amount all the way around the racetrack, then there is color and there is movement.  It’s very emotional for a driver, especially the first time. 

I mentioned the front row on lap one, because I saw ’95 on the front row qualifying third and had the same conversation with Steve Horne.  Let’s just get in, get to turn one and we’ll start to run our plan. 

Well, that was the plan until we got in the cockpit, and then you get going around there and think I’m getting to turn one in first place.  I’m going to lead the first lap of the Indy 500.  And although it happened for me and took the lead in turn one, but I had quite a few years of experience at that point in time.  So that will be the biggest hurdle that Carlos needs to get through on race day. 

Q.         I wanted to ask Marty Reid.  Marty, we’ve got two guys in the field that could become four time winners of this race.  What do you think the overall impact on the sport would be if that were to happen? 

REID:  Well, obviously for race fans, no matter what their favorite form of Motorsport is it would be huge.  I mean, it hasn’t been done since Rick Mears back in 1991 when he won his fourth, and for it to happen with one of these two, which both are very likeable, both have a fan base, both have a huge following.  What was interesting to me was I caught up with the guys early in the season back in St. Petersberg. 

Helio at the time, I said to both of them in individual interviews, I said you’re going to be the focal point here.  That means a lot of distractions, and Helio being Helio said bring it on, I love it.  It comes with the territory.  And Dario at the time saying I’ll do what I have to do to win the race, and I’ll do my commitments.  But when it’s time for me to focus, and right now as we’ve seen how many laps they’ve turned on Sunday between he and Scott Dixon trying to find more speed, it is all about business for Dario. 

I feel like between the two of them he’s a little more of the distraction side of it than Helio.  But when it comes to the race, they’ll both be ready, both be focused and who knows?  We’ll know more on Carb Day as we did last year, when Honda found some life, and the Ganassi guys started to run faster.  We’ll get a better picture of whether or not Dario has a real shot at this, I think, on Friday.

Q.         Rich, tons of cameras covering this event, aerials, slow mos.  I mean, you’ve got pretty much it all.  Where does this rank in the amount of production elements and toys that you’ve gotten to use as opposed to previous years that you’ve done this race? 

FEINBERG:  Yeah, it’s right up there, not only the biggest that we’ve ever done in IndyCar, but it’s into the category of the biggest we’ve ever done in motorsports.  While I don’t know every show my colleagues here do at ESPN, but for a single day, single sport event, I would think that the 84 cameras is pretty high on the list for the biggest show that ESPN does period.

Q.         As far as your infrastructure goes, how big is the production compound?  I’m sure you don’t have an exact number.  But I’m sure you need a lot of cabling to get this place set up? 

FEINBERG:  Yeah, we’ve actually had both people and facilities roll into the speedway back to last week.  I was there this past weekend, and we were beginning our technical set up.  We’re very familiar with Indianapolis Motor Speedway having gone there the last 49 years, and we get there twice a year with the Brickyard 400.  We have an incredible group of engineers, many of whom have worked Indy and motorsports for our company for a very long time. 

So it’s a very large, challenging undertaking with hundreds of engineers and production people coming to town for the show.  But at the same time, given that we do a lot of racing and big motorsports shows, it’s somewhat of another week at the office for us.

Q.         Which production trucks are you going to be using on site? 

FEINBERG:  We use NEP Supershooters 21 fleet.

Q.         Eddie, Scott, and Marty, there is an observation amongst NFL players, Pro Bowlers, especially, fast brain, fast body.  Over in motorsports, you’ve got to have a fast brain to have a fast car, but you have to have fast engine and fast parts.  Could you maybe just be able to explain for a fan what the hand eye coordination and the reaction time that it takes for an open wheel driver to run at IndyCar and especially to run IndyCar at Indianapolis? 

CHEEVER:  Wow, I think the first thing when you’re racing at IndyCar at those high speeds is you have to absorb and process a lot of information quickly and you have to do it almost automatically.  When you’re in a group and you’re in the middle of the field and starting the race and turning into turn one and you’re now 280 miles an hour, and the car isn’t doing what it should be doing, not only do you have to go through the process of keeping your car on the track and not spinning, you’re also looking at 300 yards, 250, 300 yards ahead of yourself because you’re going to be there shortly.  And if something is wrong, you have to anticipate where you should place your car as all of this happens in front of you. 

So your analogy, NFL analogy of a quick mind is a prelude to a fast body reaction is, I think correct.  I’ve raced a lot of places.  In Monte Carlo, I qualified in Monte Carlo with 1200 horsepower, and I thought nothing would be more physical than that.  But that paled in comparison to racing at Indy when you’re in a cluster of cars and something goes wrong in front of you, you don’t have time to ponder should I go right or should I go left?  You have to make a split decision which could mean hitting a car at those high speeds or making it through and going on and winning the race. 

So I don’t really know if you can measure the physical attributes that are required, but I would say that eyesight is very good, very important.  I would say that processing information that can be measured is very important.  But above all, what I think you have to have is the mental endurance to keep putting up with abuse which will be thrown at you in the three and a half hours that it takes to run the race. 

To do that and still be aware and angry and hungry and aggressive on those last 20 laps is not easy.  It takes a lot of training.  I’m interested to hear what Scott has to say. 

GOODYEAR:  I would echo a lot of what Eddie says.  I hate to say it’s as simple as this.  But I found it automatic, almost easy to a point.  Because when you are in the zone, I’m sure other players and other sports find this and other athletes I’ve talked to in other sports say this, the world is going by slow. 

Not that it feels exactly like this, but when you’re running at Indy and you are in your prime of your career and the car is good and you are in the zone, you almost feel like you could step out of the car and run beside it.  I say that because it really does feel that way. 

It’s odd because you’re at a place like Indianapolis that is very narrow.  Obviously, a 100 year old facility, and they start the race three wide as you saw last year.  Sometimes you’re four , five , six wide going down the straightaway.  I compare that to a place like Le Mans when I was over there a few times with the Porsche factory, doing speeds of 240 miles an hour down the Mulsanne. You don’t realize how fast you’re going until you look out the side.  It sounds strange to say that. 

But one of my teammates one time, Hans Stuck said to me when I was going there for the first time, he said, whatever you do, Scottie, don’t look out the side window. 

Well, the straight is so long, and you’re going for like a minute or something like that.  It’s an 8 and a half mile track, you almost get bored that you’re going down the straight and not much is happening, because you check the gauges and you’re going along. 

And I remember him saying that to me, and I looked out the side window to see how fast the guardrails, the trees, and the houses are going past and it was like, wow.  I will never do that again.  That is easy in comparison to going to Indy because, as Eddie said, you have to drive the car through the turn. 

Don’t forget, you’re one of 33 people, so you’re going into a turn and trying to hit the same spot of six inches consistently to put your car on the right spot on the line.  Maybe driving in dirty air because the cars are in front of you contending with people biting at your back wing, trying to pass you on the right or left or what have you, and the wind conditions and track conditions changing.  It’s just very, very difficult. 

For me, I always knew that the day it started to seem like it was going by a little bit too quick or you had to think about it was the day I would get out. 

I’ll finish off with a quick story.  The other thing you realize as a race car driver is when you’re competing,    and I know this from retiring, when you’re competing the rest of the world doesn’t exist.  I’m married, children, but there wasn’t an agenda list each and every day.  You got up every day and all you thought of was your race car, and talking to your engineer, and there wasn’t a to do list. 

The time to get out of the car is that when you get a little older, and there is a to do list, and you put motor racing second, third, or fourth on your to do list and you’re going to take care of family issues, business issues or travel or something like that.  You start thinking, well, that can wait until tomorrow.  I’ll call the engineer back tomorrow. 

That’s why the changing of the youth that we’re starting to see.  Because for me that started to happen in my late 30s, and that is when you need to not be driving a race car the length of a football field in less than a second.  That’s why this is ultimately the greatest prize or ultimately the greatest sacrifice by sitting in a race car.

Q.         Why do you think Andretti Autosport has come on so strong this year?  Is there anything particular that they’ve done to make the entire team so competitive? 

GOODYEAR:  I would say chemistry.  I have not seen the drivers as a group and Andretti Autosport as happy since the days back when Dan Wheldon, and Herta and that group were there.  They all get along well together.  I say that because you go out and you’re in cities and you see those guys hanging out and having dinner together.  They hang out and train together.

I think it’s the chemistry and the focus of getting the job done, which is making the race car go fast.  I think Michael has done a tremendous job taking over the team and brining in the people from an engineering perspective and to go ahead to give them free reign about letting them go, what they need to do as far as wind tunnel testing or seven poster shake rig testing.  Because there is a change going on right now because of a lack of testing, And they seem to have dealt with it the best. 

EDDIE CHEEVER:  I’ve been waiting all day to disagree with you on something.  They’re happy because they’re winning, and they’re winning because their cars are quick. 

Michael has taken everything, it seems, from the outside.  He’s taken everything he’s learned in his career, and he’s always managed to take advantage of changes.  Like Scott said, there’s been a big change now an there is less testing and trying to save money.  And this artificial testing that he alluded to has now become so prevalent, and he and his team embraced it. 

But the chemistry that is in that team is because they all have fast cars.  I guarantee you, if they had the 20th, 22nd, 23rd, and 25th place on the grid, the chemistry wouldn’t be as good.  But they are technically extremely astute, and they give everybody exactly the same equipment, which is almost impossible to do.  So not one driver in that group is feeling slighted, and they all know they have a good shot at it. 

It would be so easy for Michael to give an advantage to his son, Marco, and yet that’s never happened in that team.  That’s why I think they can attract so many good engineers and so many good drivers and so many good sponsors. 

To run, Penske runs three cars, but normally they run two.  To run five cars and to have all five of them with a crack at winning the pole is tremendous.  I’m astounded that somebody in today’s age could actually pull that off in IndyCar. 

Q.         As a quick follow up, are both of you guys happy to go through one of these pre Indy 500 teleconferences without having a question about Danica Patrick, which she seems to have dominated these press conferences in recent years? 

CHEEVER:  I think Danica’s arrival in IndyCar had a social change of how America views motorsports.  I think it was a big leap forward that so many more people were attracted to racing because a woman was competitive.  There are so many stories right now and there are so many good things happening in IndyCar that everybody respects what she did, but they have moved on. 

I think I saw one person in the pits with a Danica T shirt on, whereas last year you would have thought it was a Danica advertisement everywhere.  Racing is a very fast paced sport, and it changes quickly. 

But I have to admit, that she did bring a lot of people, many of which have remained, to IndyCar that would have not watched it if it had not been for her performances.

Q.         Speaking of women, we’ve got four in the race this time which I guess is the first time since 2011.  Of the four, do you like someone as a possible maybe Top 10 finish finisher?  Is this something that Simona de Silvestro could do?  What do you think?

GOODYEAR:  I think you would have to put her at the top of the four.  With Anna Beatriz and Katherine Legge and Pippa Mann coming at the last minute, very difficult to not be in a car on a continuous basis and be competitive.  They’re in great situations with teammates and knowledge.

But right now Simona and watching her over the last couple of years and especially that duel she had a couple of years ago with Tony Kanaan at St. Petersberg, I think that if you did a poll in the garage area of all the other drivers, all of the other male drivers in the garage area, that you would probably find that they would say that given equal equipment that Simona could run with them or possibly even beat them on particular days. 

She will be I think fast, competitive, and probably the most competitive out of all four. 

CHEEVER:  I agree.  Also her teammate is somebody that’s been around her a whole bunch of times.  She seems to be very confident.  She seems to be aggressive, and she’s had some great races in her short career at IndyCar. 

So it’s the same thing with everybody that races here.  If you can get into your rhythm quickly and hit your marks and your pit stops work, and you go through those first 400 miles and you’re in that last little group, anything can happen.  I think she might well find herself in the leading pack at the end.

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Media Contact: Andy Hall, 386-492-2246 or andy.hall@espn.com