Smoking is... Bad?

Jim Leyland is the manager for the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers were picked to win the World Series this year by almost everyone, claiming they had the most imposing lineup in baseball history. Well, true to form, the Tigers are choking right now in last place of the AL Central at 18-27. Also true to form, Jim Leyland had a tirade on tape after being asked if the team lost chemistry when it lost Sean Casey. Casey is a blog favorite, so I had to give it a listen!

Edited and safe for work

However, I had to post about one of my favorite sports interviews of all-time. This one took place when Chris Myers (then with ESPN) interviewed Leyland live on ESPN. Leyland is a big-time smoker and often puffs away in the dugout. Myers asked him about his tendency to smoke in the dugout. Leyland paused for a moment, put his head down and delivered the obligatory platitudes about how bad smoking is for you, how children should avoid smoking, how he knows it's unhealthy. Then he looked directly into the camera, his eyes very wide, and said,

"Still. Smokers out there, you know what I'm talking about. That moment, after you've had a huge meal, say at Thanksgiving, when you step outside in the cold, light up a cigarette and take a deep inhale ... that's about the best moment in the world, you know? All the smokers out there, you know that feeling. Sometimes, smoking is fantastic."

Myers quickly cut to commercial. AWESOME!