Kenny Mayne on the History of Sports

ESPN's Kenny Mayne will be on Thursday, April 24 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss his new book, "An Incomplete and Inaccurate History of Sport."

A transcript follows.

Mayne has appeared on ESPN since 1994, often as an anchor of "SportsCenter." He also appeared on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" in 2007.

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Washington, D.C.: Kenny-

Who's your derby horse?

Kenny Mayne: Hello online chat people. Somebody in charge go ahead and tell me if this is working. Then again, if it's not working you won't see this message to tell me it is working.

In answer to your question---I like Big Brown. Of all the winners he is the only one who came off like a Superstar.

I know he has to defeat 19 horses and some history...but right now he is my main play.... I'll also play him in the two spot in case I'm wrong as a backup on Trifectas..

Please bet responsibly. Or, if that doesn't work, bet it all.

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New York: What's the greatest thing in sports you've ever witnessed? And what do you consider your greatest personal sports moment?

Kenny Mayne: The best thing I ever saw was the Sonics winning the '79 NBA title...(I'm from Seattle area)..

It's sad the city is getting no support from the league..but there are enough people up there willing to put up a fight that things may still work out to keep the team from leaving.

The best thing I've seen in person was when Dale Earnhardt won his Daytona 500... He then walked into our studio at the track and asked, "Are you still dating Jeff Gordon?"

Best individual moment at ESPN was when I got Stevie Wonder to say.."I can't be at the baseball All Star game. I have a high ankle sprain." Just meeting Stevie would have been enough.

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Fairfax, Va.: Kenny,

Who's odds-on favorite to win "Dancing with the Stars" this season?

Kenny Mayne: Yamaguchi ...did I spell her name the right way?

I have her at 8/5

Jason is 2-1 and the guy from Chile is picking up momentum.

I'm on Dancing w Stars w Jerry Rice and Len next Tuesday night the 29th... If 1/4 of 1% of those viewers buy the book it will be a good thing.

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Big Brown: With War Pass out of the Kentucky Derby eliminating a speed duel, won't Big Brown run away with the Run for the Roses?

Feel free to consult Randy Moss, Jerry Bailey and Hank Goldberg if you must.

Kenny Mayne: I think Big Brown is so talented he can rate just a bit if needed....but yes, War Pass dropping out did change things.

Sometimes we over analyze how we think the race will be run then it all changes with a gate break or the bumping that goes on in the first turn... Whether he's on the lead or near the lead...I think he'll be in the lead when they hit the wire.

All the said...my Derby forecasting is usually awful.

I tend to get hot at the Preakness...

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Alexandria, Va.: Do you think sending a note to ESPN is still a good way to get hired? And what would you be doing today if that hadn't worked for you?

Kenny Mayne: Back when I sent my note to ESPN (it's in the book---I sent them a letter asking that they please 'check the appropriate box'...i then had three boxes...the first being 'contract is on the way' the 2nd being 'keep up the good work' and the third being 'we'll hire you about the time espn5 hits the air' ..they checked the middle box but i was hired a month later)........

That was quite a run-on...like some pages of the book...so i'll pick it up where I left off..which was..back when i sent my note to espn the place was a lot smaller...and i was known to them.. but for those trying to get their attention...or anyone's attention in whatever field you are in....i still think doing something that stands out from the rest is helpful. i advise spending the 20 dollars and sending overnight letters....it's easy to get lost in the crowd.

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Taneytown, Md.: Kenny, when Tom Bergeron was interviewed on Mike and Mike several months ago he said the following about your "Dancing with the Stars" appearance - "Kenny Mayne wasn't wooden as a dancer, Kenny Mayne was a cigar store Indian." Would you like to use this forum, sir, to defend yourself?

Kenny Mayne: It used to slightly bother me that I was often Tom's punchline...but recently I sent him a note to tell him he can make fun of me all he wants....as any mention is a good mention with a book in play. (That said it feels odd trying to pimp my own work...i've never really done that until this book thing...but with 300k books out each year...it's required)..

But..in defense of my dance....I think andrea and i worked a lot more of the floor than some of the others who were graded higher doing easier routines that first night.

We chose to try something harder..with the hope that we'd get credit for ambition.

Maybe I really was that bad.

I want to be judged on my whole career and not just that one dance.

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Washington, D.C.: Where do you go for your sports news? Any particular blogs you follow?

Kenny Mayne: Of course..I go to ESPN, ESPN.COM, ESPNtheMagazine, ESPN Sur, ESPN Radio...

But mostly I watch news rather than sports in my off-time.

I have an interest in politics, world affairs....and way back when that was where I wanted to be far more than sports...It just sort of worked out this way....And now these days I hardly cover sports....most of what I do for ESPN is fiction...I write the stories..tell the players what to say... So much for my journalism.

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New York: What made you want to write a book?

Kenny Mayne: I was approached by a good book agent, Michael Murphy...he encouraged me to write a book.

I told him I had no time.

But...around Dec of 06 I wasn't sure I was coming back to ESPN...so I started writing.

He sold the book AND I stayed at ESPN..

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Burbank, Calif.: If your research is incomplete and inaccurate, how come you haven't been snatched up by Fox News?

Kenny Mayne: I watch mostly Matthews and Olbermann for news though I do take in some Fox and CNN..

I like the BBC also..

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Thanks for doing this chat: Of course, it is your job.

Kenny Mayne: The writer is referring to something I've done on the air..when I mock the anchor 'thank you' to the field reporter..

So it goes--- Thanks, Jeremy for that report....but then...

That's Your Job.

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Burke, Va.: Kenny -- There's so much competition for attention among sports "personalities." Why don't you try to inject some dry humor into your act?

Kenny Mayne: noted

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Wappingers Falls, N.Y.: Any chance of you attending all of the 4 major sports again on Sunday?

Kenny Mayne: we did that twice...four sporting events in one day....

it was fun while it lasted...too expensive...

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UNLV Quarterback: Was Randall Cunningham looking over his shoulder during his entire college career?

What was your stat line in college?

Kenny Mayne: randall was 4th string at UNLV ...behind sam king, me, allyn reynolds.... he was a freshman....but we could all tell he was going to do great things.

he should be in the HOF....

he's now a pastor and making gospel music in las vegas.

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Washington, D.C.: Out of the "Big Four" North American sports, which is your favorite as a fan, and is it also your favorite to cover?

Kenny Mayne: Football is number one...Horse Racing number two.

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Reston, Va.: Kenny,

Any thoughts of moving on from ESPN and doing something else like Kilbourn, Olbermann, Dan Patrick?

Kenny Mayne: i'm just about to sign a new two yr contract w espn and like very much what we're about to get into..

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Best Sportscenter Anchor Ever: Can you tell I'm waiving my hands in the air like there will be no repercussions?

Kenny Mayne: writer is referring to something done on SportsCenter in which to note something big that just happened i deviated from the 'just don't care' ending to that oft-repeated phrase.. glad one guy got it.. or one girl.

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Roxbury, NJ: Kenny, what are some of the finest meats and cheeses in all the land?

Kenny Mayne: writer refers to a home run call...my late friend warren thomas used to do a standup routine in which he said when 'you get your student loan it's like you're the most powerful man on campus....'let there be cheetos for all my men..'

i adapted it for SC and used it on grand slams...and added in 'let there be a clubhouse feast.....etc..'

at some point i stopped putting in Caps and might have also started misspelling words. misspelled is often misspelled.

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Washington, D.C.: Kenny, you're an ex-jock and you still spend lots of time with top athletes. Why do you think your interest in politics and current events is so rare in most locker rooms, or am I off base with that statement?

Kenny Mayne: depdends on who you're talking to....there's really a wide range of personalities, interests among the athletes..

it's just that most of what you read or hear concentrates on what's at hand....the conventional stuff...like the games..wins and losses..

i think you'll find there are quite a few athletes who hold deeper thoughts than what you read about..

same might even apply for me.

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Mclean, Va.: Kenneth,

Have any athletes reacted negatively to your offbeat sense of humor and interviewing style? I'm sometimes surprised they actually get the nuances.

Kenny Mayne: very rare that an athlete is bothered by what i do (at least that i know of)

in the parodies i do....they come out looking good...the joke is more often on me.

there was one guy we featured as 'worst player to win a super bowl' this was to play off the old story about 'best player to NOT have won...' (marino, others)

i hope he liked the end result....i think his wife thought it was a bad idea...but it was meant to mock the conventional story and not the player.

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Memphis: Does it get old when people try too hard to be funny when they're around you? Or, is it just the price of fame and good looks?

Kenny Mayne: most people i run across are pleasant...the only rough experiences are usually when alcohol is introduced..

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Arlington, Va.: I'm looking forward to getting the book! Question: did you turn down appearing on "Big Brother" to write the book instead? Perhaps you and Dan Patrick should be a team on "Amazing Race"....

Kenny Mayne: i've seen things noted where it said i turned down this or that show...i don't really recall that one having taken place... i have been contacted many times about new shows both for abc and others....but like most of those pitches they usually just go away via a natural death..

i'm still happy what i'm doing for espn...

did i mention i have a book for sale?

anyone in LA? i'm at the grove barnes and noble tonight at 730

saturday at noon...on main stage at ucla (LA Times book fest)

also...new vids and blogs and whatnot avail via

www.kennymaynehaswrittenabook.com

the old web site was www.kennymayneISWRITINGabook.com

hoping to avoid www.kennymayne'sbookisoverbythepuzzlesonsale.com

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Burke, Va.: So Kenny, what's the book about?

Kenny Mayne: i'm still working on a premise.

go to a book store and read the foreword and decide if you want to buy it..

bad thing about that is i admit most people can mow through the book while just standing there..

the book is not meant as my life story as i'm not that interesting...it is meant as sort of a parody of the fact i actually got someone to buy my book....hopefull there are a few good parts.. i like tackle football and hunting chapters the best.

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Springfield, Va.: Who's your vote for NBA MVP? Kobe is looking unstoppable but Chris Paul has made his team a contender after being very mediocre.

Kenny Mayne: kobe is hard to beat....but i'm terribly impressed with your other nominee....he just runs by people..

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Fairfax, Va.: Hi Kenny, you're my 2nd-favorite ESPN dude, just slightly behind Keith O. How was it going to college and playing back-up QB to the "Rocket Man" Randall Cunningham? And do the two of you still speak?

Kenny Mayne: yes..randall and i still talk..

there's a key chapter about the prayer he and his pastor said (after we had lost twin sons, creighton and connor)...

a few weeks after the prayer...we were newly pregnant...

my daughters did the illustrations for the book..by the way.

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Arlington, Va.: Did you have the idea for the book, or was it pitched to you? Did you find anything interesting during your incomplete research?

Kenny Mayne: The idea was to do a fake history of sports...but then i thought it sounded cooler (and a bigger joke on the fake encyclopedic title) to call sports SPORT without the S..

i did some of the fake history stuff...but the book also just morphed into a lot of childhood experiences.

if no one really came to this chat...and it's just my sister or book agent writing questions...please change your log on name so this seems like a bigger deal.

did i mention i have a book for sale?

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Burbank, Calif.: Who are some of the best athletes and sports writers turn dancer? To me, Hershel Walker comes to mind, and for those snickering, ballet is very athletically challenging. Anyone else?

Kenny Mayne: Walker used ballet as part of his training...i'm sure he'd do well..

so far, it seems football players stand out...

jerry, emmitt, and now jason...

jerry says it has to do with their commitment....

jerry said this while wearing glitter yesterday.

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Chicago: Do you already have a lot of ideas for the "Mayne Event" pieces for NFL Countdown this year?

Kenny Mayne: Is that Bill Friedman? By the way..I would vote for Thomas Friedman for president.

We have a few good ones ready to go for next season...but I try not to think about them too much in the off-season..

Doing one story a week for 22 straight weeks (while very fun) is enough of a grind to be thinking of it during my easier part of the work year..

next thing for me (besides begging people to buy this book) is to concentrate on the triple crown events.

i'm also shooting a story at the derby...i'm going to pretend i want The Fed to bail out hank goldberg like it did for Bear Stears..

(hank is our handicapper...)

Why isn't Andy Beyer logged in to this?

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San Diego: Do any of Scott Kaplan's horses have a chance at winning anything?!

Kenny Mayne: is the derby for 10k claimers this year?

seriously,,scott is single-handedly saving american racing.

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Next Wrinkle: Okay Kenny, you epitomize the best in wry, sarcastic and witty sports reporting ushered in by ESPN and SC years ago. It shattered the existing paradigm for that time. What will be "the next big thing" in sports reporting to rival it?

Kenny Mayne: I think we've leveled off and it's all downhill from here.

What I do find interesting is all the many new forms of media...We sometimes beat ourselves to the punch....SportCenter used to be the only show in town (besides local news)....but these days most fans know the result before they turn us on....the key is to keep doing something that makes it unique (but without trying too hard to do so)

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Toronto, ON: Kenny: You're a really fast typist. Faster than most of the Post writers on these chats. Do you think writing the book helped you learn to type fast?

Kenny Mayne: i'm typing my heart out...i've done away with caps, correct punctuation and correct spellings..

yes, in fact, the book writing did force me to be better on the keyboard.

i turned in the book last may..crown ok'd it...then i began to hate it so i re-wrote the entire book in about two weeks.

mostly my typing (it's not really that fast..and you may have been mocking it)...comes from all the many emails i have to respond to..

i often think the good attributes of the internet/emails are also our downfall.... so much time is taken up now it leaves little for whatever it was we used to do.

i have become a huge fan of silence.

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Waldorf, MD: At what exact point in history were "sports" created, as we now know them?

You're gonna pitch a book, you gotta asnwer these kind of questions..

Kenny Mayne: It all began a long time ago.

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San Diego: Odds on the Redskins going 16-0? Odds on your book being a bigger deal than Boomer's homerun derby broadcast??

Kenny Mayne: Jim Zorn will be great back there... 16-0 I have at 10,000-1.

There is a chapter about Zorn....how he used to run a play called "Controlled Scramble" The point of it was to fake the defense into believing the play was broken...when in fact Zorn knew all along (as did his receivers) that he would reverse course and throw back to the other side of the field..

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Washington, DC: Obama, Clinton, or McCain?

Kenny Mayne: You left out the Socialist Workers Party Candidate.

It's always funny when you get into the booth and you see about a half dozen other names you've never heard of...

I am not allowed to name my candidate of choice due to my affiliation with ESPN.. They don't want me controlling an election...like I've done so many times before.

In 1st grade...we had an election for 'class president'

it was down to me and one other kid...i remember NOT voting for myself because that seemed so vain... Then i think i lost by one vote.

i don't know if that really happened..but there's a lesson in there...

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Kenny Mayne: we have gone 26 minutes heavy...i'll see if there's one more q...

thank you nancy, michael, otis...any of my other friends..

we could have just talked on the phone.

thank you wa post.com

i have a book for sale.

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Reston, VA: Who're you going to manage against at the All-Star game this year?

Kenny Mayne: i'm still fighting to get into that game again.

i thought i had a lifetime contract..

i hope to be there....it is ridiculous that it counts as a day of work...to play softball with movie folk and legendary baseball players..

maybe i should retire off the last game though...

(you tube has my catch v kimmel)...i'm pressing my luck and the health of my ankle

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Reston, VA: Favorite SportsCenter person to work with?

Kenny Mayne: Aren't they all just great?

This concludes our chat.

I have a book for sale.

www.kennymaynehaswrittenabook.com

Thanks for your questions...Read in order to write.

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Kenny Mayne: Wait...one more note...as I'm selling here.

Amazon, BN, Huffington... and espn.com all have vids regarding the book..

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