Q&A: Randy Moss
ESPN racing analyst and NFL Network host will work his third straight Breeders' Cup.
Birthdate: April 7, 1959, in Hot Springs, Ark.
Nickname: "R-Moss."
Family: Wife Kathie; daughter Hallie; sons John and C.J., daughter Jennifer, from a previous marriage.
Got into racing because. . . : "I grew up in Hot Springs, where my parents were horse racing fans. I grew up next door to trainer Bob Holthus and down the street from trainers David Vance and Bob Irwin. The Holthuses were and still are family friends. We took family vacations together. I can tell you Bob Holthus had a mean elbow on the basketball court and is deathly afraid of roller coasters."
Childhood heroes: "Joe Namath and Brooks Robinson."
People you most admire: "Jack Whitaker and Ronald Reagan, who happen to be cut from the same political cloth, although that's not necessarily why I admire them."
First job: "Believe it or not, a newspaper handicapper with the Arkansas Gazette. I was 13. I originally worked in collaboration with Don Grisham. Halfway through the Oaklawn meet, I made some handicapping suggestions and hit with my first five. I did it through high school and college, and when I left college, that paper gave me a full-time job."
Best horse seen: "Spectacular Bid."
Favorite thing to do outside racing: "Hang with my kids, or be with my wife and friends while sipping a nice anejo-tequila margarita. Being in a restaurant with me can be a pain when it comes to ordering a margarita, but most people think it's worth it when the final product comes out. To me, that's one of the joys of life: a well-made, premium tequila margarita with not too much mix."
Favorite restaurant: "Topolobampo/Frontera Grill in Chicago. They are sister restaurants owned and operated by Rick Bayless, an internationally famed Mexican-themed chef who also happens to be the brother of Skip Bayless, another ESPN TV personality."
Favorite TV shows: " 'Mad Men,' 'Fringe,' 'The Office,' and 'Modern Family.' "
Favorite band: "Steely Dan. They have been my favorite group since high school. In 2006, Donald Fagen, the lead singer, put out a solo album and embarked on a tour. The first stop was New Brunswick, N.J. I was living in Tulsa, Okla., at the time and flew up there and paid for special access to the sound check and a party and backstage access."
Does anyone confuse you with the wide receiver of the New England Patriots? "Constantly. I wish I had his contract."
Future ambitions: "To never have to get a real job."
ESPN racing analyst and NFL Network host will work his third straight Breeders' Cup.
Birthdate: April 7, 1959, in Hot Springs, Ark.
Nickname: "R-Moss."
Family: Wife Kathie; daughter Hallie; sons John and C.J., daughter Jennifer, from a previous marriage.
Got into racing because. . . : "I grew up in Hot Springs, where my parents were horse racing fans. I grew up next door to trainer Bob Holthus and down the street from trainers David Vance and Bob Irwin. The Holthuses were and still are family friends. We took family vacations together. I can tell you Bob Holthus had a mean elbow on the basketball court and is deathly afraid of roller coasters."
Childhood heroes: "Joe Namath and Brooks Robinson."
People you most admire: "Jack Whitaker and Ronald Reagan, who happen to be cut from the same political cloth, although that's not necessarily why I admire them."
First job: "Believe it or not, a newspaper handicapper with the Arkansas Gazette. I was 13. I originally worked in collaboration with Don Grisham. Halfway through the Oaklawn meet, I made some handicapping suggestions and hit with my first five. I did it through high school and college, and when I left college, that paper gave me a full-time job."
Best horse seen: "Spectacular Bid."
Favorite thing to do outside racing: "Hang with my kids, or be with my wife and friends while sipping a nice anejo-tequila margarita. Being in a restaurant with me can be a pain when it comes to ordering a margarita, but most people think it's worth it when the final product comes out. To me, that's one of the joys of life: a well-made, premium tequila margarita with not too much mix."
Favorite restaurant: "Topolobampo/Frontera Grill in Chicago. They are sister restaurants owned and operated by Rick Bayless, an internationally famed Mexican-themed chef who also happens to be the brother of Skip Bayless, another ESPN TV personality."
Favorite TV shows: " 'Mad Men,' 'Fringe,' 'The Office,' and 'Modern Family.' "
Favorite band: "Steely Dan. They have been my favorite group since high school. In 2006, Donald Fagen, the lead singer, put out a solo album and embarked on a tour. The first stop was New Brunswick, N.J. I was living in Tulsa, Okla., at the time and flew up there and paid for special access to the sound check and a party and backstage access."
Does anyone confuse you with the wide receiver of the New England Patriots? "Constantly. I wish I had his contract."
Future ambitions: "To never have to get a real job."