Hangin’ and Shootin’ The Breeze With Matt Kenseth
No matter how long I cover NASCAR, I can always learn something new.
Tuesday, I learned that Matt Kenseth is really a pretty funny guy.
Yes, you know, the same monotonic-sounding guy who has been roundly criticized for being droll or even boring in his pre- or post-race comments.
(I admit, I’ve even called him out a time or two. I was looking for colorful quotes from him, and all I got was vanilla.)
Let’s face it, if Jimmy Spencer ever gives up his nickname of Mr. Excitement, Kenseth would likely be one of the last guys to earn that title.
But Tuesday, I saw a much different side of Kenseth, a side I really liked a lot.
Sure, Matt may be a bit reserved in front of huge packs of print journalists and camera-and microphone-toting TV and radio types. But put him in front of just three easy-going writers from Chicago, and he graciously opened up, showing the real side of the kid from a small town about 150 miles away, just north of Madison, Wisc.
Kenseth was in the Windy City to promote next month’s Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway. Maybe it was the chicken salad he had for lunch that loosened him up after a round of TV interviews. Or maybe he just felt more relaxed with a trio of pen pushers furiously scribbling his gems in their notebooks.
He joked – although he was rather adamant in his response – about how he’ll never own or drive a mini-van, even though wife Katie is due to ive birth to the couple’s first child in the next two weeks.
He bragged about his love for his home state NFL team, the Green Bay Packers, while at the same time being fairly gentlemanly in his comments about the Packers’ No. 1 rival, the Chicago Bears. Of course, the fact he was on the Bears’ home turf – and their equally diehard fans – may have had something to do with it, too.
One thing that really surprised me about the driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford was his vast knowledge of pro football. I’ve been covering all sports, including the NFL, for the better part of the last 35 years – including the Bears’ march to victory in Super Bowl XX in 1986.
But Kenseth had me beat with his knowledge of pro football, not to mention his exuberance while talking about it. Heck, when he retires as a race car driver, trust me, Kenseth has a future in the gridiron game.
I came into the downtown ESPN Zone, where the lunch and interview session with Kenseth was held, thinking we’d have just another ho-hum session.
But an hour later, I came away with a new-found respect and admiration for Kenseth. Now I can understand when Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of Kenseth’s best friends, says “Matt’s a real cool guy.”
He really is, the kind of guy you just want to hang around, shoot the breeze and have a beer with.
Just don’t talk bad about his Packers, and you’ll be just fine.
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