SEDONA,
SEDONA, THANK YOU JOE. WE HAVE ANOTHER CALLER ON THE
LINE.>> WE HAVE PHOENIX SPORTS
EXECUTIVE ON THE LINE AND WE
ALL KNOW THAT JOHN McCAIN WAS A
BIG SPORTS AND AND WHO BETTER
TO TALK ABOUT HIS LOVE OF
SPORTS THAN JERRY, HELLO.
>> HOW ARE YOU?>> WE ARE GOOD
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE BEEN BETTER
AND WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING.
>> OF COURSE.
>> WHAT YOU MISS MOST ABOUT
JOHN McCAIN?>> YOU JUST SAID
IT.
IT.
IT. THE
IT. THE RELATIONSHIP THAT GOES BACK
MANY MANY YEARS THAT TRANSCENDS
THE WORLD OF SPORTS.
HE WAS A FRIEND, HE WAS A GREAT
LEADER, HE WAS SOMEONE WE ALL
DEPENDED ON ESPECIALLY PEOPLE
IN ARIZONA.
IN ARIZONA. AS WE WERE TRYING TO BUILD THE
CITY AND THE STATE AND SO MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS WE NEEDED
LEADERSHIP FROM OUR PEOPLE WHO
WERE REPRESENTING US IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. JOHN McCAIN WAS THE GO TO GUY.
HE WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK IT AND
WAS SUPPORTIVE AND WE CAN
ALWAYS COUNT ON HIM.
THE RELATIONSHIP GREW OVER THE
YEARS AND MY RESPECT GREW MORE
SO.
SO.
SO. OBVIOUSLY BEING THE WAR HERO
THAT HE WAS AND SPENDING THE
TIME AT THE HANOI HILTON, AND
THE STORY OF HIS LIFE IS HOW
BOOKS ARE WRITTEN, AND OF
COURSE MANY HAVE BEEN WRITTEN
ABOUT HIS LIFE.
HE WILL BE SORELY MISSED IN
TERMS OF A VOICE IN CONGRESS
THAT IS BADLY NEEDED,
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE SO SPLIT
IN THE COUNTRY TODAY WITH THE
TWO-PARTY SYSTEM.
TWO-PARTY SYSTEM. JOHN MADE GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THE STATE, TO THE COUNTRY,
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TO ME, HIS
RELATIONSHIP TO ME AS A FRIEND
AND MY RESPECT FOR HIM AS A
FAMILY MAN TAKES PRECEDENCE.
>> THIS IS GRAHAM RESNICK AND
YOU HAVE MADE YOUR OWN IMPRINT
OVER PHOENIX ARIZONA THE LAST
HALF-CENTURY AND CAN YOU TELL
US ABOUT THE FIRST TIME YOU MET
JOHN McCAIN AND WHAT YOU MADE
OF THE MAN?>> WE WERE BOTH A
LOT YOUNGER, I WILL START WITH
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. IT
THAT. IT WAS PRETTY EVIDENT TO ME
THAT HE HAD TERRIFIC LEADERSHIP
QUALITIES AND THAT HE WAS GOING
TO GO SOMEWHERE.
WHEN HE DECIDED TO RUN FOR
POLITICAL OFFICE HE WAS A
DYNAMO.
DYNAMO.
DYNAMO. HE WAS READY TO GO.
I WAS A SUPPORTER OF HIM FROM
THE BEGINNING.
THE BEGINNING. THERE ARE TIMES THAT YOU CAN
SEE LEADERSHIP OOZING OUT OF
PEOPLE AND IN MY OPINION THAT
IS WHAT JOHN LOOKED LIKE TO ME.
>> HE IS SO ASSOCIATED NOW WITH
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS, BUT HE WAS A GOOD
LOCAL SENATOR AS YOU POINTED
OUT, WHERE DO WE SEE HIS
IMPRINT IN PHOENIX OR ARIZONA,
WHERE DID HE PROVIDE SOME REAL
NEEDED ASSISTANCE?>> I WILL
GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WE HAVE
TALKED ABOUT BUILDING THE CITY
AND STATE AND SO ON.
ISSUES LIKE THE CONVENTION
CENTER, THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM,
THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, THE
WATER SYSTEM, HE WAS THERE AND
INVOLVED AND WE HAD TO GO TO
HIM FOR LOT OF SUPPORT BECAUSE
THAT IS HOW THE SYSTEM IS RUN.
JOHN WAS SOMEONE YOU COULD
ABSOLUTELY RELY ON BECAUSE HIS
WORD WAS HIS BOND.
I RELATED TO THAT IN SPADES.
THAT IS BECAUSE HE REALLY WAS
COMMITTED TO THE PEOPLE OF THE
STATE OF ARIZONA.>> JERRY THIS
IS MARK CURTIS, I AM WONDERING
AS A LONGTIME ARIZONAN, BOTH
YOURSELF AND JOHN McCAIN, I
THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN TRAITS
THAT THE PEOPLE WE RECOGNIZE AS
ICONIC ARIZONANS, AND I MEAN
THAT WHEN I SAY THAT ABOUT BOTH
OF YOU, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
COMMONALITIES WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT JOHN McCAIN AND THE WORD
MAVERICK THAT IMMEDIATELY COMES
TO MIND, PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF
DIFFERENT CONNOTATIONS FOR THE
WORD MAVERICK, THAT I THINK IT
STILL FIT HIM TO LIEUTENANT AND
TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE . I
THINK BACK OF FAMOUSLY TO HIS
CORRECTING ONE OF HIS
SUPPORTERS DURING HIS RUN FOR
PRESIDENT WHEN SHE DENIGRATED
BARACK OBAMA AND CALLED HIM AN
ARAB AND HE CORRECTED HER.
IT IS SOMETHING NOT OFTEN SEEN
IN POLITICS AND CERTAINLY NOT
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. SO
NOW. SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
ARIZONANS AND THE WORD MAVERICK
WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU
THING ABOUT JOHN McCAIN?>>
WELL, IT IS BECAUSE OF HIS
TRACK RECORD AND WHO HE WAS AS
AN INDIVIDUAL.
AN INDIVIDUAL. HE WAS A RISK TAKER BUT IT WAS
GUARDED AND IT WAS SELECTIVE.
HE BECAME A VERY ASTUTE
POLITICIAN IN TERMS OF
UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM AND
GETTING THINGS DONE.
I REMEMBER HAVING LUNCHES WITH
HIM OVER THE YEARS IN THE
DINING HALL IN WASHINGTON DC
AND THE RESPECT HE GARNERED
WITH FELLOW SENATORS AND BY
MEETING MANY OF THEM YOU COULD
SEE THE LOOK IN THEIR EYES HOW
THEY RESPECTED OUR OWN SENATOR.
JOHN McCAIN . SO OVER THE YEARS
YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE THE EQUITY
THAT HAS BUILT UP IN TERMS OF
BEING ABLE TO GET A MISSION
ACCOMPLISHED.
ACCOMPLISHED. IF HE WAS COMMITTED TO
SOMETHING HE WOULD SEE IT
THROUGH AND THAT IS JUST HOW HE
WAS MADE.>> AND YOU HAVE TO
HAVE SOME OF THOSE BATTLE
SCARS.
SCARS.
SCARS. I
SCARS. I HAVE HEARD MANY PEOPLE,
INCLUDING GRAHAM WHO I AM
SITTING WITH HERE NOW, REFER TO
HIM AS A LION OF THE SENATE.
AND OLD CLIENTS HAVE BATTLE
SCARS RIGHT?>> FOR SURE.
I THINK ANYONE WHO CAN SURVIVE
IN THE POLITICAL WORLD TODAY,
AND YOU LOOK AT LASTING FOR
WHATEVER NUMBER OF YEARS,
WHETHER IT IS 15 OR 25 OR MORE,
THAT IS INCREDIBLE IN THE FIRST
PLACE BECAUSE IT IS A DAILY WAR
TRYING TO GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT
AND TRYING TO GET THINGS DONE,
WHICH IS THE BIGGEST DIFFICULTY
WE HAVE TODAY I'M GETTING
THINGS DONE IN WASHINGTON DC.>>
I'M GETTING INTO THIS A LITTLE
BIT LATE SO PARDON ME IF RACHEL
AND GRAHAM HAVE ALREADY TALKED
TO YOU ABOUT THIS, HE WAS ALSO
VERY BIG, CERTAINLY AS YOU
WERE, AND MAYBE YOU ALL HAD A
CHANCE TO WORK SIDE-BY-SIDE
WHEN IT CAME TO THE SPORTS
LANDSCAPE OF ARIZONA AND
PHOENIX IN PARTICULAR.>> OH,
FOR SURE.
FOR SURE.
FOR SURE. JOHN WAS A GREAT FAN OF
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS. AND OBVIOUSLY THE SPORTS THAT I
LIVED WITH AND I SPENT MY
LIFETIME WITH HE WAS RIGHT
THERE AND HE WAS A FIXTURE AT
THE SUNS GAMES.
WHENEVER HE WAS IN TOWN, NOT IN
DC, HE WAS SITTING ON THE
COURT, IN THE CORNER OF THE
FLOOR ON THE SENATE SIDE
OPPOSITE THE SUN'S BENCH AND I
WOULD BE SITTING BEHIND AND
THERE WAS THIS VIEW OF JOHN
McCAIN THAT WAS SITTING THERE
THAT WAS PART OF THE CULTURE.
THAT WAS PART OF THE WHOLE
SCENE AT THE OLD AMERICA WEST
ARENA, I GUESS WE HAVE TO CALL
IT THE OLD AMERICA WEST ARENA
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. AND
NOW. AND SECONDLY THE TIMES DURING
THE BASEBALL SEASONS AND THE
YEAR THAT WE WON THE WORLD
SERIES, JOHN BEING IN NEW YORK
AND BEING IN PHOENIX AND BEING
RIGHT THERE WITH US SIDE-BY-
SIDE WAS A GREAT MEMORY FOR
ME.>> YOU KNOW JERRY I REMEMBER
WHEN WE CAME BACK TO NEW YORK
IN THE WORLD SERIES AGAINST THE
YANKEES, DIAMONDBACKS, IT WAS
REALLY JUST DAYS AFTER THE
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY OF 9/11 AND WE
ALL WITH THE DIAMONDBACKS TEAM
WENT TO GROUND ZERO AND JOHN
McCAIN WAS THERE.
IT WAS SOMETHING EVEN MORE TO
HAVE THE SITE OF YOU THERE AND
JOHN THERE AND THE PLAYERS
PAYING THIS RESPECT AND AT THE
SAME TIME IF YOU THINK BACK,
AMERICA HAD THIS FEELING THAT
SOMEHOW BASEBALL AT THAT POINT,
THE DIAMONDBACKS AND YANKEES
WILL EVER BE LINKED TO THAT
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN AMERICA,
BUT ALSO THE BEGINNING OF THE
HEALING PROCESS.>> YES TO
EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID MARK.
IT WAS A MOMENT IN TIME WHO HOW
COULD ANYONE WHO WAS AROUND OR
ASSOCIATED COULD EVER FORGET.
FOR US TO BE RIGHT THERE IN THE
MIDDLE OF ALL THAT, WE NEEDED
THE KIND OF SUPPORT AND
LEADERSHIP THAT A JOHN McCAIN
COULD OFFER THE REST OF US AT
THAT GIVEN TIME AND HE
CERTAINLY PERFORMED.>> JERRY
THANK YOU ON THE PHONE, ESTEEM
12 CONTINUES - AS TEAM 12
CONTINUES TO COVERAGE AND THE
ARIZONA CARDINALS TWEETING OUT
THEIR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AND
CAMERON COX REALLY HIGHLIGHTS
HIS INFLUENCE ON SPORTS AS WE
WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT WITH
JERRY, TAKE A LOOK.>>REPORTER:
HE IS ARIZONA'S FIRST FAN
BECAUSE HE WAS ALWAYS THERE,
LOYAL TO ANYTHING AND
EVERYTHING ARIZONA, NO MATTER
THE VENUE.>> NOBODY CAN TAKE
CONTROL OF THE BASKETBALL GAME
AS CONSISTENTLY AS STEVE NASH.
>> WHEN IT CAME TO SMACK TALK
HE COULD HOLD HIS OWN.
>> I HEAR SOMEONE ON YOUR STAFF
IF YOU ARE NOT GIVING THE
CARDINALS THE CREDIT THEY
DESERVE SO YOU GUYS ARE
DUMMIES.
DUMMIES.
DUMMIES. >> SPORTS WAS NOT JUST A HOBBY
FOR ARIZONA SENATOR.
JOHN McCAIN BUT IT WAS A
PASSION AND HE DID NOT SHY AWAY
FROM SHOWING IT.
THE SUN OF A NAVAL OFFICER,
JOHN McCAIN MOVED AROUND
GROWING UP, THE NAME OF SCHOOL
WAS ALWAYS CHANGING BUT SPORTS
WAS THE CONSTANT IN LIFE IN
HIGH SCHOOL HE PLAYED TENNIS,
FOOTBALL AND HE WRESTLED.
BUT ACCORDING TO HIM NOT WELL.
>> IN HIGH SCHOOL I PLAYED
EVERYTHING MEDIOCRE BUT I LOVED
PLAYING FOOTBALL AND BEING
MEDIOCRE, THAT MADE ME IDOLIZE
THE CARSON'S AND PALMER'S AND
LARRY FITZGERALD.
LARRY FITZGERALD. >> SOME AMERICAN POLITICIANS
ARE TO FIND BY THE SPORTS THEY
FAVOR AND FOR McCAIN IT IS NO
SURPRISE HIS SPORTS WAS BOXING.
FROM HIS DAYS AS A LIGHT
HEAVYWEIGHT IN THE NAVY TO
BEING THE GUY TO DELIVER THE
KNOCKOUT PUNCH FOR THE SPORT ON
NATIONAL STAGE.>> I CAN
REMEMBER THE GOLDEN DAYS OF
BOXING.
BOXING.
BOXING. >> McCAIN HELPED PASS THE
NATIONAL BOXING SAFETY ACTS OR
ACT IN 1996 AND CO-AUTHORED THE
OLLI ACT THAT PROTECTS THE
RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF BOXERS
AND FROM HIS TWO DECADES HE
PUSHED FOR A SITTING PRESIDENT
TO PARDON BOXING GREAT JACK
JOHNSON, THE FIRST BOXING CHAMP
THAT WAS SENTENCED IN PRISON IN
1912 FOR DATING A WHITE WOMAN
AND IN THIS MAY IT HAPPENED.
>> I HAVE ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE
GRANT OF CLEMENCY, A FULL
PARDON POSTHUMOUSLY TO JOHN
ARTHUR JOHNSON.
ARTHUR JOHNSON. >> HIS SPORTS AGENDA WAS SO
LONG HIS GOVERNMENT WEBSITE
EVEN HAD A PAGE DEDICATED TO
SPORTS ISSUES.>> IF YOU COULD
CHANGE ONE THING IS SPORTS WHAT
WOULD IT BE?>> I WOULD TAKE
SIGNIFICANT ACTION TO PREVENT
THE SPREAD AND USE OF
PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING
PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING SUBSTANCES.
SUBSTANCES. >> McCAIN BELIEVED THE FIGHT
NOT JOINED IS A FIGHT NOT
ENJOYED AND HE CREDITED HIS
BOXING TRAINING IS ONE REASON
HE WAS WITH A ABLE TO WITHSTAND
TORTURE DURING HIS FIVE AND
HALF YEARS AS PRISONER OF WAR
IN VIETNAM AND WHAT HELPED HIM
AND OTHER PRISONERS GET THEIR
MIND OFF THE SITUATION?
SPORTS TALK.
SPORTS TALK. >> WE GOT IN NEW PRISONERS AND
THEY WERE IN A DIFFERENT PART
OF THE CAMP THAT WE WERE IN AND
THE FIRST THING WE WANTED TO
KNOW WAS SPORTS.
AND OF COURSE THE TOPIC AT THAT
TIME WAS JOE NAMATH.
>> McCAIN IS AN AMERICAN HERO
BUT SOME OF HIS HEROES INCLUDE
ATHLETE, FROM HALL OF FAME THIS
BALLPLAYER TED WILLIAMS TO PAT
TILLMAN.>> YOU WILL SEE HIM
AGAIN WHEN A LOVING GOD
REUNITES US ALL, WITH THE LOVED
ONES WHO PRECEDED US IN DEATH.
>> AND OF COURSE LARRY
FITZGERALD.>> THESE PEOPLE ARE
MODEL CITIZENS AND SO IN MY
VIEW THEY ARE HEROES NOT ONLY
ON THE FIELD BUT LIFE.
>> THE SENATOR WAS AT REGULAR
CARDINALS PRACTICES AND GAMES
AND HERE HE WAS ONE MONTH AFTER
BEING DIAGNOSED WITH RAIN
CANCER IN AUGUST 2017.>> GOD
BLESS HIM, I LOVE SENATOR.
McCAIN . ONE OF MY GREATEST
TREASURES WAS HAVING HIM STAND
NEXT TO ME FOR THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM FOR A GAME.
IF ANYBODY CAN WITH IT HE CAN'T
BECAUSE HE IS THE TOUGHEST SON
OF A GUN I KNOW.
>> IT WAS HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH
ANOTHER ARIZONA ICON THAT SPOKE
VOLUMES AND THAT WAS NEVER MORE
EVIDENT ON CHRISTMAS DAY 2017.
>> I HAVE SUCH A GREAT RESPECT
FOR HIM AND HE IS ONE OF THE
GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOT AND A
CARDINALS FAN AND FRIEND.
>> FITZGERALD PAYING TRIBUTE TO
McCAIN WITH A CHRISTMAS
EDITORIAL ON SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
SAYING AS SOON AS MY BOYS ARE
OF AGE I WILL TELL THEM STORIES
ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE MAN I
HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW.
I WILL TELL THEM SENATOR.
JOHN McCAIN WILL BE REVERED
AND RESPECTED AS LONG AS UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA HAS A PLACE
IN THIS WORLD AND HIS LEGACY
WILL OUTLIVE ALL OF US.>> HE IS
A SPECIAL PERSON AND WE NEED
HIM.
HIM.
HIM. >>
HIM. >> HEROES GET REMEMBERED BUT
LEGENDS NEVER DIE.
NEXT TIME SENATOR.
, REMEMBER TO BRING A GLOVE.>>
HE ALMOST HAD IT.>> IT IS
INTERESTING, AND JERRY WAS
TALKING ABOUT IT, JOHN McCAIN
UNDERSTOOD SPORTS COULD BE SUCH
A GREAT UNITER AND HE WAS SUCH
A TOUGH SON OF A GUN, NOT A
GREAT ATHLETE BUT A TOUGH
ATHLETE.
ATHLETE.
ATHLETE. AND SOMETIMES YOU WANT THE
TOUGH DOG IN THE FIGHT.
>> SOMETIMES IT IS NOT ABOUT
ATHLETICISM BUT MENTAL
TOUGHNESS WHICH HE HAD THROUGH
AND THROUGH TO THIS VERY DAY,
NO ARGUING THAT WHATSOEVER.
THROUGH HIS WHOLE LIFE IN EVERY