Reading Jeff Wilkins' blog about his favorite singer/entertainer interviews made me stop and think about the many interviews I've done with sports personalities over the years.

I've had some pleasant chats with guys like Hank Aaron, who at the time was Major League Baseball's all-time home run king. Hank loved to talk about the lack of Black managers and club executives in the game. He would have talked forever, but his agent stepped in and forced the handful of writers in the room to ask just one question each. I was the one who asked him about minority administrators, and he jumped at the question.

Carlton Fisk, one of the greatest catchers in the history of the game, was in town as a spokesman for a meat company when I was working back at the Troy Record. Fisk was one heckuva of an interview, especially since he just signed with the Chicago White Sox at the time. He had no love loss for his old Boston Red Sox team, which let his paperwork slide when he wanted to resign with the team. Fisk was extremely pleasant and gave me a great interview. I didn't tell him I was a Yankee fan at the time. That might have changed things quite a bit!!!

Gene Sarazen was a sweetheart. He was one of the greatest golfers of all time, and I had a fantastic one-on-one interview with him when he returned for his annual visit to Siena College, where he held a scholarship event every year. I didn't want to bother him, since he was well into his 80s at the time, but he insisted that I take a signed book of his -- I still have it in my library -- and we chatted about golf history for nearly an hour. I was amazed that he could recall so much, and I was even more surprised that he wanted to talk to me for so long.

Hubie Brown, former NBA coach of many teams, including the New York Knicks, was one of my favorite interviews. He was in the area coaching the Knicks against the Chicago Bulls in an exhibition game at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Brown didn't big-time me at all. He was the nicest guy in the world, and he really loved talking about the Xs and Os of the game, as well as about the Knicks' roster, which wasn't very impressive at the time with guys like Darryl Walker in the backcourt.

Speaking of Hubie, he was playing against the Bulls, like I said, and who do you think was the main guy on the team??? Well, it really wasn't Michael Jordan, but everyone wanted to talk to him that night, and I was no exception. We didn't know that he was going to become the greatest player in NBA history. He was just a rookie. The Capital Region media contingent was supposed to talk to him before the preseason game, but everyone got a chance to talk to him except me. They felt so bad about the slight, that they gave me a one-on-one with him after the game. Michael was cool, but he wasn't the confident athlete that he would become later on. We talked a little about his strange practice of opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue while playing. Can't believe I got a chance to talk to him, but remember, he wasn't yet a star.

Angel Cordero Jr., one of the greatest jockeys of all time, was a strange story. I tried to set up an interview with him for a full week, and each time I arrived the jockey quarters, he would blow me off, telling me to come back the next day. I finally nailed him down, and he was great.

Ron Jaworski, the former Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback and now one of my favorite football color guys for ESPN and network television, was an unbelievable interview. I talked to him just after he lost the Super Bowl a few months before. There were just a couple of us in the room, and he made it a point to remember my name each time I asked him a question. What a gentleman, and what an expert on football!!!

Just to show you that not every interview is a good one -- or even a successful one -- I must point out a few that never panned out.

Bob McAdoo, one of my favorite all-time basketball players at the time, was just traded to the Boston Celtics when I had an opportunity to attend a Celtics-Detroit Pistons game about 33 years ago. I was a rookie reporter. Although McAdoo had been a star player, he never played much for the Celtics. In fact, in this game, he didn't play at all. I stupidly thought he would want to talk to me, a Knicks fan, because he had previously played with the Knicks. How wrong I was. When I approached him for an interview, he asked me if I was kidding, and then he threw his sneakers into his locker with full force. He told me to get out of his face. I turned red. Nearly 30 reporters in the room turned to see what was going on, and they laughed. They figured out that a rookie reporter was trying to get something out of McAdoo, who was ticked off that he didn't play at all. Lesson learned.

But that trip to Boston wasn't lost completely. While trying to get into the locker room, a security guard wouldn't let me pass, even though I had media credentials. I tried to explain why I was there and that I had the necessary ID. Moments later, a guy with a familiar voice told the security guy to "let the kid in." It was the late and legendary coach Red Auerbach, puffing away at his cigar. He let me in and talked to me for about 10 minutes in the old Boston Garden. Great guy, even though, like I said, I'm a Knicks fan, I'll never forget Red's kindness to a cub reporter.

Never got a chance to interview Rick Pitino, current head coach at Louisville and a former New York Knicks coach. I had a lot of respect for Rick, both as a pro coach and as a college basketball coach. One day, the guys up at Saratoga asked me to do a feature on Pitino, who is a big horse racing fan and also owned horses himself. When I introduced myself and said I only needed a few minutes, Pitino quickly got upset and said he was in Saratoga having a vacation and didn't want to talk business. He made it a point to embarrass me in the clubhouse, and I won't forget it. Some guys just don't get it.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention some of the other great interviews I had, including many of the golfers who used to play in the Capital District Skins Game, like Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, John Daly, Tom Watson, Fred Couples, etc. Even Sam Snead, a special guest who didn't play in the Skins Game, gave me a long interview about his tremendous career. But one of the nicest guys in the world wasn't the biggest name. He's Blaine McCallister, who always served as the emcee. Blaine still pops in at Mohawk every year, and he never forgets to say hello to me and give me all the time I need.

Of course, I love bowling, too, and bowlers are some of the best interviews because they are usually so down to earth. Walter Ray Williams Jr., the sport's all-time winner, was a bit surly when we first talked to him, but after we got to know him, he was an exceptional interview, especially after we got talking about statistics. He's a real numbers freak.

Earl Anthony, one of the nicest people I ever met, was a superb interview when he was serving as a color analyst during the PBA Senior Tour telecast at Clifton Park Lanes. Gary Dickinson was equally nice.

I've had other fantastic interviews with Johnny Petraglia, Bob Learn, and of course, Parker Bohn III, who is almost every bowling fan's favorite. I still get a ribbing from my friends because I had to turn Parker down when he asked me to go to lunch with him after an interview at The Bowlers Club. I was waiting for other interviews, and I didn't want to miss them. I regret that I didn't take him up on his offer back then.

I could go on and on. When you get to be this old in the business, you tend to build up plenty of interviews.

But I also want to point out that our local sports personalities have been generous with their time, as well.

University at Albany coaches Bob Ford and Doc Sauers are among my favorites. Former Siena basketball coach Mike Deane kept me in stiches when I covered that beat. Former RPI coach Dan Fridgen was a super guy -- and fine golfer -- off the ice, but he was also always a gentleman in postgame interviews.

Union coach John Audino has become a good friend over the years, and I've gotten to know current UAlbany basketball coach Will Brown pretty well. Our top amateur golfers and bowlers also have been excellent interviews, making my job much easier.

The interview process is the heart and soul of my business as a sportswriter. I'd like to think I can ask questions with the best of them, but without interesting responses, a story can only go so far.