Wally Responds to Accusations of Scandal and Discusses Anna Kournikova

First Published July, 2000

PR: "Wally, since you have announced your intention to run for President the Gore and Bush camps have been working around the clock to extract the skeletons from your closet. Does this get to you?"

Wally: "Of course it gets to me. I've spent my entire career trying to be a good role model for kids and other mascots and now I'm being dragged through the mud. I admit that I have made some mistakes, but nobody's perfect. God, it's not like I seduced an intern or dodged the draft."

PR: "Tell me about the Bucky Dent incident."

Wally: "It was unfortunate. We saw each other at a bar one night. I think we had both had one too many drinks. He started hassling me about the Red Sox-Yankees one game playoff in 1978. He was talking trash about how he hit the ball over me and into the net. I kept my cool initially, but he just wouldn't let it go. Finally, I got upset and called him 'Lucky' Dent. I told him that a gust of wind is the only reason anyone other than his own mother remembers him. He replied with a comment something along the lines of 'Monster, my a**!' That's when I clocked him. He got some good shots in on me but I beat him up pretty good. We both apologized later on. It wasn't a big deal, but you know how things are exaggerated in the media."

PR: "What about the 315 scandal? The Green Monster read 315 feet for many years and now it says 310. Many people think that you misrepresented the distance on purpose. Is that true?"

Wally: "I knew this would come up. Yes, I knew the Green Monster was less than 315 feet from home plate. All the other parks were 325, maybe 330. You don't know what it's like to be only 309 or 310. I probably should have been happy to be the tallest."

PR: "37 feet tall is pretty impressive. And that's without the net."

Wally: "Yeah, I know. I should have been more secure, but I figured, what's a few more feet. Who's ever going to know. Then one day I spotted Dan Shaughnessy out there with about five tape measures. I knew I'd be exposed so I came clean. These days smaller is better. People like the home runs now. Go figure."

PR: "The rumor is that you are dating Anna Kournikova. Is this true?"

Wally: "Unfortunately for me, it's not true. We are just friends. We hang out from time to time and play some tennis together. She likes the challenge. After all, who is better at tennis than a big wall? A wall always returns serve. She's a great girl. I'd be happy if the rumors were true, but unless I join the NHL I don't really see it happening."

PR: "Thanks, Wally. Anything more that you'd like to add?"

Wally: "Yes, please vote for me in November."

Please take a look at my 2004 Interview with Wally.