Abe Rakov: Before playing basketball against Northwestern, what did you know about the school?
Graham Brown: Um, I knew their colors were purple and white. Nah, I knew quite a bit about Northwestern. I’ve always watched Big Ten football and basketball, so I know a lot about them.
AR: So what’s better, Ann Arbor or Evanston?
GB: Well, I haven’t spent a lot of time in Evanston, but it seems nice. I like that it’s right by the water, but it gets kind of chilly in the winter. I like the fact that our school has a little bit more people. You guys only have like 7,000, so we have a couple more people. You have all those old buildings around – it’s kind of interesting.
AR: Michigan has a couple more people than NU?
GB: Maybe a little more than a couple. What’s more than a few?
AR: How about a lot?
GB: That’s probably right.
AR: How does Michigan basketball compare to Michigan football?
GB: I guess they’re a little bit bigger right now. They have 111,000 people coming to a game and we can’t even fill a 13,000-person arena.
AR: What’s it like watching a game in the Big House?
GB: Whenever I go to a game I usually sit in the student section. But I only stay till halftime because I don’t like standing the whole time.
AR: You can’t last a whole football game?
GB: It’s just hard to stand the whole time. I guess you sit down at halftime, but like I said, that’s when I leave anyway.
AR: Now we’ll do some word association. I’ll say a phrase and you say the first thing that comes to your mind.
GB: Ready.
AR: Welsh-Ryan Arena.
GB: Uh, small.
AR: Spartans.
GB: (Pause) I don’t want to get in trouble, so Michigan State.
AR: That’s all?
GB: Until you turn your tape recorder off.
AR: The Upper Peninsula.
GB: Really cold.
AR: OK, this isn’t working out. Moving on. What’s your favorite song?
GB: I listen to rap, like 50 Cents and stuff like that.
AR: Did you just say 50 Cents?
GB: Did I? You know what I meant.
AR: Favorite book?
GB: I don’t have a favorite book.
AR: You don’t read?
GB: I read, just no favorites.
AR: If you could date any celebrity, who would it be?
GB: Geez, I don’t have any idea. Probably one of those blond ones out there, but a lot of them are taken. What has everyone else said?
AR: Well, I asked some of them about (ESPN sideline reporter) Erin Andrews. What do you think of her?
GB: She’s nice, but she’s taken. She’s dating some hockey player on the (St. Louis) Blues. I forgot his name.
AR: How do you know?
GB: I asked her.
AR: Why? You interested?
GB: I was just checking.
Reach Abe Rakov at [email protected]
