USA Sports InterViews Mr. X
July 9 - Seattle - For several days now, the USA Sports world has been held captive wondering who the mysterious new GM of the Seattle Seahawks was, as well as the identity of the the new owner of the #2 Miller Lite racing team. USA Sports Daily flew their reporters out to Seattle to uncover the story. With the latest polls saying that it must be former USAFL great, Tim Arkwright. Turns out the polls didn't lie. Read our in depth interview with the twenty-one year old Mr. Arkwright who has been spending the last year attending Western Michigan University, studying Computer Science.

First let me say, welcome back to the world of USA Sports! It has been more than a year since the last time the USAFL was active, what have you been up to this past year? Still in school?

Yeah, I was bouncing around majors most of last year, but I decided to go back to Computer Science and it's been doing well for me. I've gotten into a lot of extra activities though at WMU. For one, I do a few radio shows on our campus radio station (WIDR). I currently do a 1 hour sports show, 4 news reports, and a 2 hour DJ shift. I find it to be a complete blast. I also am on the WMU Forensics team which is a speech, theatre, and debate squad. It's kinda hard to explain but all the people are really cool so that's the main reason I am there. I also moved up the restaurant food chain form dishwasher to server, so I am making more money. But I am also dealing with rent and groceries and car payments so my net dollars is still zero. And now that I am 21, more like below zero.

Describe your impressions of the very first season the USAFL was online, when Garritt, you and Mike Manuel signed on back in September of 1997.

The first thing that hit me was how the league started with fake players and not NFLers and fake players. Immediately entering the league I knew Bing Bennett and John Randle (oddly enough, not an NFLer) were the two superstars in the league. The other was how competitive it was. Andrew and Jim were constantly at it. And I remember getting screwed over big time on my first trade with Andrew. It sucked at the time, but it said to me "Hey, we don't mess around. If you are gonna be good, you have to earn it." It also gave me and Andrew a pretty darn good rivalry.

When you look back on the history of the USAFL, what are your three most fondest memories of the USAFL . . .

1. Keith Holmes kicking the game winner in OT to FINALLY defeated the vaunted Bucs and get me to my first Super Bowl. It was like U.S. vs. USSR in the '80 Olympics. I didn't care if I won the Super Bowl, I just wanted to finally beat Andrew.

2. Brian Norris going like 60 yards for the game winning score in the Super Bowl in overtime at home. Could you imagine running the final 50 yards in nothing but daylight with 70,000 fans screaming at you knowing you are about to win the Super Bowl? Unreal.

3. The whole Vince Bates debacle. I felt really really bad after getting him because I knew him teamed up with Mays would make me virtually unstoppable. I won 4 Super Bowls in a row with them anchoring my D.
(Ed. Note - Vince Bates was a highly talented free agent DL who was involved in a tied bid situation with two teams. One team failed to submit a private bid. Bates was then awarded to the other team, the Falcons, with a 1.000 salary. Thus making the Falcons defense impenetrable)

You are considered one of the USAFL's best judge of young talent, which is why the USAFL Rookie of the Year award is named after you. Who was the best diamond in the rough type of player that you ever discovered in the lower rounds of a draft?

There were a lot I'm sure that I can't remember but the big one for me as John Cullers who I drafted in the 4th round of my first ever draft and he later went on to become the greatest USAFL QB ever. 

Since you came on board after all the teams were handed out, what are your impressions with the teams you did get, namely the Seattle Seahawks and the #2 Miller Lite?

The Seahawks need some serious help. They have a very old team and them not drafting or camping anyone this year really really hurts. Also, my most important parts of the team, the OL and DL, are absolutely atrocious. Thin and weak. They are going to need extra help. I am happy with the Miller Lite #2 though. I think we have a solid sponsor and crew chief. I'm just looking for the car to be driven by young, capable hands.

With everyone considering the AFC to be incredibly strong, how many seasons do you think it will take for you to turn the Seahawks into a championship contender?

I said in my press conference that I would win the Super Bowl in 5 years (by 2007). I stick by that. 

What is up with ROY DL Jeffrey Strader? He had 15 sacks last season as a rook, and only 4 sacks going into week 11?

He was given every available opportunity to win rookie of the year last year and I didn't think he was as good as hyped. I think he will be a very solid 2 or 3 man in a couple years, but I think that he just got really lucky last year.

You've won six (or was it seven?) USAFL Championships. Are you feeling pressure to duplicate your accomplishments with Seattle?

I think I have established myself with a certain reputation for victory with Atlanta and I feel I need to live up to it not only for the fans of the league but also for those who were looking forward to knocking me off. I think every league needs a heel like the LA Lakers or the NY Yankees, a team that is very good year in and year and a team people take a lot of pride in defeating. I look forward to making Seattle that team, although this time with the not so menacing black uni's.