[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book I)]
[June 15, 1994]
[Pages 1081-1083]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the NCAA Basketball Champion University of Arkansas 
Razorbacks
June 15, 1994

    The President. Thank you. I want to welcome Coach and Mrs. 
Richardson and the Razorbacks, all the staff and the friends who came 
with them from Arkansas. I want to also recognize the presence here in 
the audience--I see Congressman Thornton, but I think that Congresswoman 
Lambert and Congressman Dickey and Congressman Hutchinson are here. And 
Senator Bumpers and Senator Pryor called me and said that they were told 
they had to stay and vote. And I told them that their priorities might 
be a little out of order, but--[laughter]--they allowed as how you 
elected them to vote, and

[[Page 1082]]

they're voting in the Senate, and they're very sorry they can't be here.
    I think one reason I like basketball so much is it's gotten to be a 
lot like my job. It's more and more physical all the time. [Laughter] 
You get behind, and then you get ahead. You never know whether you're 
going to win until the end of the game, and people are questioning your 
judgment calls all the way through. [Laughter] I just wish that on every 
close issue, I had Scotty Thurman there at the end to make the shot.
    I also would tell you that since I've been here, I've been crossways 
with a lot of interest groups, whether it was the NRA or some insurance 
companies or when we decided that we'd try to help sweep the housing 
projects in Chicago, we had the ACLU and the NRA mad at us. So people 
are always questioning how I manage to make so many organized groups mad 
at me. But I never did anything quite so crazy as to risk the 51 
electoral votes of Michigan, Arizona, and North Carolina--[laughter]--
all in a row by going to those games. And when one of the reporters 
asked me about it when I got back, I said, ``If you'd been waiting for 
this as long as we have, it would be worth it all, including that.'' 
[Laughter]
    I want to say to the coach and to the team that all of us, I think, 
were very, very proud, not only of the fact that they won the national 
championship but the way they won it, with hard, clean, aggressive 
basketball. That championship game was the way every national 
championship ought to be decided, aggressive, tough, close to the end, 
with very, very high standards, and yet a very clean and honorable game. 
I was very proud of that.
    I'd also like to say that Nolan Richardson has done a lot of 
remarkable things in his life, often against all the odds. But it's a 
rare thing to be able to put together the chemistry of young people in 
the way that this team was put together. And so I say to him and to all 
the players, you did your State proud. You made the President happy. But 
more importantly, you showed America the best about what college 
athletics should be. And we are all very, very proud of you.
    We have an enormous number of Razorback fans here today, some of 
whom live in Washington now, including, obviously in addition to the 
First Lady and myself, our Chief of Staff, Mack McLarty, many people who 
work here in the White House, throughout the Government. I think perhaps 
Representative Cardiss Collins of Illinois is also here, who has worked 
with Coach Richardson and other coaches throughout the country. And I 
just want to say to all of you here in Washington, you're welcome. And 
to all of you who made the long trip from Arkansas, we are elated to see 
you. We miss you, and this is a nice extra thing for me.
    I'd like to now present, if I might, the Presidential commendation 
to honor the victory of the Razorbacks, one to the coach and one to the 
team. And I think that the officer has them. So, Coach Richardson, would 
you come up here and receive yours.
    This says: ``The President of the United States awards this 
commendation to Nolan Richardson for his many years of coaching 
excellence, his steadfast leadership in guiding the Arkansas Razorback 
basketball team to the NCAA national championship, for his exceptional 
contributions to college basketball in Arkansas, and for his relentless 
commitment to excellence in both education and athletics.''
    Thank you.
    I'd like to ask the two captains to come up here. Who else--or who's 
going to get it? The seniors, you all come up too. Come on, Roger and 
Ken. This is the same commendation, which notes the record of the season 
and the national victory. And I want to give it to you guys. And we're 
glad to see you walking around and looking so good. [Laughter]
    Thank you. Congratulations.

[At this point, Coach Nolan Richardson briefly thanked the President and 
presented gifts.]

    The President. I asked for somebody to say something on behalf of 
the team. I'm sorry it's so warm here, but I didn't want you to feel 
lonesome away from Arkansas, so we--[laughter]. I did get to go with 
these, some of those patented Razorback basketball pants which would, if 
I could ever figure out how to run in them without tripping over my 
ankles, would end all those unseemly comments about my legs, because 
they go down below my knees. [Laughter]
    Let me say also, I was anxious to see Corliss up here with his cast 
up close. He's the only guy I know that plays games with broken bones 
that plays better than he does when he's healed. But nonetheless, we're 
glad he's on the mend. I got to sign the cast; that was fun.

[[Page 1083]]

    Mr. Thurman, why don't you come up and say something on behalf of 
the team--since you didn't----
    Scotty Thurman. I kind of feel like a politician up here.
    The President. You look like one.

Note: The President spoke at 2:48 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Rose Richardson, wife of Coach 
Nolan Richardson, and team members Scotty Thurman, Roger Crawford, 
Kenneth Biley, and Corliss Williamson.