Who are you? Rodney Hart, 47
Tell us about yourself. I grew up in Canada and Michigan, son of a preacher and English teacher. I’ve been in this business for 24 years.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be … the goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, just like my hero, Ken Dryden.
What would you rather be doing right now? Sitting on my uncle’s Lake Michigan beach near Holland, Mich., watching the sunset and reaching for another beverage.
Shhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that … I was a newspaper sports editor for 10 years. But I got therapy and got over it.
Other than the birth of your child, what was your proudest moment? Watching my daughter, Emily, play for the Quincy High School basketball team as a freshman, and watching her perform with the rock band Kansas as a member of the Western Illinois University orchestra.
It really stinks when … people lie. I see it in court all the time.
What word in the dictionary would your face be next to? Goofball.
I always laugh when … Lucy The Border Collie of Calftown Doom and Bella The Destroyer demand to go for a walk. Dogs can talk, you know.
Invite any three people, living or dead, to dinner. Who are they? My mother, who passed away nearly six years ago. I miss her so much it hurts sometimes. My Opa Hart, who fought the Germans in the Dutch Resistance. And Pete Townshend, my first musical hero, on how he can do that guitar windmill and how he still finds inspiration to write new music. Bono can come with him, too.
At the end of a really long day at work, I like to … watch a bad rerun of Cops.
People who knew me in high school thought I was … a dork. And they were right.
My most unforgettable brush with greatness was with … Barack Obama, who I interviewed in Quincy a few years before he got really famous. Interviewed Tiger Woods when he won the Masters for the first time, though there were a billion other media guys there.
I would drop all my plans tonight if I had the chance to … see The Who or U2.
If someone gave me a million dollars, there is STILL no way I would … quit working for Gus Macker on Memorial Day Weekend.
America should be more concerned about … our criminal justice system, which often has nothing to do with guilt or innocence.
I’m OK if there’s ever a national shortage of … Gus Macker clothes and shoes.
What place in the world would you most like to visit? France. Because my daughter got to go there on a band trip, and I’m jealous.
What is the most useful piece of advice you have ever received? Never argue with a person who knows they are wrong.
When I’m cruising down the road, I’m likely listening to … Eric Johnson, Van Halen or The Outfield.
I always get sentimental when … watching Emily perform with her oboe. Makes me think of all those endless school concerts and recitals.
The older I get, the more I realize … I can’t bend over any more.
If I had one “do-over,” I would … get more than one do-over.
My favorite item of clothing is … my Grand Rapids Christian High School hockey jersey, which still has paint from the old Stadium Arena boards.
If I’ve learned anything at all … it’s that things usually work themselves out.
