PC: A little bit of playground ball. I can throw elbows with the best of them.
PB: You threw a few punches in your book. How many fights have you had in your life?
PC: I could never count them.
PB: How long did the book take to write?
PC: About three years. When I do motivational talks, people always want copies of my stories and pointers, so that's when the idea for the book started. When I was trying to purchase the team, I said to my wife, If I could ever get hold of this team, what a great story that would be -- from the training room to the boardroom. But I really didn't want to do a sports book. I want everyone to be inspired. I want you to think, If that whack-job can do it, so can I.
PB: Is there the fear that you'll be lumped in with creepy self-help guys like Tony Robbins and Deepak Chopra?
PC: Being compared to them would be a compliment. But I wouldn't do it Tony Robbins' way or Tupac Deepak's way -- I do it my way.
PB: What's next for Pat Croce?
PC: I don't know. I said I'd give it five years, and this is my fifth. I said I'd restore the fans' pride and passion in their team, and I've accomplished that. I also said I'd like to have a championship parade for the fans, and we're working on that.
PB: Have you been on a motorcycle since your accident?
PC: About a month ago, I co-chaired a Toys-for-Tots ride. It was my first time on a bike in a year and a half. It was scary, but when I turned that throttle up, it was cool.
PB: What did you ask for for Christmas?
PC: I don't ask for anything -- I buy what I want. I'm a big Houdini collector: locks, handcuffs, posters, autographed books. I love him. Now I'm waiting for the best gift ever to be delivered. Christie's was auctioning off this pirate collection, and this one lot -- this is soooo cool -- is a pirate treasure chest. It's soooo cool. You gotta see this thing. You lift the lid up, and it's soooo cool. Who do you know that owns a pirate treasure chest? It's going right in my living room. My wife's gonna die.
PB: How much did you pay for it?
PC: A lot. I'm not saying -- it's kind of embarrassing. I got this cool sword, too. A pirate treasure chest! It's the best!
PB: What do you do to unwind?
PC: I love magic and mentalism -- Amazing Kreskin kind of stuff.
PB: What am I thinking right now?
PC: You're thinking, This guy's fucking crazy!
