Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz joined Chris W. Crouse of FortyEightMinutes.com to talk about the Cincinnati Bengals ahead of their third Super Bowl appearance in franchise history to discuss a variety of topics, including where Joe Burrow ranks in Ohio sports history with a win, his favorite sports movie, and more.
CC: Joe burrow made headlines throughout the playoffs, though one thing he was trending for was his sunglasses. What are your thoughts on his particular look and, you know, wearing sunglasses at work?
Munoz: I’ve never really been crazy about guys doing interviews in sunglasses, but I gotta say, he’s our quarterback and I’m okay with Joe. He can wear him on the platform as he accepts the Lombardi trophy after Sunday’s game. He’s okay with me.
CC: Now, you’re an NFL Great Hall of Famer. You’re on the Mount Rushmore of Cincinnati athletes. If Joe Burrow wins a Super Bowl, is he automatically right there with you? And would you want his face next to you with or without the sunglasses on?
Munoz: Wow, second-year in the league with a Super Bowl win? As great as he, is I’m going to have to say he’d have to wait to be on the Mount Rushmore. So you’re talking four guys on the Mount Rushmore, Cincinnati sports? To me longevity matters. I mean, we have two quarterbacks one that should be in the Hall of Fame. Sixteen years with the Bengals: Ken Anderson. And then Boomer Esiason. I mean, you’re looking at Pete Rose, you’re looking at Johnny Bench, Oscar Robertson. I mean, it’s that’s a tough call. But I’d have to say Super Bowl win, he’s near there but you gotta give me some longevity.
Michael Irvin said that Joe burrow bringing a Super Bowl to Cincinnati is going to be bigger than LeBron James bringing an NBA championship to Cleveland. Do you believe that is true?
That’s a great question. I don’t know. I mean, look at our championships (in Cincinnati), the Big Red Machine, so I don’t know if it would be bigger. It’d be big, but I’m not sure if it’d be bigger than the Bron but that’s a good question. That’s a stumper.
You and Michael Irvin have something in common: You were both actors.
I was a thespian at one time. I saw him on The Longest Yard. I was on The Right Stuff. I did Borderline with Charles Bronson, so Michael and I have that in common.
What advice would you give people who are trying to get into acting, maybe from other careers?
Enjoy sitting around for a while on set, which is something that I didn’t enjoy. I’ve enjoyed being in a movie, but you have to sit around and I have to be moving. I have to be doing things and so if you enjoy sitting around until your name is called to get your name on the credits, that’s for you.
I had to stop pursuing the big parts and I know I surprised a lot of the producers by turning down a lot of parts because I didn’t like to sit around. But that’s what I would recommend to people who are getting into movies.
Do you have a favorite sports movie?
Oh my goodness…it has to be Sandlot
That’s got to be on the Mount Rushmore of sports movies.
For someone that grew up in Southern California. I was going to be a Major League Baseball player, started playing baseball at six years old. There are some great movies I mean, Hoosiers is another one. But Sandlot to me is my favorite sports movie.
Are you the kind of person that goes to the movie theater or do you prefer watching at home? And if you did go to the movie theater, would you want to do the whole dinner thing that was previously trending?
You know what, I’ve done that once that was pretty cool. I enjoyed that. But I used to be a big movie theater guy. I watch more at home now, although we have gotten back out to the movie theater a little so I can go home or the theater. I like to I like the theater atmosphere. You know getting the big popcorn although I have popcorn at home, so I’m kind of doing both now where I was mainly all theater before.
As with the movie theater food, traditional Super Bowl party food, is considered super healthy. You’re participating in an event ahead of the Super Bowl to promote healthy living?
We want to encourage healthy living so Hydroxycut asked me to come out to the big game workout Grand Park (in Los Angeles) on Saturday (2/12). We’re gonna be out there working out. I want to just encourage people to get into working out if they haven’t or coming out of the pandemic to really work on our healthy living and what better way to do it than the day before the Super Bowl when there are tons of wings and nachos and all kinds of stuff is being consumed.
The other thing that excited me was not only the workout but also the Hydroxycut big game sweepstakes. They have the opportunity for one person to win $100,000 If an O-lineman or D-lineman scores a touchdown; that got me excited.
I’d like to see Sam Hubbard or Trey Hendrickson, take the ball and run for a touchdown and give a person a chance to win $100,000. If not, they are also giving away a year’s worth of groceries and gym memberships. But to me, now they’re talking my language. I mean, let’s work out, have a healthy living. But let’s also give someone a chance to win some cash.
And as a lineman, you’ve scored some touchdowns in your career. Four touchdowns right?
That’s what got me excited because I said big guys can score touchdowns.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
