Frank Luntz Surprises Imus With Hockey Great

Either he was trying to get out of actually having to converse with the I-Man, or Frank Luntz genuinely wanted former New York Rangers goalie Mike Richter to preach his gospel about athletes making a difference in their communities. Whichever it was, Imus was surprised to see Richter.

“If Frank were going to bring anybody, I’d have figured it would’ve been one of the girls from the escort service,” Imus said.

Luntz, the all-star pollster, met Richter in California and was immediately struck by his plight. “I respect the idea of people who’ve done well in other professions and now want to give something back,” he said.

Richter’s goal (pun intended?) is to influence his fellow athletes, past and present, to get the message out about the connection between health and the environment. “The air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil we’re playing on, this means something to athletes,” said Richter, who has a son with asthma. “We’re consuming it.”

Talking about the environment isn’t easy, he added, because as soon as people hear the term “spotted owls,” their eyes glaze over. “Like I’m doing now,” Imus admitted.

The idea is to start a conversation, Richter said, because the environment has become politicized. “It’s just a matter of health and public safety and quality of life,” he said.

Imus reported that the percentage of young people with asthma and other breathing disorders is higher in Harlem than anyplace else in the country, a stunning statistic that is clearly related to environmental factors.

“Maybe it’s Charlie Rangel,” said Luntz, who finally decided to show up for his own scheduled appearance.

Since Imus wasn’t sure, Richter told him that, yes, it was still hockey season, and that the playoff were about to begin. “There can be nothing more exciting than playoff hockey when it comes down to a seventh game,” said Imus. “The other six—I mean, come on.”

Since Luntz was sitting there doing nothing pretty much this whole time, Imus asked him about Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens announcing his retirement last week.

“It’s going to be a challenge for Republicans because they do want to take on Obama, but they’d rather take him on spending, on taxes, on the size of government, on health care, and not fight over personality,” he said, pointing out that the Gallup poll is giving Obama the lowest numbers of his presidency.

For this, Luntz was accused of being “a hater,” though he protested that he’s on neither side of the debate. “You hate everybody,” Imus deduced. “And by the way, Frank, we hate you.”

-Julie Kanfer