Rice Sees Wide World Of Sports

Feb. 27, 2007— -- As U.S. secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice is astute on the subject of international affairs.

She could ace an aptitude test on football, as well.

When Rice was born, a football was waiting for her in her crib, courtesy of her father, John Rice, then a high school coach and athletic director in Birmingham, Ala.

"He had the football; he got a girl," she said, laughing at the recollection.

Rice, an only child, quickly showed her father she shared his passion for the game. By the time she turned 3, they were watching telecasts of their favorite team, the Cleveland Browns. The Browns at the time, under Paul Brown, were one of the NFL's earliest integrated teams, and they attracted a large, national African-American fan base.

Rice was so enamored with Brown that after he was fired by the Browns and founded the Cincinnati Bengals in 1967 -- their first season was in 1968 -- she switched her allegiance to the Bengals.

Another pigskin tradition involved annual Thanksgiving Day father-daughter football games in the family's backyard. They called their friendly game the Rice Bowl.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice once said being NFL commissioner would be her dream job because of its status as an important national institution.

Later, after Rice's father joined the University of Denver faculty in the late 1960s, a number of Denver Broncos players visited the Rice house, where football often was Topic A. The players were astonished at Condoleezza's penetrating questions on the game's X's and O's, an acumen she retains.

"Everybody always is [surprised], and they don't understand," she said. "I probably would have written several more books had it not been for the NFL on Sunday."

In the college game, she roots for Stanford University, where she spent nearly two decades as a professor and provost, followed by Notre Dame and Alabama. While at Stanford, Rice was involved in hiring two minority football coaches, Dennis Green and Tyrone Willingham.

Rice also follows the NHL. Colorado and San Jose are her teams.

As a teen, Rice skated for five years with the Denver Figure Skating Club. She called herself a mediocre performer but relished the discipline the sport provided. In retrospect, she believes her 5-foot-8 frame was better suited for tennis, a sport she does not play. Last year, she took up golf, which remains a work in progress. To stay fit, Rice works out on a stationary exercise machine, time permitting.

To the amazement of many, Rice has never missed viewing a Super Bowl since the first game in 1967. Her closest call came a few years ago when she was meeting with Israeli officials in Jerusalem.