Mark Cuban Sweatily Expounds on Why He Saved the St. Patrick's Day Parade

Yesterday we emailed Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban to ask why he decided to save the Greenville St. Patrick's Day Parade. "I didn't want to see it go away," he wrote back. A great answer. A noble answer, especially since he also cut a $25,000 check to a Dallas ISD...

By Greg Howard

February 16, 2012

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Yesterday we emailed Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban to ask why he decided to save the Greenville St. Patrick's Day Parade.

"I didn't want to see it go away," he wrote back.

A great answer. A noble answer, especially since he also cut a $25,000 check to a Dallas ISD scholarship fund that's historically been one of the parade's beneficiaries. Still, not good enough.

So we doubled down. Last night, before Mavs-Nuggets, I caught up with Cuban in the team weight room, where he was pumping away on a Stairmaster, red-faced and sweating into a towel. Oddly, the towel was not made from Apple stock certificates.

So, Mark: Why'd you really save the parade?

"I thought it was unfair to the future generations," Cuban said, "because they wouldn't be able to kill as many brain cells as I did."

Fair point. Still, it's hard at this late date to recall a time when Cuban shared the streets with the peasants, especially the extremely hammered ones.

"Oh, yeah, of course." Still ascending in place, he turned and smiled. "I've gone. I've been Grand Marshal. I've passed out afterward."

And now, thanks to him, you too can pass out after the parade, this year and likely for years to come.

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