A Made Met

How do sports stars fit in?	Who should win the Heisman?	Most annoying TV commercial	Favorite thing to chew	When do you put up your Xmas tree?	Who's your celebrity crush?
FRED TAYLOR Jaguars RB	Tim Tebow ( Florida ). Is there any doubt?	I am tired of seeing Reggie Bush	My fingernails	The first week in December	Jessica Alba
ERIC HINSKE Free Agent 1B	Darren McFadden ( Arkansas )	Bud Light ones that keep saying "Dude"	Tobacco	Two days before Thanksgiving	My wife
DOUGLAS MURRAY Sharks D	Tim Tebow	AFLAC commercials	General Tobacco	A week before Christmas	Shakira
KELENNA AZUBUIKE Warriors G	Andre Woodson ( Kentucky )	"Gellin'" Dr. Scholls commercials	Starburst	Two weeks before Christmas	Halle Berry (above)

Actor Michael Imperioli (Christopher on The Sopranos ) takes on the role of a Mets catcher in the movie version of Mitch Albom 's novel For One More Day, airing Dec. 9 on ABC. The 41-year-old Mount Vernon, N.Y., native has a black belt in taekwondo.

SI : You met with Yankees catcher Jorge Posada (below) to prepare for this movie, right?

Imperioli: Yes. He was my favorite player even before I did this. I wanted to talk about the mental aspect of being a catcher. They're like shrinks, helping pitchers stay connected to the game. Pitchers tend to be idiosyncratic, and there's a solitary aspect to the job. The catcher is kind of their lifeline.

SI : Is playing a Met heresy for a Yankees fan?

Imperioli: In acting, everything is O.K. If it's all right that I put someone's head through a window, then I guess it's O.K. to wear a Mets uniform.

SI : How much of a Yankees fan are you, anyway?

Imperioli: We were shooting [For One More Day] near Massachusetts , and the Red Sox organization called and asked if I wanted to throw out the first ball at Fenway. I said I would do it only if I could wear a Yankees uniform. They didn't go for that.

SI : Did athletes reach out to you to say they liked The Sopranos ?

Imperioli: The best was when I got a call two years ago from a lawyer for Muhammad Ali (right) saying, "Muhammad wants to meet you. He's a fan of the show." I was stunned. I invited them to the set, but I kept thinking, This is not going to happen. But Ali came! I brought him in, and he got an ovation from the whole crew. Everyone stopped working for a half hour. Some people were crying. He went up to everyone, shook hands; it was unbelievable. I don't think people would have reacted the same way if it were the Pope.

SI : Did Ali get an audience with Tony Soprano ?