Feb 7 2012

Super Bowl XLVI In Indianapolis

Finally…a city that can do justice for an event as large as the Super Bowl. Seeing as how Indianapolis has been home to the Final Four, the Indy 500, the Big Ten Championship, NBA Championships and a wide variety of conferences for large corporations, it was about time this city got the chance to host the biggest event in America. And I’m happy to report that from everything I heard it went very well! Unfortunately I didn’t get to see much of it because I was working some crazy hours for the NFL Network and also because of my sciatica flaring up something awful, I basically went from work to hotel, hotel back to work without actually getting to see everything that Indy had to offer. But there was excitement over 2 things this past week…the weather was incredible (60′s in February? Nice!) and the fact that everything was so accessible. From the NFL Experience to the Media Center at the JW Marriott to the Super Bowl itself, everything was located right downtown and within walking distance so once you parked your car (with parking ranging from $20 to $100!), you could pretty much see everything. Except for some of the crowds at the free concerts being a little TOO big, everything went without a hitch! And the game itself was a classic to boot! Here are some photos I took while hobbling from hotel to work…

Getting the stadium ready for the big game!

Madonna on the NFL Net Media Center set

Bengals rookie QB Andy Dalton on the air at Radio Row

Super Bowl Village was a HUGE success with a zipline and plenty of attractions

I managed to snap a shot of me AT the game in the 3rd Quarter. Eventually the Giants pulled the upset by winning 21-17 over the Patriots…

Madonna’s performance was pretty flashy!

Seriously…next year I won’t be able to get HALF the roman numerals in the shot!

Oh yeah…and next year? The Super Bowl is in New Orleans! Should be all kinds of fun there!!!

Nov 6 2011

Spartans…Super Bowl Champions!

And the 2011 NKY Youth Football League Midget Division Champions are…The NKY Spartans!!!

Studying His Plays Before the Big Game

THE 2011 CHAMPS!!!

YES YOU ARE, BUDDY!

Feb 6 2011

Picture Of The Day_Super Bowl XLV

Feb 4 2011

Super Bowl XLV Media Center

Oh I know…it’s the “media center”…nothing fun can happen there, right? A bunch of radio personalities who are on the radio for a reason (unattractive with good voices) and some tv guys talking for 8 hours.

Well…you have the 2nd part right.

Our day started on-air at 10am and didn’t finish until 6…but that doesn’t mean I can’t have SOME fun…right? So on our lunch breaks, here are a few pictures that me & my co-workers took. And there are a couple of stories to tell…

First…there are literally hundreds of current NFL players who weave their way from radio booth to radio booth and then to our set for the NFL Network. Here are a few players you might know…

Giants QB & Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning

Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew

Brooklyn Decker…wait…SHE’S not a player…

And then there are a TON of former NFL greats who also give interviews. Some are outgoing, some are not. Let’s see who IS and who isn’t…

Tiki Barber…IS

Eric Dickerson…DUNNO. I didn’t take this picture…

The Bus (Jerome Bettis)…IS

Mean Joe Green? Of course he IS! Haven’t you ever seen THIS?

And I dunno what this critter is but he was pretty friendly…

And where there are million dollar sports figures, there are bound to be pretty women…

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

Miss America Teresa Scanlan

Supermodel Marisa Miller

Aaaaand then there is my Fergie story. The Black Eyed Peas are performing at halftime at the Super Bowl and every year the halftime performers meet the media and answer questions. Well…I saw BEP a couple of years ago in Pittsburgh for the NFL Kickoff. At the time, Fergie looked like this…

Today, from a distance, she looked like this…

However AFTER the media chat, the band came through the NFL Net dining room while I was eating my lunch. Fergie & the boys walked right past my table as I talked on the phone with my wife. Needless to say, I didn’t hear a whole lot of what she was saying…but I’m sure she will forgive me just this once. Unfortunately, because I was talking on my phone, I wasn’t able to snap their picture as they passed by. Oh well…

So the first 2 days at the Media Center are over and it has been all kinds excitement. But the highlight of MY stay? Seeing all the athletes and mega-stars? Nah…

It was meeting this guy…

Bugs ROCKS!!!

Feb 1 2011

Super Bowl XLV – Dallas, TX

Dallas, Texas is the site for this year’s Super Bowl matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. This will be the Steelers’ 8th appearance and the Packers’ 5th appearance in the big game. What will transpire under the glow of the monstrous jumbotron that is perched high above the field in Dallas Stadium? Who knows? But I am here and I will be working at the stadium on Super Bowl Sunday. But until then…I’m stuck in downtown Dallas, working at the Media Center for the NFL Network. What’s gonna happen here this week? Well…we’ll be talking endlessly about this season, next season, the strike, possible Super Bowl outcomes, Super Bowl celebrities, who will be the SB MVP, who will be the first draft pick for next year, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame, etc and so forth.
Needless to say, there is plenty to talk about…especially with the possibility of a strike looming over this season’s proceedings. And I’m sure there will be more than one opinion of what will happen. I don’t know what will happen but I do know this…if the NFL goes on strike, I’m gonna have to get another job! And then I’d be home all the time and I could drive my wife and kids crazy! Sounds like fun!

Anyway…right now its 20 degrees with winds gusting and ice covering the streets. its FRIGID cold here and I didn’t bring my winter coat. But neither did anyone else so I fit right in. February in Texas. Who would have thought it would be THIS cold. Makes me wonder what a February in New York City is gonna be like in a few years. That could be ugly…

So who am I rooting for in Super Bowl XLV? Well…I’m taking the Packers offense over the Steelers defense. The Packers are a quick strike team and do well indoors. We’ll see how the Steelers contain that. But I wouldn’t put anything past Pittsburgh. Damn if those guys aren’t resilient. I hate that about them…but admire it at the same time.

Jan 30 2009

Super Bowl XLIII

It’s been a quiet week here in Tampa. We’ve had good weather except for Thursday, when it rained the entire day. But I’ll take the one day of crap weather over the ice/snow shitstorm that hit the northeast over this past week. Here are some pictures of what MY week has been like. Very exciting stuff here. You are gonna be SO jealous!

super-bowl-2009-007 The truck I’ve been sitting in for a week

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My corner

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Ryan…the guy who tells me what to type

The lunch line

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On the phone, talking to my wife & kids

Taking pictures at the stadium

Aaaaand…my hotel room. And that’s pretty much it. Exciting, huh?

Oh yeah…

But make no mistake…there ARE lovely ladies here…

Me and the graphics crew of the NFL Network

Jan 26 2009

Picture Of The Day_1.25.09

Guess where I am…?

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Oh…and I have a sunburn. Damn Florida weather…

Dec 19 2008

Manning vs Manning

2 brothers. 2 Super Bowl rings. Any idea how rare that is? I mean, I type for a living and my brother sells clothes to juveniles (which makes him the better of us because who wants naked kids running around town?). Neither of us will ever win a Super Bowl or appear in an NFL Pro Bowl! But that is what happened this week when brothers Peyton and Eli were selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl.

So…who is the better quarterback? Here are the stats…

peyton-manning