Before I headed to the NFL Draft on Thursday night, Steelergurl and I were invited to an exclusive  tour and a Q&A with Commissioner Goodell at the new NFL headquarters office in NY. To say I was excited is an understatement. I couldn’t wait to see what the new office looked like (and to brag to all of my friends and family that I was there, I won’t lie).

As we walked into the office we’re greeted by the biggest TV screen I have ever seen on an office wall, followed by an awesome receptionist desk shaped like a football.. We were then escorted to the officiating command room, which is the room where every NFL game is aired live while officials watch everything, to make sure they’re not “surprised” with anything during games.

We were greeted by Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s head PR guy, followed by Ray Anderson, the Executive VP of football operations.Then, the moment we all waited for- the Q&A with the commish.

In a room of about 20 football bloggers, the commish answered every single question that came his way. Questions from Bounty Gate, to the future of the Pro Bowl, to whether or not he gets a nap in before the NFL Draft starts. My question to him: How he feels he was perceived by the fans on his job so far. His answer: While he loves the fans and respects their opinions and views, he’s not the commissioner to be a part of a popularity contest. Well said. Check out the video below of some footage from the Q&A event.

Once the commish was done with the Q&A session, Ray Anderson came back and it soon became clear what the message was that the NFL wanted us to relay- they are SERIOUS about illegal hits and fines in the league for the 2012 season and beyond. After explaining the process of how and when players are fined for hits, we then watched a 12-minute video showing us what hits were legal and what hits were not. The NFL is not playing about this subject, and having us there to reiterate this message became evident as the day went on. With the class action suits building each day with new players joining in for compensation for concussions, the NFL is really cracking down and they want everyone to know it.

After the 12-minute video, we were able to tour the entire facility, which had 4 floors. Interesting enough, each floor was themed- one geared to the teams, one for the fans, one for innovation and an executive floor. The best floor was-of course- the fans floor. They have a wall called the, “Wall of emotions”, random pictures of fans with all kinds of facial expressions to explain their mood with their favorite football team. The fans floor also had a wall that complied of over 4,000 game stubs from over the years. I was able to find the Ravens inaugural ticket from 1996 on the wall The football nerd in me collects game tickets so I loved the concept of the ticket wall.

The NFL really made the bloggers feel comfortable by reaching out to us and allowing us to view their beautiful new home. I’m glad I was able to share this with you. To check out how the rest of my NFL Draft experience went, click here to check it out

Last week during Nike’s NFL Launch, I had a chance to chat with a few players. Among them were one of my favorite guys on and off the field, Mr. Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens.

Ray and I talked about getting over it (By, “it”, I mean the heartbreaking AFC Championship game in January), how the Ravens continue to stay competitive after losing big impact guys and defending his QB, Joe Flacco.

One thing I didn’t get a chance to talk to him about was his current contract situation. Rice was tagged by the Ravens as their franchise player this offseason, while trying to sign him to a deal long-term. Hopefully, this will all be over with soon and Rice will have his deal. If not, I’ll be sure to ask him about it during his foundation event in Baltimore May 12th.

Thanks to Ray for being a great guy and a better interviewee (or as I call him, my football BFF). Is it July yet??

If there were ever a time you wondered if Nike was the best in the business, I’m here to tell you quite frankly- they are! To provide proof, I wanted to give the viewers a look inside the production of the Nike NFL Launch that took place in New York last week.

By now, you’ve seen the new jerseys (and I use that term lightly, a lot of changes weren’t noticeable on the surface except for a few) and created your opinions about them. What you didn’t see is how Nike presented it to the media, who then presented them to the rest of the world. Nike is a world class business, and last week’s unveiling confirmed this. The detail they put into their production was first class. Bringing in NFL stars such as Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, Ray Rice and Champ Bailey, to name a few, only confirms that Nike is one of the best to ever do it.

Big props to Nike for allowing me to partake in a great presentation. Here’s an inside look on how a billion dollar business introduces new (and old) ideas into the world. Check out my Facebook page as well to see pictures.

Last week, I was able to attend the 5th annual Purple Evening event, held at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens event has been a success since starting the event, and the Ravens boast as having the most female fans.

Each year, players past and present come to sign autographs and take pictures. The ladies can also learn about football, as the event has Football 101 classes. From face painting, to interactive activities to “purple martinis”, this is a great event for every woman to attend.

Memo to the other NFL teams: Maybe it’s time to show us female fans some love. We love football, too. At least one team got it right

I had the opportunity to chat with Falcons CB Dunta Robinson this past weekend. Robinson talks about his youth team (the Athens Oilers), which joined Deion Sanders’ youth tournament, why he chose to invest his time in building and coaching a youth team (it’s the team’s 3rd year), what’s the deal with his Atlanta Falcons, and why the South Carolina Gamecocks will make it back to the SEC Championship…………………….

God bless his spirit……..

In any event, Robinson’s interview was a good one. He’s a good CB and even better person. I wish him nothing but success in 2011….except when it comes to his Gamecocks going to the SEC Championship. #Gators

This past weekend, Hall Of Fame inductee Deion Sanders hosted his 2nd annual youth football tournament, along with former Ravens/Browns RB Jamal Lewis, in Atlanta, GA. Teams from Dallas, TX, Baltimore, MD, Atlanta and Athens, GA took part in the weekend of football games that were separated in 3 age groups (10 and under, 12 and under & 14 and under). Sanders’ TRUTH team from Dallas, TX was there to represent.

During the tournament, I was able to sit down and have a conversation with Primetime. While the interview was great, it’s extremely hard to hear him due to his soft spoken demeanor (who knew?!).

Here are a few tidbits from his interview that are hard to hear:

On his reason behind the youth tournament:

I gotta reach [out to the youth], I gotta touch them, I gotta inspire them… hopefully to motivate them to get educated and to just dream….I think it’s a direct result of us [as adults], we stopped dreaming… we gotta get back to the roots, the basics, the core…and start spending time and loving [the children].. to let them know, they can make a difference

On the teams to watch for the 2011 season:

You have to fall back on the teams that faired well from last year… you gotta love New England  because of Tom Brady, the Pittsburgh Steelers are always gonna be there as well as Baltimore in the AFC and I can’t sleep on the New York Jets…. when you move over to the [NFC], I like New Orleans…. Tampa Bay came out strong…the Atlanta Falcons, I always save the best for somewhat last and I cannot discount, the Dallas Cowboys

On a take your pick segment that I quizzed him on:

Nnamdi/Revis: I like Revis… he dominates and plays both sides of the field

Andre Johnson/Calvin Johnson: Andre Johnson, and it’s not even close. Calvin is a young, grown man who’s coming on strong, But Andre is a grown man already… one of the better receivers of the game

Chad Johnson/Chad Ochocinco: I like Johnson. Johnson put up better numbers than Ochocinco. Ochocinco is my boy, I love him….but when Chad Johnson was Chad Johnson (pauses) Whoo… he was on.

T.O./Randy Moss/Plaxico Burress: Plaxico ain’t even in that conversation. I love him… but, T.O.could go down in history as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Randy Moss, WILL go into the Hall Of Fame one day and statistically is one of the greatest receivers to ever play the game.

Sanders also hosted a Red and Black Gala, to celebrate his Hall Of Fame induction. Those that came to celebrate his honor were NFL Network’s Jamie Dukes, Chilli from TLC, MLB player Brian Jordan and Keith Sweat, just to name a few. Sanders walked the red carpet with his gorgeous wife, Pilar. The event was a success, ending the night with Sweat serenading the audience with his old school hits (don’t judge me, I was amused!).

Ravens LB Ray Lewis sat down with SI.com about his thoughts on the current lockout situation. Lewis thinks that the NFL and NFLPA meeting face to face is better than any other form of communication, otherwise you “lose steam” in getting a new deal done.

Lewis gets real preachy (what’s new) when talking about how the two sides should come together and settle their differences. But in speaking about his NFL peers, Lewis says that the players as well as other athletes, “are here for one thing. To make the world a better place. If we here to be the role models for these kids then give us the opportunity to be the role model for them, that’s all every athlete is saying…….”

Ummmmmmmm………….

Ray, I know you mean well, but I don’t think athletes should be where kids look to as role models. It’s not that I don’t think there are tons of positive athletes out there. It’s the media perception that concerns me. The media likes to point out the negatives, especially with athletes. With the recent arrests of Hines Ward and Adam “Pacman” Jones, I’m not sure this is a bright idea.

I love Ray Lewis, but I think he truly believes he’s the NFL Players Ambassador (a lot of that has to do with the close relationships he has with so many players). It’s kinda hard to speak for everyone, especially when you know there are players who don’t give a damn about being a role model. I’m sure Aqib Talib doesn’t think he’s the best role model for children, and he’d be right. I understand you want to get back on the field and would use any reason to get there, though. But that’s a reach

Check out the video in it’s entirety

Yesterday I mentioned that Ravens FB Le’Ron McClain was hosting a Baltimore For Bama Relief event at the Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center in Charm City. The event was to help people in Tuscaloosa, AL who were victims of the recent tornadoes in which over 200 lives were taken. Helping McClain in his relief efforts were former MD wideout and new Raven Torrey Smith, as well as Baltimore native and Bills LB Aaron Maybin.

The event turned out to be a success, as McClain and his NFL friends received enough donations to fill the large truck that they had to send the items down to Alabama. I had a chance to talk with McClain and Smith about reaching out to help as well as other NFL topics.

This past weekend I had the great opportunity to attend this year’s NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. It was an experience that I will never forget for so many reasons. While I took the time to cover the draft from a media perspective, I also walked around and hung out with the fans a little bit as well. Getting a view from different ends of perspective was extremely interesting- so much so that I put my ADHD-based mind to work. Here are my random thoughts from my experience at this weekend’s draft.

-I’ve never been to the actual draft in years past, so I can’t compare whether or not the fan interest has slacked off due to the lockout. But I will say this. The vibe at this year’s draft was electric. I anticipated folks being aloof because everything this offseason has been nothing but legal crap. But fans were everywhere. They still lined up days before the draft and they were all over the place within blocks of Radio City Music Hall. The TV ratings may have went down from last year, but not the fan participation at the actual event.

-NFL Draft Queen. Ever heard of her? Neither did I, until I actually met her. Her dress pretty much tells her entire story. Every year, she comes to the draft and makes signs for the players in attendance. She’s very well known amongst the NFL circle… so much that she decided to give me a newsletter- yes, a NEWSLETTER- about her. Check out the quick interview I have with her.

-Random thought: I still have yet to figure out why Roger Goodell was the big bad villain during draft weekend. Everytime he came to the stage he was booed profusely. But how much power and/or influence does the commissioner have in the lockout situation? Correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t we be turning our anger towards the Al Davis’s, Jerry Jones’s and Dan Snyder’s of the league? After all, the owners are the ones that locked them out, not commissioner Goodell.

-I don’t know where Von Miller and Nick Fairley bought those glasses from, but they need to take them back ASAP. Steve Urkel was NEVER cool, except when he turned to Stefan Urquelle, and even then he lost the glasses. If they actually do need glasses, it’s time to ditch the bi focals and get some contacts.

-Did Jacob The Jeweler have an NFL Draft day special on watches? Because almost every player had a watch on that made me go

That’s how icy they were. Of course, the question of the night was how did they even get a watch like that when they haven’t signed a contract yet. But I’m gonna leave that alone………………………………………………….

-Day One of the draft is all about the politics. The production, the players in attendance, the Hall-Of-Famers, etc is ALL about making the NFL look a certain way. But Day Two of the draft was my favorite day. Much more laid back and fan friendly without the extra BS. Anytime you have Bud Light VIP section in the mezzanine giving out free beer and encouraging drinking contests, you KNOW that it’s night and day between the two days. It was pretty awesome, I must say.

-I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ryan Mallett is the best pure QB in this year’s draft class. And yes, that includes Cam Newton, who I believe is the better overall athlete, but not the better QB. While Cam has dealt with tons of adversity and was welcomed with boos, he was still chosen #1 overall. Mallett didn’t get scrutinized as loud as Newton, but his draft status was hurt tremendously because of accusation of drug abuse as well as other issues. I will say this- he landed in the perfect situation in New England. He’s on a team that he can learn and grow on, and possibly be the successor of a future HOF in Tom Brady. I hope Mallett kicks every ass of the QB-starved teams that passed on him, when it’s all said and done.

- I don’t know why Atlanta felt the need to give up so much to get Julio Jones, but I hope that it works out for them, because they sold their souls to get it. Most people will agree that the Falcons gave up way too much for a player that wasn’t even a pressing need on their team. What they should have been doing was bolstering up their defense, which was embarrassed against the Packers in the divisional playoff game. Cleveland had an excellent draft, and they have the Falcons to thank for that.

-The media can ask the world’s dumbest questions sometimes. In the interview room, the best questions of the night came from a little kid with a Jets yamaka on his head.

I’m not sure if that’s cute, or just embarrassing. We, as media, need to do a better job.

-Twitter is a great way to keep up with the latest news in real time, but sometimes it can really kill the suspense and excitement of things. There used to be a time when people sat on the edge of their seats waiting for who would be the next pick of the draft and liking the suspense that came along with it. But if you were on Twitter this year, you knew who was gonna be drafted well before the commish even came out to announce it. It took the element of surprise away. With so many analysts and reporters trying to give the scoop first, they reported everything before we could even have a chance to digest the last pick. It was so annoying that I eventually logged off just to get back into it. I love Twitter and all of the good that comes with it, but that was one time I wished I wasn’t on it.

-If you are a huge NFL fan, I think you should go to the Draft at least once in your life. Sports is the one thing that people of every background can relate to and congregate together for. It’s definitely something that unifies everyone with that same common interest. With the players red carpet outside, to seeing your favorite analysts sitting on their platforms at work,  is something that you can enjoy, especially if you are a college football fan. To be able to talk amongst other fans of other teams about what their squad can do to get ready for a playoff/super bowl run or even a chance at getting to .500 is one that you can enjoy.  If you’re a casual fan you may as well turn around because this isn’t for you.This event is only for the diehards and stans, and it’s something you’ll appreciate the most.

If you’d like to see the visuals from my Draft Weekend experience, please go to my Facebook Fan Page to check them out!

March is Women’s History Month and for the past couple of years I did a blog post paying tribute to some of our favorite lady sportscasters. This year, I’ve taken my talents to the camera and created a video to show my respect for those including Doris Burke, Jemele Hill, Michelle Beadle, Kara Henderson, Holly Rowe and the originator of female sportscasting, the lovely Jayne Kennedy, who many say paved the way for ladies in sports when she joined the NFL Today show.

Thanks to everyone on Twitter who helped me select these 6 ladies a couple of weeks ago. Your input was greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy the video.