Man, I tell ya...this place is really beautiful. We were riding the shuttle bus back from Qualcomm Stadium down a highway that was just surrounded by green-ness. The median was a lush, green lawn with trees, palm and other varieties, lining it. The highway was surrounded by lush, landscaped cliffs. Everything is just so green down here, it's amazing.

Today was a long day...got up at 6:15 to head to the stadium at 7 for Media Day. We got back around 3pm, because the Raiders, perpetual late-asses that they are were, go figure, late by about a half hour. I've been writing since. Check it out at profootballweekly.com so I can get accolades for writing cool stuff that people care about. :)

We're supposed to go to the official "Media Party" soon and get something to eat. I've heard average things about the media party, so I'm not psyched...but it'll be all right if the "NFL Experience" is open to us...then I'll be psyched. :)

Oh, yes, and a silly, yet occasionally funny TNT reporter of some sort was at the Media Day...he was this big black guy who was really loud and obnoxious at times, but was clearly having a good time, which made it cool. He had this amazingly hilarious conversation with Buccaneers DE Simeon Rice about "Simeon" and sexy. His name and such...I will post it here after I get back sometime, because right now there's no time...it's so funny. By the way, Rice is one of the funniest, most intelligent-sounding football players I've ever met...and I'm only surprised because Mt. Carmel never struck me as a brilliance-producing school...yet Rice and Donovan McNabb are two of the most brilliant guys I've ever listened to. By the way, story idea: Rice apparently is trying to write screenplays...I might have to look into that in the offseason...

OK, enough for now...another long day the next two days...