With nothing on the schedule Saturday morning, my cameraman Mario and I headed to Clearwater Beach to catch some rays and see the sights.
The sand was like flour, the sky was a brilliant blue, and the sun was shining bright. By now, the chances of me coming home without a tan are all but over.
From there it was back downtown to cover a media event featuring some of the NFL's top quarterbacks.
The event we attended was promoting a product that I don't really remember, but the lunch they provided was a 10-out-of-10. Best of all, it was free!
Free food and the media go together like peanut butter and jelly. It's a well known fact that the media will attend any event that provides free food.
I was able to talk to guys like Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Boomer Esiason to get their Super Bowl predictions.
What really stood out was how small Jeff Garcia appeared standing next to Matt Cassell, Brady Quinn and Aaron Rodgers. These dudes are like all young quarterbacks entering the NFL, they're freaking huge.
After our lovely lunch and fine gift bag, we made our way to the NFL convention centre for the Hall of Fame announcements. What a day it turned out to be for the Buffalo Bills. Bills owner Ralph Wilson and legendary defensive end Bruce Smith were among the six named. Smith gave a passionate and emotional speech on what it meant to him to be a Hall of Famer.
Bills chief operating officer Russ Brandon was bursting with pride at the sight of the long-time owner of the Bills being voted in.
Also heading to the Hall is Sportsnet NFL analyst and NFL Network star Rod Woodson. A member of the NFL's 75th anniversary team, Woodson had his glory years with the Steelers, but also played for the Ravens, 49ers and the Raiders.
Later, he joined me for a one-on-one to talk about his big day. More than just a Hall of Fame player, Woodson is also a great guy. I asked him at what point in his career did he realize he was better than the average player? He told me that during his third season in Pittsburgh he was voted to the Pro Bowl and he realized that he was better than the other cornerbacks named to the team. It was at that point he started working out hard in the off-season and the rest, as they say, was history. Woodson is a great example of a gifted natural athlete who worked hard to make the most of his talents. Woodson was always in top shape and was known around the league for all the homework he would do before every game.
So far it has been a great week in Tampa. Sunday on Connected, we will have complete post-game reaction and on the field interviews after the Steelers and the Cardinals do their thing in Super Bowl XLIII.
