Are You Ready for Some Football?

I absolutely can't believe it is football season already!!  It's not possible to for me to allow this season to kickoff without recounting my Hall of Fame experience.  Despite the actual game being cancelled, the weekend itself was truly a special one.  My brother, Jordan, made the trek up to Canton to join me for my final NFL work trip.  I was glad to have him there for all the festivities - the Tim McGraw concert, the longest parade I've ever witnessed, and the enshrinement.

I had high hopes for the Tim McGraw concert, but he turned out to be mediocre.  I guess I didn't realize he had new music.  He totally killed it on the older songs, but lost me pretty quickly when he switched gears into his current "hits".  We had an interesting array of folks surrounding us so we ended up having lots of laughs throughout the evening regardless of the song choices.

The next day, we were able to check out the parade through downtown Canton.  It was a bit of a mix of Macy's Day meets small town 4th of July.  There was an enormous show of patriotism and more school bands that I can recall with a number of large and small balloon characters throughout.  It lasted well over an hour.  They sold tickets so everyone had an assigned seat.  All the Hall of Fame Enshrinees and several current Hall of Famers rode in fancy cars between the floats and performers. It truly was a site to behold.  The only thing we were missing was donuts.  Apparently, it's an annual tradition there.  Don't worry...we tracked them down before we left town!

The Hall of Fame Enshrinement ceremony proved remarkable.  I didn't have high expectations going into the event, but I managed to leave with an unforgettable feeling in my heart. Hearing the speeches in person was a truly impactful experience.  Having previously worked with the Colts, I really enjoyed listening to both Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy speak.  Eddie Debartlo, Jr. had a wonderful message as well.  I could feel the love in his voice as he spoke about his experience with the 49ers.  Kevin Greene, Orlando Pace, and Brett Favre all exhibited such passion and emotion.  It was truly a wonderful night.  If you have a favorite player that has the honor of being inducted, I highly recommend making the trip to Canton for their Enshrinement.  It is definitely a worthwhile experience.

Who is your favorite football team or player?

Have you ever been to a really fantastic parade?

Andrea :)

The End of An Era

Around nine years ago, I began my professional career with my first full-time job at the League Office in New York City.  As I've recounted in the last five years on this blog, there have been some amazing adventures and experiences over that time.  A multitude of memories made and people met that I will cherish forever.  Definitely an exciting and unpredictable ride!  Today, I say goodbye.

Andrea :)

A Different Kind of Super Bowl Sunday

It feels strange to NOT be working on Super Bowl Sunday.  For the past six years, I've spent this week and day Super busy.  As it turns out, it's actually a lot of fun to not be stressed and exhausted during Super Bowl week.  I was able to get a lot done this week with most of my colleagues out on the west coast.  And I'll certainly enjoy watching the game in my pajamas rather than running around on the field level concourse in a suit! I'm hoping for an exciting game regardless of the outcome. It would be nice to see Manning win and ride off into the sunset, but I also love the heart and personality of Cam and the Panthers.  Honestly, I'm most excited about the commercials and our tasty array of goodies!  Happy Super Bowl Sunday, friends!!

Who are you rooting for tonight - Panthers or Broncos?

Andrea :)

A Little Taste of Hawaii - Pro Bowl Style

After roughly 11 hours in the air, I landed in Honolulu late last Tuesday night.  I hadn't eaten a solid meal the whole day so my first task after checking into the sprawling Sherton Waikiki hotel was finding some food.  This task was much more difficult than it sounds around 11pm on a Tuesday, but I finally stumbled upon an open restaurant - McDonald's!

Surprisingly, sleeping wasn't an easy task that first night either.  And the morning came quickly!  Unfortunately, I was up before the sun nearly every day of the quick trip. Our first day held a walk-through at the stadium and assistance with the Pro Bowl Draft that afternoon.

The Draft proved to be the most exciting part of the week for me.  My job was securing various players for on-stage interviews in a room set aside for entertaining military personnel.  Along the way, I chatted with a few of my beloved Bengals that were roaming the area.  We commiserated that they wouldn't be playing in the Super Bowl, but everyone seemed to have high hopes for the future!  It turned out to be a fun, yet tiring afternoon - I returned to the hotel and immediately fell asleep.  So much for dinner!

An early morning was in place for Thursday with our group set to make the hour and a half journey out to Turtle Bay resort for practice.  Team Irvin and Team Rice each had their time on the field and we monitored the fans to ensure they stayed within their boundaries.  The highlight of the day was stopping at Matsumoto's Shave Ice stand on the way back to the hotel.  And checking out the massive North Shore waves along the coast as we drove back to Waikiki.

Friday was a day of relaxation.  I didn't have any specific assignments so I spent the day relaxing, reading, and doing a bit of work on the computer.  Thankfully, each room had a balcony with a fabulous view of the ocean.

Saturday, we repeated our trek out to practice stopping at Kahuku Grill for lunch.  I tried the world famous coconut shrimp...and loved it!  So tasty!  I spend the rest of the evening packing up since I was set to fly home on a red eye right after the Sunday afternoon game.

Game day went by in a flash!  Our group helped to activate various on-field experiences so we were busy non-stop from pre-game to post-game.  I was able to spend a little time on the field during the 3rd quarter experience, but otherwise I was shuffling people to and fro all day.  Needless to say, I didn't have any problem sleeping the entire 11 hours back to NYC!   

I was surprised to arrive home to beautiful flowers from my lovely husband!  More importantly, I was glad to see him again after a week away!

Andrea :)

#collaboreads: A Non-Fiction Book

Have you felt the pull toward a different career path, but allowed fear to keep you in your current situation?  Have you ever considered leaving your job with no Plan B allowing you nothing but time to figure out what's next?  Have you ever wanted to just take a leap...and see what happens on the other side?  It can be so easy to get stuck in a routine or want to ensure you have the next thing lined up before you move on. Honestly, it was refreshing to read Tess Vigeland's story as she made a huge leap of faith from a prominent radio host on NPR's Marketplace to the great unknown.  When I saw this month's topic was non-fiction, I was thrilled this book had just arrived in my mailbox!   

RIVETING.

What part of the book could you NOT get enough of?

Perhaps it is the current state of my life, but I absolutely could not get enough of this book.  So many of the thoughts and fears rang true for me.  I have been struggling for some time to figure out my passion.  While this book doesn't necessarily help with figuring it out, it does present a number of interesting stories and findings from studies as they relate to work and happiness.  Tess shares much of her own story, but also pulls from the experiences of others.  This was a great way to include different perspectives and make the book even more engaging. 

ELEMENTS.

How did you relate to/care for the characters?
What's your thought on the plot line and twists and turns?

While I enjoyed the overall theme and message of the book, I did find it a bit difficult to relate to many of the characters simply due to age and life circumstance.  Most of them were in lucrative careers pre-Leap and had a bit of a financial net to fall back on.  However, there were a couple of stories that related more to the average Joe.  Similar to Tess, I don't currently have any children, but I was happy to read stories about individuals who did and still made the Leap.  It was also helpful that Tess included the dark side of Leaping as well as the exciting, new, adventurous side. 

ASSOCIATE.
What other books are like this one? If none, did it remind you of a particular TV or movie with it's themes and characters? Does it serendipitous-ly line-up with things going on in your life or the news right now? 

I would classify this book in the self-help line.  It was a bit of a biography, but mostly it was set up to be a tool to help others going through the Leap process.  I can't think of any others that were like it exactly, but self-help was immediately what came to mind when I started reading it.  As I mentioned, it was very insightful for me.  Over the past couple of years, I have thought many times about other career paths that would be a good fit for me.  It was interesting to see how similarly my thought process and fears were to others in the book.  Additionally, I was fascinated by the information Tess presented in regard to how closely we associate ourselves with our work - how much of our identity is wrapped up in what we do from 9-5.

DESIGN.
You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? 
How did it relate to the contents of the novel? And the font and layout of the pages? 

The cover was boring.  It didn't really stand out at all.  I did like the tag line that was included on the cover though.  After much thought, I'm not entirely sure how the cover could be changed effectively.

STARS.  
How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend?  

I give this book 4 stars.  It was a quick read that kept me engaged and wanting to learn more with each chapter.  It was written in a way that made me feel like we were sitting down for a chat - very personable and honest.  If you have ever considered taking a leap of faith in your career, I highly suggest giving it a read. Click here to learn more about the book!  

Andrea :)

*I received this book from Blogging for Books in return for my honest review.  

Pro Bowl Fun in the Sun

Since I work Super Bowl, I typically don't have the opportunity to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of our all-star event - the Pro Bowl.  This year, it happened to be in Arizona instead of Hawaii so I was able to enjoy it in person along with my parents.  They spent about a week with me out in Phoenix before the Super Bowl craziness really got started. They made the most of their time having fun in the sun, touring a church and historic house nearby, and catching some movies at the local theater.

On game day, they were located in the Loft section of the stadium.  The seats were awesome!  And complete with food and drinks, too.  Fortunately, I was able to visit with them for a good bit of time there.

When I wasn't visiting with them, I was overseeing one of the credential conflict resolution centers on the opposite endzone of the stadium.  It actually wasn't a terrible gig as there weren't many issues and I had a great view of the huge video board.

View from the Conflict Resolution Desk I worked during the game.

Overall, the game wasn't super exciting.  The mascots proved entertaining though.  They were quite a rowdy bunch this year!  And it was neat to see a cheerleader from each team at the event as well!

I am glad that I was able to invite my parents out for a week of Pro Bowl fun in the sun even though I was stuck in the office most of the time!

Andrea :)

Super Bowl XLIX: The Media

No matter where you turn in this day and age, you simply can't escape the media.  There is no place that statement rings more true than at the Super Bowl.  It is unbelievable to me that over 5,000 members of the media cover the events of the week leading up to the game.  Pure craziness!

I managed to break away from my desk at the accreditation center on Media Day this year.  The crowd was overwhelming.  I was tasked with finding a couple of my counterparts that were working with the teams.  Not an easy task at all.  It was like Where's Waldo? in there.  Remarkable, but an absolute circus!

I didn't stick around long, but managed to snap a quick photo of Revis since he used to be Chris' fave when he played for the Jets.  Hail to Pitt...right, sweetheart? :)

My next venture into the world of media at Super Bowl was over at Radio Row.  A surprisingly less crazy experience, but equally as interesting.  The room was literally set up in rows with various radio stations or media groups occupying each table.  Various guests...some more famous than others...ventured from table to table being interviewed.  The most famous non-football personality we spotted was Montel Williams.

Surrounding the room there were some larger areas for Sirius, NFL Network, and other more global groups.  That is where we caught Jimmy Graham of the Saints.  And later saw Clay Matthews of the Packers.

Chris loves checking out this area.  He used to have a podcast of his own actually.  Maybe he'll bring it back soon.  I think he'd make a great addition to radio row next year!!

Andrea :)

Super Bowl XLIX - The NFL Experience

Ever wonder how a Wilson football is made?  Curious to see what it feels like to make the call as a referee?  Or just simply love Skittles??   Yes to one...or all??  I certainly have the right place for you - it's NFL Experience!!

This was my first year getting the full NFL Experience...and all I can say is WOW!  It is an extremely impressive layout of the some of the jewels of the NFL (literally...they bring the Super Bowl rings and trophy!) as well as some of the most exciting interactive elements of the game.  I had a blast...and I wasn't even able to stay and play all day. 

Mom and Dad gave passing and kicking a try.  I didn't have on appropriate shoes for kicking, but I did manage to give passing a shot.  I wasn't terrible.

The second photo captures the Art McNally Game Center in our NY office.  I work here on Sundays throughout the season.  You can only imagine how crazy it can get when it's full of people with different games going on every monitor.  I really enjoy this aspect of my job.  Never a dull moment in this room!

Skittles was my favorite interactive area at the event.  SO fun.  And you certainly didn't leave empty handed.  They were passing out bags of Skittles in there like they were going out of style!!

This is how each football begins...

They are then sown almost all the away together...

Pounded with a hammer to firm up the seams...

A "bladder" is inserted and the ball is filled with just enough air to keep it pliable...

It is laced in the next to last step...THIS was amazing to watch!

And finally, pumped full of air!

Who knew making a football involved so many steps and people?  It was incredible to watch this process.  All of the staff at this station actually work at the factory in Ada, Ohio, that makes footballs for the NFL year round.  One employee was even telling us that she was on overtime most of the year just to get them done in time for the season to begin.  We stayed at this station for a long time taking it all in.  I was very impressed with each and every step of the process.

What do you think?  Would you enjoy NFL Experience?

Don't forget to check out my Super Bowl giveaway HERE today!  It ends soon!!

Andrea :)

PS - If the Super Bowl is ever in your home city, I highly suggest checking it out for the day.  They sold $35 tickets...and it was totally worth it from the couple of hours I spent checking things out!