Almost immediately after Roger Goodell announced that the third and final day of the 2010 NFL Draft had begun, SB Nation writers Jason Brewer, Joel Thorman, and Brad "BBS" Wells were invited to chat with the NFL Commissioner off-stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York about various topics and issues related to the NFL. From the image the commissioner projects to fans to the new role fan bloggers seem to have in the NFL’s media landscape, Commissioner Goodell was gracious enough to answer several questions on a variety of topics important to fans and fan media.

Special thanks to NFL PR wizard Brian McCarthy for arranging this meeting between the commissioner, SB Nation’s three writers, and two other media bloggers.

BBS: What are your thoughts on the first day of the NFL Draft being in primetime and the high ratings the evening generated?

Goodell: Well, the response from our fans has been tremendous. Obviously, going into primetime made the draft available to that many more viewers. That’s a good thing. That’s what we’re in the business of doing, trying to make our game more available to more people. So, it’s very much a positive.

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This is Part II of our lengthy interview with Sports Illustrated's Peter King. Part I is available here. We finished Part I with Peter discussing how he'd like it if people would, at least, try and understand how much effort and hard work he puts into his stories before they bash him.

Peter continues this thought...

Peter King: But, listen, fans are fans. They’re passionate about their team. If I lived in Indianapolis and I wrote two paragraphs on the Colts making the Super Bowl on Monday Morning Quarterback when I’m writing 7500 words, or something, I’d be pissed off too. So, I’m not unaware. It’s not unfair that that reaction was made. But, just the vitriol, and the anger, and the "I wish I could punch you in the nose." You know, those kind of things. Anyway, so…

BBS: Physical harm is not… yeah.

PK: Yeah. But again, I wouldn’t be anywhere if there were no fans. So, I mean, if there wasn’t intense interest about the game. So, I’m not, I mean, I don’t go to bed saying "Oh my God! I need to make people love me." You know. I’m not going to.

BBS: You can’t do that.

PK: I can’t! There’s a bunch of people that are going to hate me more regardless.

BBS: You’ll be more miserable.

PK: Yeah.

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After a twelve hour day yesterday, with most of my time dedicated to transcribing interviews with Pat McAfee and Larry Coyer, I cross 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale, walking towards a nearby hotel. I stroll into the hotel lobby, sit in some post-modern, art deco lobby chair, look at some emails on my smart phone, and wait. I'm in the hotel because I've got a date with Peter King, senior writer for Sports Illustrated and human target for just about every football blogger on the planet.

I resign myself to the notion that King will likely be late. Hell, if he shows up at all, I'll be shocked. We discussed talking at 8:30am that morning, just prior to the Colts press event. The reason we were talking in the first place yesterday morning was that Peter had, for no obvious reason, randomly decided to park at the table I was sitting at.

"How are you this morning, gentlemen?" he said to the group of us.

We all grunt a collective "hi" because we are under-nourished and sleep deprived.

Peter drops his bag down and sits. I lean over and introduce myself. I tell him I'm a Colts blogger and, to his credit, Peter does not start screaming and running away in terror. We then strike up a 30 minute, casual conversation that ranges from the Colts resting starters in Week Sixteen to Norv Turner's coaching in the playoffs to how overwhleming this whole Super Bowl media thing actually is.

Eventually, the subject turns to blogging, and Peter starts opening up about how bloggers, and blog readers, think of him. This gives me the bright idea to ask for an interview; let Peter King himself chat it up with one of the very bloggers who has called him every name in the book. He agreed, and he told me to meet him at the lobby of his hotel at 8:15pm.

Skip ahead. I'm in the hotel lobby in Fort Lauderdale. It's 8:15. I'm chuckling to myself as I wipe fatigue from eyes eyes and view the Photoshop jobs you readers did to my picture. I like the "Breaking News" one the best, but all are excellent. The lobby elevator doors open, and out walks Peter King.

8:15. on. the. dot.

Peter King: Hey, how you doing?

BBS: I'm tired man.

PK: Shit, let's get a beer.

On time and to the point. Already, I warm to Peter King.

We walk to the bar and he offers to buy me a beer. I tell him thanks, but a Diet Coke will do. I'm pretty tired and I have 45 minutes of driving to do after the interview. Plus, I do NOT want to get sloshed while interviewing Peter friggin King.

Peter asks for a Peroni, but the bar has none. He settled for Pilsner Urquell. A man of taste. I tell him I drank of lot of Peroni when I studied abroad in Tuscany as a college kid. He turns and lights up. I said his favorite word, "Tuscany," He vacations there with his wife, and has written about it.

The IU v. Purdue game is on, and Peter (knowing I'm from Indiana) points to the game on the bar flat screen.

BBS: You know, one of my colleagues wrote an article recently questioning if that game is still a rivalry.

Peter King turns to me and says, "WHAT! Was he kidding?"

I tell him I'm not sure.

We walk over to a nearby couch. I turn my recorder on. He pours his beer from bottle to pint glass and settles in. A white patch of hair waves through the center of his hair. He sips his beer. This is Peter King, right in front of me, ready to talk about anything I ask him.

BBS: What I want to talk about, if you don't mind, is you. I come from the blogosphere. I've taken shots at you. Many of colleagues have taken shots at you.

Peter King: Yep.

BBS: In the two days I've seen you work, you're just a regular guy. You work with precision. I'm wanting to know what you think of how bloggers think of you? Does it bother you? Does it baffle you? What?

Peter takes another sip of his Pilsner Urquell and thinks. It's a long pause before he answers.

PK: When I did a bunch of these [online] chats [like the Deadspin one several months ago]…

BBS: Some negative things were said.

PK: Yeah. "You’re a know-nothing, fat, piece of shit. You don’t know football. You're totally out of touch with reality. You’re an idiot. You’re gay for Favre." I… I don’t know what to say. I don’t know, I mean, all I can do is try and do my job, and do the best I can.

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The Tennessee Titans have been a rival of the Indianapolis Colts for going on ten years. While it might not have the rich legacy of, say, the Oakland Raiders v. the Kansas City Chiefs, it's pretty safe to say that the games featuring Tennessee and Indy have been a helluva lot more watchable than anything Oakland and KC have mustered up of late. 

And as with all rivalries, there comes the inevitable hating, name-calling, and derogatory comments about a person's mother; all often aimed at the fanbase of the rival. This is a right of passage. This is the cranberry relish to go with your turkey. The sprinkles to your donut.

This is RIVALRY WEEK!

For this first installment of rivalry week, we're very happy to bring in the best Tennessee Titans blogger on the Internets: Jimmy from Music City Miracles. I'm not sure, but I do believe I had the honor of giving Jimmy his very first interview as a Titans blogger waaaaaaaaaaay back in 2006. We both had just started blogging back then, and one of the bigger topics of discussion was how the then 0-4 Titans were going to respond if or when Kerry Collins was to get benched for then-rookie Vince Young.

Three years later, nearly that exact same scenario seems to be upon us once again.

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I have to be honest, it's no easy task keeping up with everything that is going on with the Colts.  When you have to keep up with all of the other 31 teams, especially the bitter rivals of the Colts, it can consume your life.  This wouldn't be a problem If I was being paid fat cash like Bob Kravitz.  But sadly for me (and my bank account), I'm just some Joe Schmoe writing for a blog.  Woe is me right?

To assist us all in gathering as much information on our rivals as possible, I've recruited the help of someone who can provide us with some insider information: Pats Pulpits head writer, MaPatsFan.

So, how has the offseason treated the Patriots?

The bad news is we didn't make the playoffs.  The good news is we didn't make the playoffs.  For the first time in many years, Patriots fans were left twiddling their thumbs in January, mostly cheering for hated rivals to fail (the Dolphins would fall into this category; certainly not Indy ;-)).  The layoff has given a lot of guys some much needed rest which I consider extremely important for many of our offensive linemen; they went into 2008 training camp in serious trouble.

Overall, Hoodie has made some interesting FA acquisitions that I'm excited to see.  A mix of veteran presence and youth is a good thing; I'm stoked to see how it will turn out.

Explain the free agent acquisitions made thus far and their possible impact or roles going into the 2009 season.

From a general sense, this is classic Belichick.  He was extremely active during free agency and is a firm believer in sprinkling vets into the mix with his rookies.  One of the more interesting acquisitions has been CB Shawn Springs.  Springs and recent Bills' FA acquisition, Terrell Owens, can't seem to shake each other, and have seemingly followed each other around for eight seasons.  Coincidence?  Hoodie says no, but we'd be naive to think otherwise.

 

Another strategy is to create competition along with mentorship.  Longtime Jaguar RB Fred Taylor seems to be made for both roles, specifically for Laurence Maroney.  Maroney's been plagued with injury and confidence problems, something Taylor suffered from during his "Fragile Freddy" days.  His acquisition will give Maroney some valuable mentoring while keeping the fire lit in the competition arena.

 

On the WR front, I have my doubts about Joey Galloway given his age (38), but Greg Lewis seems like a fine addition.  Defenses know enough to neutralize Moss and Welker so it's important to have a third and sometimes fourth look for Brady.

 

S Tank Williams was a 2008 FA, but was IR'd in the preseason, so I'm including him here.  I have high hopes for Tank (how can you not like a guy named Tank?).  A hybrid safety/linebacker, I think he'll be the "lurker" of the defense.  He won't play a lot of snaps, but I'm looking forward to watching him play.

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Yeah yeah yeah, I know, it took me forever but it's here.  The very first edition of VOTF.  No lengthy intro needed, read and enjoy.

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Tony Mandarich, former #2 overall pick in 1989 draft

Many of you read MasterRWayne's article on Tony Mandarich last week. His article was prompted by all the news and buzz circulating around Tony Mandarich's two part interview on Showtime's Inside the NFL. Part one aired last week, and on the show Tony admitted to taking steroids at Michigan State. He maintained he did not take steroids in the pros, but he did continue the self-destructive cycle he'd gotten caught up in when in high school and college. This cycle was one of drugs, alcohol, and pain killers. Part two of the Showtime interview, which airs this evening, will cover his sobriety and his second chance at football with the Indianapolis Colts. Tony retired from football in 1998, and has a photography and media business. Tony also has a blog for his business (a smart move, but then again I'm a bit biased).

Last week, Tony was kind enough to sit down with me and discuss his new book (My Dirty Little Secrets - Steroids, Alcohol & God - The Tony Mandarich Story), his Showtime interview, his dark years struggling with drug and alcohol dependency, and his playing career with the Packers and Colts. 

You can read the interview with Tony on the flip. Special thanks to him for granting his time, and to Sharon Shaw Elrod for her efforts to set up the interview. As a teaser, here is one quick answer from Tony that we both laughed over:

BBS: What was it like to play with a then-rookie Peyton Manning in 1998?

Tony Mandarich: [Laughs] Well, with Peyton it was chasing down a lot of interceptions [laughs again].

Full interview on the flip. Enjoy.

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I've been a bit rough with AOL Fanhouse of late, mainly because they are supposed to be a fan blog written by sports fans. Hence, the name "Fanhouse." But if you read their daily entries, the writers do more complaining about the sport than cheering for it. I never get the sense that their writers actually like the NFL. Most write entries as if they are annoyed at the work. Again, that is just my little ole impression.

The exception to the norm at Fanhouse is Stephanie Stradley, and she is one of the reasons I check it daily.

Steph is one of my favorite writers at Fanhouse because she is a complete and unapologetic fan. She not only writes about her beloved Texans at Fanhouse, but also at a blog at the Houston Chronicle, where some of her best work gets published. Steph was kind enough to not slam the door in my face (and she'd be entitled to after all the negative stuff I've said about Fanhouse) and answer a few questions about the Texans. I posed the same queries to Tim at BRB, but he is busy mulling your questions. His answers will get posted soon. For now, here are five good ones with Steph, Texans Girl Woman Extraordinaire:

BBS: Our teams have had some rotten luck of late. With the Colts, it is injuries. With the Texans, it is hurricanes. What has it been like post-Ike? I know Tim didn't have power for days afterward. How have Texans fans (and Texas folks in general) picked up the pieces after Ike?

Steph: I think nationally people don't realize how badly Houston and the surrounding area was hit by the hurricane. Ike was a huge hurricane with a large wind field and huge storm surge, so everybody got affected by the storm. There are still huge numbers of people without power and without places to live.  Our social safety net in town was already strained in helping those hurt by Hurricane's Katrina and Rita, and with the economy struggling like it is, it is a particularly bad time for people to be missing paychecks because a lot of businesses were destroyed or didn't have power.  If people want to help out, please consider donating to this fund that will help local efforts: http://www.houstontexans.com/community/TexanshelpingTexans.asp.

BBS: Last season, it seemed the Texans turned a corner with their defense. Mario Williams is arguably the best DE in football, and Demeco "Not Demarco" Ryans is a demon on earth at LBer. This year, the defense has been shredded. What happened?

Steph: The Texans defense has a few individually good players, but I believe the biggest problem is defensive coordinator Richard Smith.  He has never been a solo coordinator before and doesn't have a background in building a defense from scratch.  Since Gary Kubiak has been on board, the offense has improved but the defense was ranked near the bottom in just about any meaningful defensive category.

BBS: Matt Schaub's tenure in Houston has been shaky. It started with promise, but prior to last week people were calling for his benching in favor of Sage Rosenfels. What do you two think of Schaub's play?

Steph: It's not like Schaub is in a system where the defense is awesome, the line is awesome and the running game is totally on track where you know that it is quarterback play holding them back.  So I think the people calling for him to be benched after game 2 were silly peoples.  I think that any quarterback is going to struggle when an offensive line is going to a new zone blocking system and has three new players, including a rookie left tackle.  I also think that Schaub also had no favors facing tough defenses on the road and with his receivers not catching passes.  I am actually still fairly optimistic about him.  He had a 119 QB rating last week, even without Andre Johnson playing a big role in the game or the running game being anything special.

QB Matt Schaub is a good player, but he has been inconsistent for the Texans.

Photo: www.thefantasykickoff.com

BBS: Tim told me last April that Steve Slaton was going to be a real player in this league. Bill Polian recently said Slaton is as good, if not better, than Chris Johnson in Tennessee. How has Slaton looked, and is he your team's primary RB now and for the future?

Steph: Slaton has looked great. Even when the line hasn't done him many favors, he has busted through tackles and made plays where there really were none.  The TD pass he had last week was one that few RBs could do.  Even so, the offensive line and Slaton have to reduce the amount of run stuffs they are getting. And I think that both will look better with more time in the system and playing at home.  Kubiak's offense is all about avoiding long yardage situations and keeping defenses off balance.  He really isn't going to want to put a relatively finesse line in a position where they are in obvious passing situations.  I think they need a complementary back with Slaton because he runs so hard you are afraid of his durability.

BBS: And finally, this is a big game for both teams. The loser is in a big, BIG hole in the AFC South. What do the Texans need to do to beat the Colts Sunday?

Steph: I have no confidence in the Texans defense to do anything against the Colts offense.  They have made very average quarterbacks look like great decision makers. The defense plays hard, but they don't always play smart, and their defensive schemes are easy to read.  The Texans best hope is the way they beat the Colts their one and only time: by the offense keeping the game close and Peyton Manning on the bench.  There is always the possibility that the pass rush could get to Manning--the Texans have had a number of multi-sack games against the Colts over the years and generally play better at home.

Many, many thanks thanks to Stephanie for taking the time to answers my questions. Again, Steph is one of the better fan bloggers out there, and her stuff is regularly read by me and other SB Nation bloggers. Why? Because she writes like someone who loves her sport and team.

How refreshing.