Before working for the Eagles, Wood spent seven years working in hockey (don’t worry, we don’t talk about hockey much). Now, she’s working for her hometown team and got to share the joy of Super Bowl LII with her parents and the rest of her family.

We chatted with Wood about loving football, dealing with trolls, and capitalizing on winning a Super Bowl.

Hannah Fields: What’s a typical day like for you?

Samantha Wood: We have a really strong content department here at the Eagles, and it’s a lot of collaboration. It’s different all the time which is the other big reason I got into sports. I really enjoy not knowing what you’re walking into on any given day. You definitely have to be flexible. I usually come in and see what’s going on online, make sure we’re on top of everything. I usually end up in a lot of meetings because we work really closely with a lot of other departments in the organization. We want to make sure that everybody is pulling in the same direction.

Back in the day, I used to do far more posting. But we have a really great team now, so they do the heavy lifting when it comes to actually posting stuff. We do a lot of planning, brainstorming and creating and covering. Then of course breaking news happens and everything falls apart.

On game days, it’s typically more of a covering standpoint. I did Snapchat and IG stories because that’s where the need was on game days. So I’m usually running around on the sidelines, creating stories, capturing content and sending it to other platforms. We’re an all hands on deck situation on game days then as we move throughout the season, the stakes get higher and higher. It’s definitely been an interesting stretch for us here.

HF: I can imagine. So has anything changed since y’all won the Super Bowl? Or is it just more of the same?

SW: In the building, I don’t know that anything has changed. The goal is always going to be to win the Super Bowl. We’re looking at Super bowl LIII now. We’re never going to check the box and say, “We’re done. We did it.” In terms of how it has changed my day-to-day, it has definitely shown a light on what we’re doing as an organization. The stage is bigger; it basically just upped the ante. People are paying closer attention to us than they have before. We’re certainly trying to take advantage of that opportunity. It’s a huge opportunity to have that international stage. We bought a lot of good will. We had the benefit of a team that was operating at the highest level and doing extremely well so it made our job easier.

So things have changed in terms of our posts going a little bit farther these days, but our goal is always going to be the next Super Bowl. We’re turning the page to next season already which is sort of insane. It’s been great. It’s a wild ride. Working for a hometown team is just such a blessing. I’m so happy I was able to share that with my parents and my whole family and my grandfather who was a season ticket holder the last time we won a championship in 1960. That was such a great experience personally.

HF: That’s awesome. You talked a little bit about how much planning you do, so can you share anything about your strategy when it comes to creating, promoting and sharing content?

SW: We have a pretty robust department here from graphic designers to motion graphics video producers to social to editorial. We take a long hard look at the calendar and mark off those tentpole events – combine, the draft. We mark off those events and break them down into manageable pieces. We’ll look at that event coverage for the bigger things. The in-between is finding the opportunities where we have them, filling it in with holidays and birthdays. In the offseason, especially, we’ll bank a lot of content, visit with players to get off-the-field content and deeper dives.

I definitely consider myself a casual fan based on the demographics. I think that’s a strength because I think about what I would like to see, read or watch. We have a lot of avid fans here too, so they’re always asking themselves the same questions and coming up with content they want to see. We come up with ideas and execute them. We just try and give everything it’s due and make sure we’re providing varied content for any type of fan. We want to make sure we’re not just speaking to the Xs and Os people or the super casual people or just the people in Philadelphia. We want there to be something for everyone, and we have to make sure that all of it is done equally well. We have to make it all a priority to grow our brand.

HF: When did you first start loving football? I just wrote a piece on this, so I’ve been curious about other people’s stories of learning to love football.

SW: I have to be honest and say that I don’t think I really loved football as a sport until I started working in it. I watched it and knew how to play football but the ins and outs, and the beauty of the game itself and learning to love the sport didn’t happen until I worked in it everyday. And that’s sort of a lesson for people; you don’t necessarily have to be the world’s biggest football expert or, whatever sport you’re working in expert, that it’s really about being willing to learn and being open to all the experiences that come with working in the profession. I love my job. I’ve always loved my job, but getting to appreciate the sport more from an inside perspective has been huge in how I operate.

HF: That’s really cool. I know nothing about hockey and when you started talking about hockey I was hoping you wouldn’t go in depth about that because I know nothing.

SW: I honestly didn’t either. When I started, I started at an internship. I can’t say that I was the world’s biggest sports fan, but I really liked it and thought it was fun. When I started at the internship, they gave me a hockey test, and I failed miserably. I was terrible, but they hired me anyway. I literally had flashcards for position groups on the team and line changes and all that sort of stuff. It took a couple years, probably, to really appreciate that sport because it’s a little more complicated in some ways than football. But football was definitely an easier learning curve for me for sure, but I’m still picking stuff up every day.

HF: It’s funny, growing up in the South, all we talk about is college football. Obviously there are differences between the college and pro game. But it’s definitely an easier transition to the NFL than from hockey.

SW: I went to Northeastern, and they got rid of the football team when I was there. So I just never had that. I grew up watching the Eagles, but that was it. I just never had that hands-on experience that you guys in the South do.

HF: What are some challenges you’ve faced to get where you are or maybe are still facing?

SW: Sports is probably one of the most competitive industries to be in which, to be honest, is one of the reasons it attracted me in the first place. But in terms of being a woman in sports, I think it’s overcoming that stigma of not knowing as much. You’re never going to win the battle when it comes to naming the quarterback in the 1933 championship game. I’m never going to win when it comes to citing stats, but what I can win in is being the best I can be in my niche and what I’m an expert on and what my department is. I let actions speak louder than words. I don’t have to tell anybody to come to me to learn about X,Y, and Z because I’ve proven that over years of putting my money where my mouth is. Those struggles of having to prove yourself constantly is a difficult one. It’s one that comes with patience and time.

HF: With your growing audience, have you seen a spike in Internet trolls? Do you see them more when y’all are losing versus winning?

SW: We get so many trolls anyway. We probably get more when we’re losing, but that also could be because maybe we’re getting fewer replies in general so the trolls stand out more. They’ll be there anyway. I read replies all the time, and I learned not to take them personally. People can say anything behind their keyboard. You just have to shake your head and laugh sometimes and not take it personally and not get angry. I’ll let them say what they want to say and don’t ever engage with them because it just gives them a bigger platform if we do reply even if it’s a clever reply. We try to talk to people, but not everybody is worth it. I don’t block a lot of people.

My personal rule, this isn’t an organizational thing, is that I’ll block somebody if they say anything racist, homophobic, any kind of true hate speech. That I’m not okay with, and I certainly don’t want to allow them to be saying that on our platforms because that’s something we need to protect. If it’s just, “You guys suck; I hate the Eagles,” people can say that all they want. But it rubs me the wrong way when people take it to a different level that it doesn’t need to go, so I’ll block them for that. But other than that, go ahead and talk. It doesn’t phase me anymore.

HF: Do you have any idea how many women are doing what you do in the NFL?

SW: Every year, the NFL brings together representatives from every team that are in the social space. The two people coordinating the whole summit were women. And exactly half of the teams represented, and all the teams were, were women. For a long time, it wasn’t that way. Women are getting more and more involved which is awesome. I think it’s important to have that representation. I don’t know if it’s still half, but it was six months ago. In my area at other teams, there’s Amy who runs digital for the Panthers, Allie with the Browns, Jen with the Bears, Cassie with the Ravens, Felicia with the Vikings, Cecily with the Patriots. There’s quite a few of us, and I think people would be surprised to find that. We laugh when people say the “social media guy” but there’s a 50/50 shot it’s actually a woman. These are some of the most talented women I know when it comes to the social media space. That’s hugely important.

Exactly half of the @NFL club social media managers are women. Exactly all of them are great. pic.twitter.com/cLLt3xtguh

— Samantha Wood (@woodsamantha) July 14, 2017

HF: What advice would you give to women, or anybody, who wants to be where you are?

SW: I would say to never pass up an opportunity. My first full-time job was in the minor leagues. A lot of people think that you can just go right from school to the NFL. Some people do that, and they’re super lucky. But I feel like you have to be willing to move anywhere. And then when you’re in that job, you have to be willing to take on any responsibility, wear a lot of hats. No team is beneath you. It’s a heck of a lot easier once you’re in to then make moves. So I think, being willing and being flexible, having a plan and an exit strategy as well. You don’t want to stay forever in one place when you’re first getting into the business.

In terms of being a woman in the business, finding that tribe of other women that have an understanding, whether they work in sports or not, but have an understanding of what it takes, of the support that it requires. Being willing to vent and share advice, help each other out. I have a really strong group of girlfriends that are all over the country that I met and they all work in the sports industry, and they’ve been crucial. Not only helping me professionally, with career advice and connections, but really helping me with that support. Regardless of where you work in sports, there are the same struggles everywhere. It’s nice to have that support group, and truly a support group, not just some girl that works in the same industry, but someone that you fit with has been really crucial for me. It’s priceless.

The post Featured Football Girl: Eagles’ Samantha Wood Soaring in Social Media World appeared first on The Football Girl.

While Kolber and Wingo would land other prominent roles within ESPN’s NFL empire, the network in March announced that Sam Ponder would become the new Countdown host.

“There is no such thing as replacing Chris Berman, but the chance to build on his incredible legacy while simultaneously taking new risks to serve NFL fans is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Ponder said in an ESPN press release.

Ponder would leave the college football scene where she was a widely popular reporter and contributor to College Gameday since 2012.

As the first female host of Countdown, Ponder brings a unique skill at facilitating sharp conversation. She is fresh, energetic and quite frankly a complete bad ass who has no qualms expressing herself both on and off the air.

We chatted with Ponder in conjunction with Secret, which has partnered with the NFL this season to celebrate women who are breaking barriers. Among topics discussed with Ponder are her approach to Countdown, dealing with social media trolls, and the next “female first” in the NFL.

Melissa Jacobs: How did the Countdown gig come about after Boomer announced that he was stepping down? Was it more out of the blue or something you lobbied for?

Sam Ponder: The Countdown offer was completely out of the blue for me. I loved working in college football and probably would have stayed there for a long time if this specific offer never came. It was just a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something challenging and exciting. It also allowed my family to be together, which was huge for me since I had just found out I was pregnant with my second child when I was presented with the idea.

MJ: What was the first thing you did once it was official?

SP: It wasn’t an overnight thing, so I don’t really remember the exact moment I knew, but I do remember getting congratulatory phone calls from [ESPN President] John Skipper and [ESPN Senior VP] Stephanie Druley. I felt really supported by both of them from the very beginning. No doubt they’ve taken a big chance on me, so I feel responsible to do everything I can to make the show as good as it can be.

MJ: Given how synonymous you’ve been with college football, how challenging has it been to be considered an NFL person now? (In other words, a lot of people miss you on Saturdays!)

SP:  My heart will always partially be with college football. It was my first love. There isn’t any replacing that, so I don’t try to. The NFL is just so different. Even though I haven’t been covering the NFL as a host, I’ve been living it every day for the past five years. I’ve learned more about what really goes on in the league by being married to a player [QB Christian Ponder] than I ever could have covering it. Embracing that perspective is something I used to be scared to do. But reality is that it helps me every day as I talk about the NFL. It helps me to know what questions to ask, what life is really like for the players and what fans might be interested in that doesn’t normally get discussed in the media. 

MJ: You’ve talked at length about never being able to replace Boomer and Countdown clearly has a different feel with you at the helm. What are some of the ways you are making Countdown your own?

SP: There isn’t any replacing Chris for obvious reasons and I couldn’t if I tried. I don’t find myself thinking “how can I make the show my own” because I don’t see it as my show. I try to be myself and not emulate anyone else, but the show will only be good if we are all good as a team. Three hours is way too long of a show if you don’t have great chemistry and teamwork. That’s why it works on College Gameday and that’s what we’re working on now. We’re all relatively new, so it’s a process, but so far we get along great and hopefully that will make the show better each week.

MORE TFG: Featured Football Girl: ESPN’s Beth Mowins Breaks Barriers

MJ: I recently tweeted something applauding your outspokenness for standing up for what is right and was pummeled with trolls. Can’t even imagine what it’s like for you. What’s your general advice on dealing with social media?

SP: When I dealt with vile comments early in my career, I used to call my dad to ask what I was doing wrong. He usually responded with “consider the source.” It’s helped me a lot as I navigate the unknown territories of social media. When you think about the hateful comments people make, it’s important to remember that very few happy, secure people reach out to a total stranger to tell them something terrible in print. Criticism is a part of this job, and we can’t only give positive opinions credence. But there’s a difference between “you suck at your job” and “I hope you die.” The first is an opinion. The second is a broken person who doesn’t know how to handle their emotions. That person should be pitied.

MJ: On a different note, you’re here for Secret and their campaign to promote the women who are breaking barriers in the NFL, like your colleague Beth Mowins who became the first women to call a nationally televised Monday Night Football game. Where do you think women currently fall on the respect spectrum in the NFL?

SP: Secret has done such a great job of celebrating women who do difficult things and challenge stereotypes. That’s why I was so grateful to be a small part of their campaign to highlight women in the NFL. I’ve been so encouraged recently by the strides women are making in so many areas of this game. We obviously still have a long way to go, but there are more and more women earning positions of influence. That word earning is so important, because it wasn’t possible for a long time. How do you earn a position without experience? And how do you get experience if no one gives you a chance? It’s taken a while for women to work their way up from the bottom where there weren’t many opportunities for women to begin with. That’s why I was so happy for Beth Mowins. Beth earned her role on MNF. She’s a total pro.

MJ:  Who are some of the women you look up to in NFL circles?

SP: Women like Beth Mowins and Suzy Kolber have been great to me. I have so much respect for the way they work and their passion for the game. I would say the woman I look up to most behind the scenes in the NFL is Stephanie Druley. It’s great for women to be in visible positions but it’s just as important to have women in positions of power and influence behind the scenes. Women who can bring different perspectives, challenge the status quo and present new ideas are so important.

MJ: There have been different media approaches on the advancement of women – Jen Welter continues to do endless interviews and has a book out, while full-time coaches Kathryn Smith last year and Katie Sowers this year have been very quiet. What do you think is the most effectively approach to getting women accepted in key football roles?

SP: Sometimes I get too distracted by acceptance. Of course I want acceptance, but that isn’t always a reality. There are some people who will never want to get football news from a woman. That’s their preference and I’m not gonna win those battles, so why fight them? My goal is to create more opportunities for the next generation of football loving girls like my daughter. So how do we do that? We do great work. We study the game and present new ideas. We don’t get distracted by closed-minded people. We don’t try to force people to agree with us. We just make the most of every opportunity we’re given and pass it on to someone else.

MJ: What’s the next NFL “first” for a woman?

SP: Well since you asked… I’d love to see Condoleezza Rice be the first female commissioner of the NFL. I know she expressed interest at some point. She’s obviously incredibly intelligent, knows the game and has handled a conflict or two in her lifetime. I can’t think of someone male or female who would be more qualified to manage the pressing issues in the NFL right now with more grace and resolve.

For more of Ponder’s story, check out this poignant tribute video created by Secret that showcases Ponder’s gifts as a broadcaster, woman and mother.

The post Featured Football Girl: ESPN’s Sam Ponder Hopes to Inspire Next Generation of Girls appeared first on The Football Girl.

Beth Mowins set her career goal at a very young age. Raised in Syracuse, New York in the 1970’s. she was enthralled with all sports, including the NFL. Though she lacked allegiance to a particular NFL team –- the area was split between the downtrodden Bills, Jets and Giants — the NFL on television was blossoming into its own art form. Especially pre- and post-game shows. The Cowboys and Steelers were in the midst of dynasties, and the league as a whole produced more awe-inspiring moments, players and schemes.

The NFL Today on CBS reigned king in those days with the sharp chemistry of Brent Musberger, Irv Cross and Jimmy the Greek, but it was the show’s reporter, Phyllis George. that provided Mowins’s ‘aha’ moment.

“There was a woman talking about football,” Mowins said. “That’s what I was drawn to. I like sports and like to talk so the two blended together perfectly.”

Mowins’ dad was a local coach and teacher, which inspired an early entry into sportscasting. While just a middle-schooler, she served as a public address announcer for local high school football and basketball games. That was followed by an entry-level stint at the local Syracuse television station, SuperSports, where she worked overtime to gain knowledge of the business from higher-ups.

Her broadcasting career snowballed from there. In 1994, four years after completing grad school at Syracuse’s Newhouse, a mecca for aspiring broadcasters, she joined ESPN. For over twenty years, Mowins has been on the call for myriad events from the Women’s College World Series to college football to NCAA Championships in just about every sport. In 2015, she added to her extensive repertoire by successfully calling the Raiders preseason games. That experience all culminated in Mowins’s splashiest assignment to date: calling the Chargers-Broncos Week 1 late game on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, alongside Rex Ryan. 30 years after Gayle Sierens became the first women to call an NFL regular season game, it is Mowins turn – this time for a national audience.

We caught up with Mowins to discuss the significance of this assignment, what goes into prepping for an NFL game, dealing with social media trolls and more.

MJ: When we met during the week of Super Bowl 50, I brought up the notion of you calling regular season NFL games. You were very humble and a bit nonchalant. Now that it’s happened, please divulge: how much did you want this?

BM: We always want as good of games as we can get. The excitement and energy around Monday Night Football is something I had hoped for since I was little. I was always encouraged to aim high and see where it would take you so it’s always been on my radar. I’m just really appreciative of ESPN for his opportunity and to work with Rex, who like myself is competitive. We’re both excited about the opportunity and want to do well at it.

MJ: Obviously you getting this gig is quite empowering to women. How big a door do you think your assignment will offer other female broadcasters?

BM: I saw Gayle Sierens 30 years ago and knew that if there was a woman who could do it there might be an opportunity for me one day. My hope is to continue moving this forward and that after the game it’s not just little girls who are inspired, it’s all kids. Whether you want to be the best teacher in the world, the best parent in the world or a sportscaster. I’m just any kid out of Upstate New York who wanted to be a sportscaster and chased after it. I do understand the significance and excitement for a lot of women and hopefully that will be there on September 11^th.

MJ: How did you find out and who was the first person you told?

BM: I got the call from ESPN back in March and I happened to be sitting next to my boyfriend so he was the first to hear the news. I had to stay quiet about it until some of the details were worked out and they put our team together. Just last week I started to tell friends and family. I shared the news with Mike Tirico and Sean McDonough who are friends and long time mentors of mine. They happened to be together at an event and they sent me a text video to congratulate me, so that was pretty cool.

MJ: What advice have they given you so far?

BM: ‘You got big shoes to fill so no pressure, kid.’ [Laughing]

No, they both really relied on their passion for the job and preparation leading up to their gigs on Monday Night Football and trying the best they can to rely on their training and doing the same things you would do for any other game. Approach the assignment with a lot of excitement and energy and just be yourself is first and foremost. Don’t try and do too much, just document the game and be informative and entertaining with Rex.

MJ: You and Rex Ryan worked together before at spring game. But obviously this game will have just a few more eyeballs. For many reasons you guys are being called the most intriguing broadcast pairing of Week 1. What can viewers expect?

BM: One of the expectations with Rex is that he’s going to be himself, too. He certainly has an amazing understanding of the game and an outspokenness. He’ll share his opinions with you and they’re based in a tremendous amount of experience. I’ve always considered that in the play-by-play role I take care of the who, what, when and where. He handles the how and the why. A big part of my job is to make sure I’m helping him be the best that he can be and our entire crew really from graphics and packages and replays. I call it my point guard mentality. That’s what I played when I was younger and I always try to approach these games from a team perspective.

MJ: What’s it like preparing for an NFL game vs. other sports?

BM: I’ll draw a lot on the years of college football that I’ve done. It’s more time consuming just because of the number of players involved, and it starts early in the week. You try and watch the last game you did so you continue to improve as a team. In this case it will be the opening week of the season but you still try and watch what the teams did the week before. You have your game board in front of you and you just start plugging in stats and stories and quotes. A lot of it is relying on what your analyst sees on tape and what they think the storylines might be. It’s more involved overall.

Nowadays with access on the internet you could work 12 hours a day and still not see or hear it all because you can follow local reporters on Twitter, you can dial up local sports radio in those cities and listen to what those folks are talking about. I think a big part of calling football is to gather early in the week and filter as you get closer.

MJ: Mike Tirico used to refrain from saying Washington’s nickname and other have let their societal views subtly seep into the broadcast. What is your philosophy on the play-by-play person’s role when it comes to controversies, which seem to permeate the NFL. If Chargers-Broncos is a blowout in the fourth quarter and Deflategate Part 2 just got underway would you feel a responsibility to discuss with Rex?

BM: Oh absolutely. No one has talked about any filters or anything like that. My training is old school and play-by-play and a lot of that big picture stuff, well, if the game is close and intriguing we’re calling the game and we don’t step out of the sidelines at all.

But depending what is happens and given that we’ll be at the end of opening weekend we’ll have that entire first week of games to talk about. I can’t imagine Rex would have a filter on that sort of thing either. [Laughs.]

MJ: Tirico and Jon Gruden once made smoothies in the fourth quarter of a Monday Night Football blowout, so you guys can always go that route.

BM: Actually, this time of year for the softball regionals we have like seven games in three days. When we had John Kruk working with us we he had what we called the ‘Kruk-o-matic 300.’ It was a blender for Frappuccinos to keep us going over the course of the weekend.

MJ: On to a more unsavory topic: social media trolls. Some are already saying they will turn down the sound solely based on your gender. How do you deal with that crap?

BM: I think we all want people to like us regardless of what our job is but I understood very early that with a job in the public eye and being on television you’re not going to please everybody. I got great advice from Tirico when Twitter and social media were on the rise, and that was to not engage in it. It’s hard not to see it sometimes but I try to embrace the philosophy of not having time for negative people. Life is too short and my glass is half full. That’s the way I’m going to approach this and not worry about any negative repercussions. It’s the positive people who are getting things done in life and that’s who I want to spend my time with.

MJ: What are your goals after this game? Would you prefer to still cover multiple sports or be NFL full time?

BM: Honestly, one of the important things that is really is significant to me is that I love calling the women’s championships. I think it’s great when you hear from a player at the Women’s College World Series that says, ‘I’ve been listening to you since I was 10 years old and now I’m here.’ And then they come back 10 years later and appreciate that moment in time and how we documented it for them. I think it’s important that the female athletes and student athletes understand that they’re just as big a deal. So I’d love the opportunity to call whatever they send my way.

The post FFG: ESPN’s Beth Mowins appeared first on The Football Girl.

This week’s Featured Football Girl is Rebecca Otto, Public Relations and Events Director for Octagon, one of the largest agencies in the NFL and all of sports.  Octagon’s football clients include Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Stevie Johnson (Bills), LaMarr Woodley (Steelers), and many more.

Melissa Jacobs:  Please tell me what a Public Relations and Events Director does exactly?

Rebecca Otto:  I handle all of the public relations, event planning and charitable development for our NFL players. The PR part is setting up interviews for my clients, pitching and placing them in magazines, TV shows, newspapers, radio shows, etc, publicizing their events and charities, and confirming them for VIP and red carpet events. The event planning entails organizing and running all of their charity events such as football camps, toy and turkey drives, holiday giveaways, shopping sprees, celebrity bartending events, etc. And lastly, charitable development means helping our clients focus on their passion and choose their cause, and then either develop charitable programs for them or align them with the correct charity to increase awareness and help integrate them into the community more. 

MJ:  Sounds like you get to be around a lot of cool events.  What percentage of the job is glamorous and fun vs. very hard work?

RO:  This is a great question because people comment all the time about how lucky I am that I get to go to these fun events. The answer is 20 % vs. 80 %.  It is definitely a lot of hard work but there can be great benefits and rewards too.  Thankfully I am working hard for clients I care about and also doing something I love.

MJ:  As you described, your job entails a lot and you count numerous players as clients. How difficult is it to split your duties and allegiances, especially when attending major events like the Super Bowl or the ESPYs?

RO:  It can definitely be tricky at times. Organization is the key to making any event successful, especially when you have 10-12 clients you are responsible for at the Super Bowl or the ESPYs week, for example. Itineraries, early planning, lists, and communication help not only me, but my clients as well. Another thing that really helps, specifically at Octagon, is that our clients and agents all act as family. We tend to stick together, so it makes those busy weeks easier because we’ll all go to dinner or to the parties/events together. It’s actually really fun when we all get together; it just takes a little extra planning and preparing on my end.

MJ:  What’s the coolest event you’ve attended with a client?

RO:  Honestly, it’s the first of every event. The first Super Bowl, the first NFL Draft, the first ESPYs- they were all amazing. They still are. Every time it is different and I love seeing different clients get to experience all of those events for the first time as well.

Otto with client, Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley 

MJ:  And the most interesting celebrity you’ve met?

RO:  Hands down Stevie Wonder. It was incredible. I was literally speechless. He pulled me down and put his face against mine, said hi and asked my name. I fumbled my own name because I was so in awe and nervous.

MJ:  How important is it to you for your clients to dabble in charitable work?

RO:  Extremely important. It isn’t something we just suggest, it is something we help make possible. I thoroughly enjoy that part of my job and really love helping them figure out what they’d like to do and get them involved in their communities. This is something we actually talk about at the very beginning of the recruiting process. All of our clients understand that it is so important to give back and we try to make it as easy as possible for them to do that.

MJ:  When did you know you wanted to work in sports?

RO:  I have always been involved with sports. I played sports in high school and both of my brothers played college football. We were a very athletic family and sports was always a passion of mine. My first job ever was even at a golf course. But it was more so when I took a Sports Communication class my junior year at the University of Texas when it donned on me, ‘why wouldn’t I do PR in sports?’ I then applied and scored an internship with the NFL league office in New York the summer before my senior year in college, and the rest is history! 

MJ:  Do you find that being a woman in 2011 has helped or hindered your unique sports career?

RO:  I actually have found that age has really been more of a factor in my career in sports so far. I started when I was 23 and it was really hard at first because everyone I talked to or worked with assumed there was someone “better or higher up” they should be talking to. They didn’t think that someone that young would be capable enough to handle our business. Now that I am 27, although that is still fairly young, I no longer come across that problem and I certainly have proven myself capable. 

MJ:  I don’t know your relationship status and this isn’t “The Dating Game”, but how do potential suitors react when they learn of your profession?

RO:  It might be surprising when I say it’s more of just a conversation starter than anything else. Guys always find it cool or interesting, but it has never really been my go-to at the bars, ha. It can be fun to “talk shop” with guys, but it can also just get old for me just because yeah, I get it, it’s really cool and you’d kill to have my job. I get it.

MJ:  What advice would you give to women who aspire to be the next Rebecca Otto?

RO:  Put in the WORK. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication if you want to be successful at anything you do. I had eight internships before I landed my job at Octagon Golf and then Football. My journey was more about what you do rather than who you know. My mom always told me that luck is a product of hard work, and I truly believe that because I was in the right place at the right time when I found my job with Octagon Football, but I was only in that position because I had worked my tail off to get there. Perseverance is also key, because it may be a long road and you have to be willing to take it to lead you to where you want to be at the end of the day. Also, be observant and soak everything in. Take different things from each internship and build your own personal set of skills that will help you in various situations in the future.

To learn even more about Rebecca and keeps up with her clients, follow her on Twitter.

The post FFG: Rebecca Otto appeared first on The Football Girl.

Sara Holladay’s Bio from FFLibrarian.com

I could spend all day watching college football on Saturdays and pro football on Sundays just to do it all over again the next weekend. In the 2008 season, I was in seven fantasy football leagues, which led to pure chaos and I’ll be narrowing that number of leagues down significantly for 2009. This year will be my sixth year of fantasy football and I will be spending a lot of time preparing for draft day in August – and sharing all that research with you! So why Fantasy Football Librarian? I’m a librarian at a university in the west and love to research stuff. What could be better than combining football and research? So in September 2006, I launched FF Librarian to try and create one place for fantasy fans to find the info they need. Here’s to the 2009 season!

In addition to running fflibrarian.com, you can also find  more of Sara’s fantasy insights at the New York Times Fifth Down blog, as well as the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football.

The post FFG: Sara Holladay aka Fantasy Football Librarian appeared first on The Football Girl.

Molly’s ESPN Biography

In 2008, Molly Qerim served as the interactive host for College Football Live.  In addition, she is the breaking news reporter for Fantasy Football now on ESPN2 every NFL Sunday beginning at 1130 a.m. ET and was honored with an Emmy for her contribution to the show.  She also hosts interactive segments on MMA Live, which airs every Thursday on ESPN.com.

Qerim has been a part of other digital media content, as well as conducting various interviews of athletes and celebrities in the Bristol studios.  She has traveled to cover the Super Bowl, Heisman Trophy presentation, UFC events, the NBA draft and All-Star Game and the MLB All-Star game, providing on-site reporting and interviews.

Qerim received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Connecticut and a Masters degree in Broadcast.

Learn more about Molly at mollyqerim.com

Follow Molly on Twitter: @MollyQerim_ESPN

The post FFG: Molly Qerim appeared first on The Football Girl.

A USF graduate just three years ago, Jenna already has many feathers in her professional cap.  She covers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for SportsFanLive.com.  She just recovered from covering her first Super Bowl (where she conducted 40-plus interviews!).  And while she’s already interviewed names such as Barry Sanders, she really made a splash onto the national scene with her recent, exclusive story about an offensive tackle from Abilene Christian named Tony Washington.  Washington is not your average draftee – he is a registered sex offender.  Jenna covered a difficult situation with thoroughness and objectivity.  It is a must-read that received across the board kudos.

Read Jenna’s Tony Washington story here.

In this podcast, Jenna gives us an in-depth look at her reporting process for the Washington story; tells of the ageless wonder she so admires, and even talks a little hybrid-Tampa Two!

Listen to Jenna here:

[[mPlayer?file=Jenna Laine.mp3]]

Jenna, at her college graduation, showing off her dream job!

The post FFG: Jenna Laine appeared first on The Football Girl.

The Cooley Clan! (L to R) Tanner Cooley, Kirsten Cooley, Nancy Cooley, Chris Cooley, Christy Cooley

The Football Girl:  Thanks for being with me Nancy.

Nancy Cooley:  You’re welcome. Thanks for coming.

TFG:  It’s been a little over two years since you were first diagnosed with breast cancer.  Can you take us back to the day you got the news? What was your instant reaction?

NC:  It was two years ago on May 16^th.  I was actually driving to work.  I had tests done and a biopsy and they called me on the way to work and told me I had cancer.  And they said I needed to get it taken care of really quickly and find my doctors, so it was pretty shocking. Chris was getting married the next Friday. But I talked to my kids and talked to Chris and he knew the Chief of Surgery at Virginia Hospital Center (Dr. Anthony Casolaro) who got me rolling on the whole two year experience.

TFG:  As you mentioned, Chris and Christy’s wedding was a week later.  What was that entire week like, balancing the news with the wedding festivities?

NC:  I’ll tell you what the week was like. Well Friday I found out, and Chris and Christy were actually on their way to South Carolina or something and they came back. They turned around and Chris had come out and had dinner so we could talk. So we did that and Saturday was Christy’s bachelorette party and my sister flew in a day early so she could be with me at the doctors the next week.  Really, I said ‘no cancer talk.’ But we went to the bachelorette party, then starting picking people up from the airport that week.  Monday was my first day with the breast surgeon.  Tuesday I met a plastic surgeon. Wednesday I had an MRI and PET Scan. They called me and said the cancer was pretty aggressive and they wanted to start chemo as soon as possible.  So Thursday I met my oncologist and Friday Chris got married.

But it was all right because maybe it happened then because all of my family was there – my brother and sisters and friends.  People stayed at my house which kept me busy. That next weekend after the wedding was Memorial Day weekend and kind of everybody was gone by then.  Tuesday I had an echo for my heart. Wednesday I had a port inserted for the chemo. {Shows scar} Thursday I had chemo counseling to tell me how much fun it was going to be. Friday I started chemo. Then I did chemo for four months.

TFG:  I’m sitting in your school right now and I know you’re a business teacher and a counselor.

NC:  Not a counselor, an FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) Adviser

TFG:  I’m sorry, a teacher and an adviser. Can you talk about how the cancer treatments impacted your day-to-day life?

NC:  I think I was a little fortunate with the timing; I mean, if you can say I was fortunate because there were only two weeks left of school. I was abIe to do the first round of chemo that Friday, then two weeks later had my second round and then I had the summer.  Then I think I had two rounds of chemo when school started in September. But by September it wears on you. I missed 52 days of work last year.  But it was alright. I have good people here.

TFG:  I read somewhere you don’t like being referred to as “Chris Cooley’s mom,” but how did being “Chris Cooley’s mom” help you in this case?

NC:  It helped with the connection because Dr. Casolaro, who is a friend of Chris’s happens to be the team doctor for the Redskins.  That was who Chris talked to and he happens to be the head of surgery at Virginia Hospital Center. So I think I got a quick appointment with Dr. Stephanie Akbari at the Virginia Hospital Center.  That was the main thing with Chris right there – and getting to the doctors fast.

TFG:  So would you say you got in faster than the average person?

NC:  I don’t know that. They knew my cancer was really aggressive at Stage 3. I think they would have done surgery as soon as they could. I think they planned on it unless it was Chris’s wedding but after the MRI and PET Scan they thought they needed to change their plan.  Dr. Casolaro said he would do the same for anybody and I know him, he definitely would have.  Things just went very fast.

TFG:  You had an event a few weeks ago, Cooley’s Rally for the Cure, which Tanner (Nancy’s other son) and Chris are behind.  Talk about the event and how this whole ordeal has strengthened your family.

NC:  We started last year because I had always done Relay for Life.  As long as I’ve been a teacher we do it with my students setting up a team. We really worked hard last year doing it, my kids here at Briar Woods High School, my FBLA group.  We decided to do this fundraiser. Actually I think someone approached me first.  Then we did it at a different venue last year. It was a pretty big event. We had a lot of players come and we raised about $27,000. This year we did it again at a different venue.  It was a little smaller due to a lot of other community service events going on that night so we didn’t have quite as many players but we had a lot and we raised about $17,000.

It is really nice working with my kids. Last year I don’t think I did a whole lot. It just came together. People just came together. This year I think my kids just had to show up.  My boys just had to show up.

TFG:  Is your previous involvement in Relay for Life all through being an educator or due to a family or friend history with breast cancer?

NC:  No, I started doing it as a teacher. It’s not a thing just for teachers obviously. But it’s at our school and if it’s an event at your school than you get a team, so yeah it’s something I’ve done just because I’ve been a teacher.

TFG:  So you already had a breast cancer awareness before it inflicted you?

NC:  Yes, it is pretty strange to be in the survivors group when you’ve observed it for 10-15 years.

TFG:  Your Relay for Life walk is this weekend.  How can people learn more and donate to your team.

NC:  We have a personal page and would very much appreciate any donations. (Click here to see Nancy’s page and donate)

TFG:  One last thing.  How are the new-look Redskins going to do this season? Any record predictions?

NC:  (Pause…. Clearly stalling)

TFG:  Playoffs?

NC:  Yes I think they’ll do very well and win 2-3 games in the post-season.

TFG:  Sounds great.  Thanks so much for the time, Nancy. You look fantastic and I really appreciate you sharing your experience.

NC:  Thank you.

The post FFG: Nancy Cooley appeared first on The Football Girl.

Summer is an avid, knowledgeable fantasy player who participates in multiple leagues, both as a commissioner and an owner.  As we started our interview, I could sense her excitement over talking about the “sport” in which women are joining in droves.   Check out the entire interview for Summer’s dream fantasy team for 2010, how she plans to improve her drafting strategy, and her advice for women intimidated by fantasy.  And when you’re done, follow her on Twitter at @SummerSanders_

The Football Girl:  I’m so happy to be joined by Olympic gold medalist – and fantasy football guru – Summer Sanders. Thanks for spending a few minutes with me.

Summer Sanders:  (Laughing) Ah, my husband would love that you just called me a fantasy football guru.

TFG:  I’m sure you’ll soon prove that moniker correct.  Before we get into all the fantasy goodness, talk about all the exciting ventures on your plate.

SS:  Well, really I’ve just been busy with my kids.  My two-and-a-half year old, Spider and my four-in-a-half year old, Skye are both at dance camps right now, actually.  And I’m getting busy with football, preparing for my drafts!  In terms of the professional side, I’m involved in a non-profit called Safe Kids USA, sponsored by Johnson and Johnson where we encourage children to get involved in sports of all kinds, but make sure they are participating with all the proper safety precautions. I’m also involved with Right to Play, the charity I played for on Celebrity Apprentice that uses sports to enhance disadvantaged regions all over the world.  I was also able to do some spots with Rachael Ray recently.  And I’m now trying to get one of the morning shows to follow my all-girls fantasy football league.

TFG:  Great, well let’s move on to actual fantasy.  What prompted you to become such an avid participant?

SS:  I’ve always been a football fan.  Having grown up in the Bay Area in the 80’s, it was all 49ers. And growing up in a family where sports was such commonplace, made it even more of a football home.  Still I wouldn’t say that I was the biggest football expert or anything.  I know the rules and whatnot, but thought fantasy would just be fun and take it to the next level.

TFG:  So how many leagues are you in?

SS:  Three. The all-girls league that I’m the commissioner of and two other leagues with my husband.

TFG:  Do you find the spilt-rooting interest of being in three leagues difficult?

SS:  Not really because I made sure I wound up with much of the same roster in all my leagues last year. For example, I had MauriceJones-Drew in all my leagues, which was great since he was such a consistent scorer – my nickname for him is “Mr. Consistent.” It did get tough when my quarterback was playing my defense, though.  You just have to throw your hand in the air sometimes.

TFG:  Please talk about your all-girls league.  Are the other women as passionate as you?

SS:  Oh gosh, definitely.  I am the commissioner and we’ve had the league for three years.  When I first started I’ll admit some of the owners weren’t that active, but they’ve been replaced by a crop of women who are super into it.  I’ll tell you, my 63 year old mother is in my league and she’s hilarious because she used to pick based on loyalty.  She’s from Nebraska and you know how Nebraskans are so passionate about their football?  Well, she’d pick players simply because they played there. But she’s become wiser now.

TFG:  I’ve heard your husband is a big Bills fan – please send him my sympathies – are you now a fan by association or do you still cheer for the 49ers?

SS:  Oh no, it’s all changed.  I still like the 49ers, but when I married Erik (Olympic skier, Erik Schlopy), I knew I marrying Erik and the Bills. It really was like ‘I take thee Erik and I take thee Bills.’ That was our deal.  He became a Kings fan, because I’m from Sacramento and love the Kings, and I become a Bills fan.  It’s really fun to watch them together. We usually go to a game in Buffalo together. In fact, last year was the first we didn’t make that trip.  Obviously they haven’t done so well in recent years, but they’re the lovable underdog.

TFG:  What’s it like being in leagues with him?

SS:  Actually, we have our own teams, so generally we help each other with advice and injury tips, but when we play each other we avoid camaraderie until the games are over. It’s funny, though, because I recently enlisted Mark Schlereth to give me fantasy advice, and when I sort of bragged about that to Erik, he said ’Oh yeah, Schlereth’s helping me out too.’  Go figure.

TFG:  How do you guys watch games at home?  What’s your Sunday set-up?

SS:  Oh, we are hardcore.  We have Sunday Ticket on all day, and the RedZone channel.  Plus, we have two computers tracking all my fantasy stats. It’s awesome!

TFG:  Talk about playing in the Chris Mortensen celebrity fantasy league a couple of years ago. What was that like?

SS:  It was weird, actually.  They had us do a live draft, but then there were no interactions. No owners communicated and we weren’t allowed to make roster changes all season long. One league I was in a few years ago, actually I was the commissioner, was for the NFLPA.  It was so great because Maurice Jones-Drew and Larry Fitzgerald were two of the owners. And guess what, Maurice Jones-Drew didn’t even draft himself. I couldn’t believe it.  It was so fun playing with the guys and made me wonder how often they think of fantasy in the midst of their games.

TFG:  Allow me to play Freud for a second.  I saw on the psychological wasteland, Twitter that had a dream over whether to take Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers? So, have you decided?

SS:  That’s so tough, isn’t it?  Obviously you can’t go wrong with either, but if I was picking one, it would have to be Brees.  He has all those weapons, and I’m a big believer in chemistry and Drew clearly has it with his receivers. Look how quickly they put points on the board last year.

TFG:  So Brees is your dream QB.  Who else is on your dream team, you know, in our fantasy land where only you get to draft.

SS:  Yes, while the other owners are asleep I’m taking Brees, both Johnsons, Andre and Calvin, Maurice-Jones Drew, Ray Rice. How’s that so far?

TFG:  Um, awesome.

SS:  And how about Antonio Gates as my tight end and Rob Bironas.  I always like Bironas since he’s accurate and the Titans have to settle for a lot of field goal attempts.

TFG:  That’s a pretty sick team.  I’m sure that’s the roster you’ll wind up with.  So you really have proven yourself to be a “fantasy guru.” How would you improve your fantasy skills?

SS:  Number one, I’ve never won before. I always lose in the first round of the playoffs, so I don’t even make my money back.  I think I might draft a tight end too late.  I’m always dropping and adding new tight ends during the season, but I never get one of the premier guys.  I also tend to have my running backs and quarterback before my wide receivers, so I get stuck with the 10^th or 11^th best wide receiver left.

TFG:  Sounds like you’re a fantasy troubleshooter.  In closing, what would you say to women and other fans who want to participate in fantasy but find it intimidating?

SS:  I would tell them that not to be intimated because it’s really almost all about luck. I mean, so much is uncontrollable.  Look at Tom Brady a few years ago having the monster season and then getting injured in the first game of the season. No expert could have predicted that.  As long as you participate and set your lineups, you’ll be fun.  And you really should play because it’s so much fun!

TFG:  Thanks for the time, Summer.  Good luck this season and we’ll be checking in on your teams.

SS:  Definitely. Would love to talk fantasy again.  Thanks for what your site is doing, and thanks for having me on.

The post FFG: Summer Sanders appeared first on The Football Girl.

She also recounts the oh so sweet and extremely modern way (think Mark Zuckerberg) they kicked off their relationship. And Harris, a former stockbroker, tells us of her philanthropic future plans.

Harris is also a serious student of the game, something Chris may not appreciate when he’s blown coverage and has to hear about it from his real coach.

Chris and Kenetria Harris on their wedding day in Aruba!

The Football Girl: Let’s start with the Bears.  Talk about the emotions you had watching that Monday Night game.

Kenetria Harris: It’s always an emotional thing to have a loved one, especially a husband or son, playing football. You have to fear if they’re going to get hurt, is it day-to-day, something they can bounce back from or life threatening.  You go into the game with this mentality in the first place.  So Monday night, aside from the actual game itself, when Chris was hurt earlier my heart started beating fast. A couple of guys sitting next to me told me, ‘He’s okay. He’s okay.” Complete strangers, but you could definitely see the emotional stress on my face.  I was trying to keep it together because I had our kids with us and once he got up I still wasn’t completely ok.  The funny thing is he told me after the game that the first thing he thought was of was me freaking out in the stands.  And I said, ‘I really was.’ It’s hard to see him laying on the ground from up there and have no idea what’s wrong with him.

The other side of the emotional struggle is just the game itself. It’s so stressful. There’s so many things that we as fans feel like we would do or we know that they should be doing.  So you’re getting yourself more and more emotionally attached to what’s going on out there on the field.  I have to use Twitter as my emotional release when I can’t really say what I want to say to keep my composure.

TFG:  Do you ever critique Chris after games?

KH: Oh yeah, all the time. I’ll give him my review and ask him how he thinks he did and he’ll say ‘I think I did pretty well’ or ‘I could have played better’ and then I’ll start bringing up things I saw like ‘that was a good hit in the 1st half’ or ‘you missed coverage in the 2nd half.’ He’ll explain to me why he missed the coverage or the defensive scheme they were running. He explains it because I just see the same thing the fans do – it looks like blown coverage or he wasn’t there when he needed to be, and he’ll say ‘no, that wasn’t my guy.’ I’ll always critique him after the games. Sometimes he’s receptive.

Daniel Manning told me after a preseason game that Chris had said in the locker room that I was going to let him have it. Oh yeah, I did.

TFG: Now I can tell by Twitter that you are an across-the-board football fan.  How did you become such a big fan and what is your favorite team, other than the Bears of course?

KH: I became a football fan as a young girl, probably about nine or ten.  I have six older brothers, all of whom played football, and it was kind of mandatory that you watch football in our house.  At that age I was watching the Cowboys because we’re from Arkansas and the closest NFL team to us was the Cowboys.  Those were the years of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, all those guys.

I liked football then but took a little hiatus once I got older.  I didn’t get back into it until I met Chris because I was more into college football.  I would say a few years ago, prior to meeting Chris, I really liked the Eagles because I love Donovan McNabb and I still like the Eagles, but by default I have to call myself a Bears fan.

TFG: Now I was reading the wonderful article Essence.com did on your recent wedding and it described your relationship as kicking off via Facebook.  I want to know what Chris said to you in that initial Facebook message.

KH:  It actually started before Facebook, with My Space. It was about two years prior, just very casually with a ‘hey, what’s up, how’ve you been?’ I think at the time he was playing with the Bears before he got traded to Carolina.  He was with the Bears I think the year they went to the Super Bowl, so on his wall it said lots of “Good luck in the Super Bowl” messages. So I didn’t need to ask him what he was doing, so I simply replied and told him I was good.  That was it.

But then two years ago, he sent me a friend request on Facebook with another ‘hey, how are you?’ message, and I again told him I was good and left it alone.  But then I saw he had a status saying he was bored or something. and I said ‘be careful because they say online is the devil’s workshop.’  From that point on he started sending me messages and putting things on my wall. Chris and I wound up IM’ing on the Facebook chat for about two months. We would set a time to chat and didn’t exchange phone numbers for two months. We’d just chat on Facebook for hours every night.

TFG: Ah, modern love! I think we need to share your story with (Facebook Founder) Mark Zuckerberg.

TFG: Moving on, now after you realized you and Chris were soul mates and would be together forever, what were some of your preconceived notions about being married to an NFL player?

KH:  I was very skeptical, even dating one. When we were talking on Facebook, it was strictly platonic, even the first time I visited him in Charlotte and for the first five months really.  He knew my reservations about dating athletes; actually I was both anti-athlete and musician.  I never had a bad experience, that was just my preference. You just hear all these stories, and as a woman you think ‘I’m not even going to deal with that.’ Then he suggested we try it and if it didn’t work we could just be friends. We started dating, and about four months later he proposed. Even leading up to our wedding I was willing to wait.

It’s obviously a lot you have to deal with, outside of the emotional aspect of him getting injured. You have to deal with the women.  They are cutthroat. Women in general are cutthroat.  I think women are more competitive than guys.  I’m lucky to have a guy that’s completely honest with me, that’s my best friend, that respects our marriage and respects me as his wife. That has really calmed me and calmed whatever reservations I had regarding marrying an athlete.

TFG: When you refer to the other women, are you talking about women that want to date athletes for the wrong reasons?

KH:  Oh yeah, definitely. The groupies.  Any professional athlete has his own set of groupies; I tell people this all the time.  Men who are successful with a lot of money.  You have a lot of women that see that side of it, and they don’t care about anything else. They just want someone to take care of them, or who they can be with for status purposes.  You hear about all these athletes cheating on their wives – those are the women I’m talking about that don’t care if the guy is married. They think, ‘I’m still going to see if I can make him leave his wife and be with me,’ not understanding it never works out that way. That was one of the reservations I had.

I mean, you see all these guys in the media and I don’t think these guys are superhuman, so I think some of them fall victim to temptation. I don’t think they intentionally go into a marriage thinking they’re going to cheat on their wife, but at the same time they need to keep their guard up.  Like I said with Chris, I feel completely comfortable with Chris, trusting him 110% and the decision he’s made in our relationship.  And even beforehand.  As I said, he’s my best friend and he tells me when those girls say those things to him and we just laugh about it together.

TFG: You wrote a great guest post on Chris’s blog, hitmanharris.com, about going through the first training camp.  Overall, what was the experience like for you guys and do you think the time apart brought you closer together, especially being newlyweds?

KH: I think for me, I basically spent that time moving from Charlotte to Chicago, so I kept myself busy, but it was those nights by myself that were tough.  And I didn’t get a chance to talk to him all day. He’d call me around noon and we’d chat for literally ten minutes, and he’d call me at the end at like 10:30 and we’d talk for 15 minutes.   Because he was so tired practicing, his conversation was so blah.  I’d have to tell him to just go to bed.  I think that time apart brought us closer together and more appreciative of each other.

TFG: What are some of your plans moving forward?  Being married to an NFL player opens up a lot of doors and you don’t seem like the type of woman who would be content staring at your walls every day.  So any plans you can divulge?

KH: Prior to meeting and marrying Chris I was working as a stockbroker in Nashville and I had done it for five years. When I moved to Charlotte in March, I was thinking he was going to be with the Panthers.  It’s banking central over there, so of course I could find a job doing finance in this city. But in May, he was traded. So it kind of makes you put those things on hold.  Right now, I’m still doing day trading for our own personal account.  I keep my son at home with me, and he certainly keeps me on my toes. And I’m working on getting Chris’s foundation started up and established.  Hopefully we’ll have it up and running by the end of this year. Once he’s done playing, maybe I can jump back into my career.  But it’s here now because my career requires me to stay in one place in terms of setting up a clientele.

TFG: How closely are you guys following the CBA negotiations?  Obviously you’re directly affected if Chris loses his health care in March and there’s a lockout.  Do you ever discuss this and what do you guys think is going to happen ultimately?

KH: Oh, We talk about it constantly because we have to mindful of those things, especially given this economy we’re in.  We have to cut back on spending and make sure we have enough to cover our living expenses for next year.  He might not have a salary next year.  Most of the guys think the lockout is going to come next season; they’re about 80% convinced they’re not going to have a job next season. I personally don’t think it’s going to happen.  But then again, you saw what happened in baseball and the fan backlash.  A lot of businesses will feel the wrath of not having football – sports bars, apparel outfits, businesses by the stadiums.  I’m praying it doesn’t happen but the guys really think it will.

Right now we’re taking the necessary steps we need to prepare.  But the guys I feel worse for are these young guys, one or two years in. They haven’t had an opportunity to save, and they’re coming right out of college with a natural instinct to spend. They’re not going to be able to maintain these new homes or cars they’ve bought so they have to go out and get real jobs, some of them. The vets like Chris have financial advisors that put us in a good position so we’ll be fine during this period.

TFG: Very last thing – how about a Bears record prediction?

KH: Oh man, I think we’ll go 13-3.  I think our stiff competition will come from Green Bay when we play them there the last game of the season. Also, New England and I think Miami will bolster a little competition as well.  Minnesota , I’m not really convinced they’re a really solid team yet.

TFG:  Well thank you so much for the time.  Look forward to seeing your foundation work.

KH:  Thank you.

The post FFG: Kenetria Harris appeared first on The Football Girl.