Helllloooooo 'Zona!

The Northeast (our crew) and the rest of the world sports media has picked up and moved in to its new home for the next 9 days.

Scottsdale, Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe... take your city. They're all in it together when it comes to the hosting duties of the Super Bowl. We arrived late (eastern time) last night and here to greet us was Mother Nature doing her best performance of "I'm Going To Rain In A City That Never Rains... Ever." Thankfully it has all cleared up and while they say it should rain a bit more tonight, hopefully that is the end of that.

Arizona and I have never met before. Today, we both agreed it was long overdue. The second I saw palm trees I knew this would be a lasting friendship. Yet I still can't get over how you can be driving along on the highway, on totally flat land mind you, and out of nowhere a huge rock appears. I'm talking "Is that a mountain?" looking kind of rock. These things take time.

This might be the nicest, friendliest and happiest state I've ever been to. Hospitality is known to have been invented by the Southerners. Arizonians however have mastered it. Not one person allows you to walk by without a smile, a friendly hello or (as in never an occurrence in NYC) eye contact!! So far it seems as though citizens of the area, regardless of their feelings towards sports, have embraced this week and all it brings (good and bad) to the place they call home.

Pats got here on Sunday. Giants avoided a premature meeting in the airport and arrived here today. Every sportscaster has been giving their predictions since... the second Giants kicker L. Tynes made the field goal in OT against the Packers. It's just the beginning.

Folks, Media Day kicks off tomorrow and Gregg Rosenthal, Tom Curran and I will be there. With Bells On!