I had the great fortune of witnessing the pageantry of the NFL Draft live and in living color back in April of 2006. You know. That was the draft that started with the Mario Williams bombshell and included college football heroes & seemingly Canton-ready superstars Reggie Bush, Vince Young and Matt Leinart. It was an exciting sight to behold, nonetheless. The fans are revved up and face-painted and lined up around the block. That isn't to say that you're not fired up at home. You're just a little less likely to throw on the ill-fitting jersey if you're sitting at home alone (just a tad), but there's no shame in your game if you're attending the event with a throng of thousands.

For this year's event, the family and I are doing a mini-tour of the San Francisco area. I've shaken a number of hands and kissed a few babies to recruit members of team Harmon. Hey, all canvassing for office begins with hitting up co-workers, former co-workers, family and friends. I still saw a number of fans decked out in their team colors. Raider Fan was fired up at the local Starbucks this morning. Decked out in a No. 80 RICE jersey, he was praying for a receiver, and went off about the legend that would be MICHAEL CRABTREE as a member of the silver & black (he would later settle for another speedy receiver). After getting a little green tea in me (you need tranquility in this action-packed day while toting toddlers), I bid the Raider Fan adieu and strolled back to pick up the family. I passed a gentleman sporting a Denver Broncos jacket with logos that made my mind race back to the days of Sammy Winder. Would Josh McDaniels add another running back like the former coach in the Mile High City (yes. will he commit to Knowshon Moreno?) The last fan I spotted during the short journey was wearing a light blue jersey, or at least that's all I could make out. As I approached the car he was loading, I noticed that the sweater was actually teal, and that he'd leaned back into the car to don his Sharks helmet (a modified hard hat with a Great White shark-type topper). Phenomenal stuff! It was good to see some pucks love mixed therein.

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The draft itself kicked off without a whole lot of intrigue. Matthew Stafford, as had been widely reported, donned his Lions cap and grinned for pictures seemingly forever. He was later joined by tight end Brandon Pettigrew from Oklahoma State. The Stafford pick can be debated for years - should they have taken a lineman? or Sanchez? In the end, I believe they needed to attach a new face to the franchise. Get a player who can usher in a new era with Coach Schwartz and get this team moving forward. The Pettigrew pick gives the Lions a solid tight end who should probably contribute right away, and who could become a spot fantasy starter in his rookie season. However, I was left wondering why there wasn't an offensive lineman on the table here? I did like to see them circle back and draft a potential game-changer/enforcer in the secondary with Western Michigan safety Louis Dlmas. He can flat-out hit.

Jason Smith of the Baylor Bears (some positivity for the Bears!) was the seemingly obvious pick for St. Louis. They needed a new force on the offensive line to protect long-term contract holder Marc Bulger.

The Chiefs were a bit of a wild card at No. 3 and opted for Tyson Jackson out of LSU, the second straight LSU D-Lineman to come their way in the first round (Glenn Dorsey in 2008). I would have liked to have seen an offensive tackle here to protect newly-signed Matt Cassel, but that's just me.

The Seahawks offered the first real punctuation mark of the first day. In a spot where USC's Mark Sanchez and Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree were still available, the team opted to build defensively withe Aaron Curry out of Wake Forest. There's absolutely nothing to dislike about the pick. The NFC West is up for grabs (sorry AZ fans), and he can contribute immediately.

At pick No. 5, the New York Jets pulled off the deal with Cleveland that had to be made. They didn't trade for Cleveland's discarded QB. No, they traded up to the five hole and grabbed charasmatic draft season darling Mark Sanchez. He's played in the bright lights of Los Angeles and has mingled with Hollywood stars for quite awhile now (the LA Mayor is probably on his speed dial), so he shan't be shell-shocked by the Big Apple. After the big trade that sent Jets fans into a frenzy, the draft started to wobble on the tracks a bit.

In the No. 7 slot, Al Davis and the Raiders tried to take the train off of the tracks with the selection of speedster Darrius Heyward-Bey out of Maryland. True to form, Davis and his staff went for speed, speed and more speed with Heyward-Bey, who turned in ridiculous 40-yard dash times. He's still got some issues with consistency, but can certainly run under the deep ball from JaMarcus Russell. This one is going to be debated for quite some time. In fact, I'll hit it back later in the week. The irony in Davis's decision to forego the selection of Crabtree is that he was still up on the board when the 49ers picked 10th overall. They'll be forever linked and their histories intertwined. Which player will lead his team back to the promised land?

The Bills rolled the dice in a big way at No. 11 with Aaron Maybin. He's a raw, young talent from Penn State who could help pick up the pressure for Dick Jauron's defense. If the pick hits, then the QBs of the AFC East are in trouble.

 As expected, the Eagles added a speed receiver in Jeremy Maclin out of Missouri. Somewhere, Donovan McNabb flashed his most expensive smile.

The Vikings also added a speed receiver with Percy Harvin, who has been the subject of intense scrutiny during the final weeks of draft preparation. He helps shore up the receiving corps (and return game) alongside Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian.

 I liked the Tampa Bay pick-up of Josh Freeman to give the team a potential franchise quarterback. Jon Gruden battled for years with a revolving door of options. With Jeff Garcia off to Oakland, the 6-foot-6 Freeman might step in immediately.

The Colts drafted for need (and speed) late in the first round with the selection of Donald Brown. With Joseph Addai seemingly always dinged-up and Dominic Rhodes off to Buffalo, the selection of a running back seemed fairly obvious. The fact that Beanie Wells was passed over (foot injury hangover?) was a bit of a surprise, but nobody can question the Brown pick.

The Giants didn't execute a deal for a receiver on Day One, but they did have the luck of Hakeem Nicks falling into their laps at No. 29. He's got good size and speed to immediately crack Tom Coughlin's lineup.

Tennessee also landed the tall receiver they wanted, but didn't get, when Torry Holt signed in Jacksonville. Kenny Britt stands 6-foot-4 and runs a 4.45-second 40-yard dash. He's pretty polished and will make a nice third option alongside Justin Gage and deep threat Nate Washington.

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 I'm still marinating the picks of round 2. I liked the aggressiveness of the Dolphins to snag Pat white, and I'm still a bit shocked that Rey Maualuga fell to No. 37. I'll write about the USC linebackers more extensively this coming week, but I'm surprised he fell to the Bengals here. He's a complete football player who always seems to be around the ball. Can Maualuga break the streak of rough entries by Cincy linebackers? I'll break down the rest of round 2 and all of Day 2 while doing some Monday ranting.

Until then, I'm off to Fairytale Land. Yeah, that's right.

"Fandemonium" is such a wonderful word. "Director of Fandemonium" sounds like a dream job. You get to make proclamations from your recliner about fan activity and interactions. You decide when a replica jersey must be retired.

How long after a player is released or traded can you honor them with a jersey on your back? Retirements are a different story, of course.

You decide tailgate etiquette.

You make the rules regarding viewing parties and how the remote control is used.

It sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

I logged in to my fantasy baseball squad this morning to switch out a starting pitcher and was met with the image of FOX NFL Sunday analyst Michael Strahan alongside Rob Riggle, correspondent from "The Daily Show." I had to click, particularly after seeing the "Fandemonium" title. I want in.

We remember Strahan's dominance off of the edge, the famous "laying" out/down of Brett Favre (captured brilliantly on the trading card below).

He was always a great guest on BDSSP, willing to offer an opinion and provide more than a few chuckles while also having the ability to laugh at himself. No. 92 has certainly taken more than a few jabs since moving into the Sunday morning slot. With John Madden gone, I suspect that we see more Frank Caliendo hits directed toward the desk this fall.

A quick search demonstrated additional footage, including an out-take video (see the player below). One of the stills shows Strahan working the crowd during the competition. Check out this image. Note the cardboard cut-out on the left side of the image showing the exaggerated Strahan features including the trademark gap. He's a man of the people!

 Naturally, one of his lines in the ad caught my ear and made me do a double-take.

"You got a big head. You think there's something in it?"

I'm all about promoting those in the FOX family. Check out some of Strahan's antics alongside Rob Riggle of "The Daily Show." I'm going to have a "Growl-Off" the next time I hit the video studio.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQAlnbtZqJY

"Drop it like it's hot!"

Am I alone in remembering the Simpsons' episode where Homer goes into witness protection at Terror Lake and goes under the surname "Thompson?"

They even re-did the opening credits with a shot of Terror Lake and "The Thompsons" cloud.

I couldn't help but laugh when I heard Isaiah Thomas's introduction to FIU yesterday. "Isaiah Thompson?" Really? You get a true HOF player as the coach, and you butcher his name?  Perhaps he voted against the hire and that was his way ot voicing his displeasure.

It sent me flying back to Homer and the gang. OK, what doesn't?

FIU is somewhat of a witness protection job for Isaiah. It gets him out of the NBA and national spotlight and lets him rebuild his resume and career. Thomas will surface again on the other side. Take the time away and let the heat of the NY debacle die down.

I suppose we shouldn't be shocked, but word came down this morning that legendary broadcaster and pitchman John Madden will hang up his microphone.

The news came down on Dan Patrick's radio show on FOX Sports Radio, and Patrick appeared to be shaken a bit by the news. Madden is known as a pitchman and, of course, for the iconic video game series that sports his name.

For me, Madden's signature gutteral utterances were the true signal that the new NFL season had arrived. I'm a bit sullen by the news.

I suppose it had to happen at some point. Perhaps the passing of legendary Philadelphia broadcaster Harry Kalas (at 73, the was the last piece of the puzzle to push Madden to his decision. I had always assumed that I'd hear his trademark "Boom!" forever and that we'd learn of his passing en route to another big Sunday night matchup.

Madden joins Brett Favre in retirement, a player with whom he is forever linked, if only through the work of FOX's Frank Caliendo.

Chris Collinsworth jumps into the booth with Al Michaels. I enjoy Collinsworth's style, pulling no punches while breaking down the technical aspects of the game.

My thanks to Mr. Madden for his contributions to the NFL and our American culture. His voice will forever be a part of our NFL experience.

For all of the fans of the early renderings of the Madden game ---

"Where'd that truck come from?"

Hello, everybody.

Every now and then, an opportunity crosses my desk (appears in my inbox) to close the gap between the fantasy world we play in each and every day and the real-life people, promotions and components that make up the real sports landscape. My hope is to build that bridge, helping to inform, educate and entertain (both you and myself) when those opportunities present themselves.

I recently had such a chance following the announcement of the NFL's rule tweaks for 2009. The topic is one near and dear to all players, coaches, trainers and moms and dads everywhere. I knew many kids growing up who were kept off of the gridiron because of their parents' concern about their safety, usually when it came to headgear. That's what intrigued me about the DVD and information packet that came into my mailbox from Xenith.

Who didn't get their proverbial "bell rung" at least once?

The data available about concussions and their long-term impacts is staggering. Merril Hoge, Troy Aikman and Steve Young's issues have been well-chronicled, and Eric Lindros's promising career was held back because of frequent concussions he sustained on the ice. How many more went un-diagnosed?

Lindros's career served as an inspiration to Dr. Vin Ferrara, a former second-team All-Ivy quarterback for Harvard in the mid-90's who has made improving helmet technology the focus of his career. Dr. Ferrara's company, Xenith, has been outfitting players for a couple seasons while his product underwent continual testing.

Late last week, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Ferrara about the technology, its benefits and the risks undertaken by players on the football field of all ages.

Check out the podcast:

http://www.switchpod.com/f119774.html?puser=none

A companion write-up with more information on the schematics and development of the product and its specs will be available in this space later in the week.