Eric Berry on Tim Tebow and Deion Sanders at NFL Draft

This NFL Draft installment (thanks to the Inn at Irving Place, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of The World brand) comes from The NFL Draft Red Carpet - When Kansas City Chiefs NFL 1st Round Draft Pick Eric Berry was in high school he had the chance to meet NFL Legend Deion Sanders, but according to Pro Football Talk, Sanders "dissed" Berry, refusing the teenager's request.

When this blogger saw the PFT post, using video to have Eric Berry confirm or deny the claim seemed like a good idea. Eric Berry confirmed it on camera while making his way along the NFL Red Carpet before the start of The 2010 NFL Draft: "I don't want to call it dissing me or whatever. I grew up looking up to him. I just wanted an autograph. It was like 'dang'; it did hurt my feelings. I was in high school going to college and he was one of the player I loved to watch."

Berry explained that Deion Sanders has "said good things" about him on The NFL Network, but to that point had not openly apologized to him, at least there's no official record of such online. While at Radio City Music Hall, I saw a telecast of the NFL Network where Deion Sanders had mentioned Berry's complaint to fellow NFL Legend, Steeler great Rod Woodson, but there has not been a single search-friendly post to show that Deion gave Berry the "love" he deserves.

As for Tim Tebow, who Berry will face twice a year as Tebow plays for the Denver Broncos, Berry said Tebow was the player he's hit the hardest, but "I don't know what I was thinking. He definitely brings a load."

It will be a load of fun to watch them in years to come.

Rock the Casbah!

Jillian Michaels and Anthony Mackie on NFL Red Carpet

Anthony Mackie

This NFL Draft installment (thanks to the Inn at Irving Place, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of The World brand) comes from The NFL Draft Red Carpet - As part of its new primetime focus, the National Football League's 2010 NFL Draft had a Oscar like "red carpet" that has been mentioned in this space. But even after the NFL Draft, there's a vast amount of video to install. (No, the timing's not bad because the name keywords that are the personalities will become important at various points in time over the next few years.)

This video shows Jillian Michaels and her publicist having a kind of tug-of-war over whether to approach Jillians' adoring fans dressed in the latest Washington Redskins fanatic fashion. Jillian's followed by The Hurt Locker's Anthony Mackie, who played "Sergeant JT Sanborn."

Mackie, who's already well-recognized career got a booster with the Academy Award Best Picture win of The Hurt Locker, said that life was great: "I have a movie coming out in July called The Adjustment Bureau, and I'm on Broadway right now doing A Behanding in Spokane, so life is good."

I asked if The Hurt Locker was the kind of movie for which a sequel could be made. The ending of the Iraq War film was controversial, with "Sergeant First Class William James" (Jeremy Renner) returning to Iraq and to the same horrifying practice of bomb diffusion he presumably wanted to get away from. Mackie's answer was a definite "no:" "On no. Oh, we can. It's called 'Still Hurt'," he said with a chuckle.

Something tells me we're going for another round of The Hurt Locker.

Stay tuned.

Jenna Jameson domestic violence charge against Tito Ortiz - by Suzannah B. Troy

There is so much violence towards women and children and much goes unreported but not this story.  Jenna Jameson is taking action against her boyfriend who is a professional fighter and weighs over a 100 pounds more than she does...apparently he left bruises and Jameson is pressing charges.


Jameson is a ground breaking porn star who went from super star porn star to media mogul.  She sold Club Jenna to Playboy for mega-bucks although she won't disclose the exact amount.

She has twins boys with Ortiz but the bliss is over.   She called 911 and is pressing domestic abuse charges against her boyfriend Tito Ortiz, a UFC fighter, and father of the twins.






Tmz provides his and hers video.  Above his and here is the link to see Jenna with her Dad being interviewed by TMZ.  http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=7a9733bd-fff5-41b9-b3ec-130a1bd10dc7




She has had so much plastic surgery her face is almost unrecognizable which can be called "The Michael Jackson syndrome".

She is articulate and a savvy businesswoman.   I can't imagine she will be staying in this relationship.

Here is the link for information on the violent dispute.
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/04/26/2010-04-26_jenna_jamesons_boyfriend_tito_ortiz_charged_with_beating_her_up.html


And  who would not want to re-visit Oprah's interview with Jenna.   Oprah is like me when addressing adult issues so here is her interview with Jenna and it states for adult audience.
http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Porn-Star-Jenna-Jamesons-Career-and-Family/print/1



I am glad Jenna Jameson is pressing charges and I hope she inspires more women to step forward as well.

Stop the violence towards women!

Melissa Rycroft gives Tye Strickland Las Vegas weekend

Apparently someone's still buying in Las Vegas. It's was reported in US Magazine that Melissa Rycroft gave her husband of four month Tye Strickland a Las Vegas vacation. A weekend at the $1.8 billion Palazzo resort hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas welcomes the business and the publicity. Hotel revenues have been down, as low as 4 percent at the MGM Mirage and the Las Vegas gaming business is weak, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

Melissa Rycroft's a 27-year-old Entertainment Tonight correspondent and former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. When she's not on ET, she also contributes to Good Morning America.

Craigslist size makes it mirror of society for better or worse

It's often that Craigslist, the website started by my friend and fellow blogger Craig Newmark, is visited, but it's not often that Craigslist become the most searched for keyword online. Today it is, and by a bunch.

There are three stories about Craigslist, and none of them having to do with actions the website itself has taken, but what others have done on it. Craigslist has become an online city, of sorts, reflecting both the good and bad of American (primarily) society.

In one story today, from The Wall Street Journal, a father, Joshua Stagnitto of Brooklyn, NY, tried to, of all things, sell his kids on Craigslist:

“Selling my kids on the Craigslist black market. I have two kids, two and one year old.”

In the other story today, The San Jose Mercury News is reporting that Oakland, California police are warning people about Craigslist robberies because there's been what the publication calls a "spate" of violent robberies done after someone posted an ad on the website.

This isn't something that pleases Craig Newmark, who in an interview with this blogger on the Future of Media (and worth seeing), said that Craigslist focus is customer service...



Craig doesn't like to talk about these problems on the record, but as a friend, I know off the record it bothers him and he's taken steps to curb the negative behavior that goes on in some areas of the site. Still, given the nature of the website, it's hard to perfectly manage. Craigslist draws hundreds of thousands, and at times millions of visitors a day.

But the last bit of Craigslist news of the day is that the site makes more money considering its staff size than any other site. That's not a bad thing: it means Craigslist is doing something right: being efficient.

Rock the Casbah!

Jerry Rice - NFL Hall of Famer's advice to rookies (video)

New York, NY - San Francisco 49ers (and Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, and Denver Broncos) NFL Hall of Fame Inductee Wide Receiver Jerry Rice shared his advice to 2010 NFL Draft rookies, especially those coming to The San Francisco Bay Area.

Rice says rookies should just "enjoy the moment. But also you've got to realize that if you're the 1st round draft choice, or the top five or top ten (pick) you've got to realize there's a lot expect of you. You're going to have to conduct yourself the right way to represent the NFL."

He added that choosing the right friends is important because "Everyone around you, basically, is not good for you. If they don't have your best interest at heart, they're not good for you."

There's a cultural adjustment that young black athletes from the South have to make in the diverse, pretentious, pedantic, self-important Bay Area that some times makes for an unhappy growth period.

Jerry Rice's said the best thing to do is, "just be yourself, man." Then Rice continued "Don't try to be someone else. I had that problem when I first went in (to the Bay Area). I'm a country boy. The way I talk. The way I do. And I had some people say 'Well I think you need to do this. You need to do that.' And then I lost myself for a second and then went back to being just that plain country boy."

The Country Boy Jerry Rice will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in July. It's a well-deserved honor for the greatest NFL player in history.

Stay tuned.

What Happened to Bret Michaels? - update

"What Happened to Country Music Singer Bret Michaels?" is the concern of America in the wake of The 75th NFL Draft. Bret Michaels, a guest on Celebrity Apprentice, is in critical condition as this blog post is written, according to his Facebook page. This is the statement:

Everyone at Michaels Entertainment would like to thank all fans and friends for their continued thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.

At this point Bret remains in ICU in critical condition. He is under 24 hour doctors care and supervision. We are hopeful that further tests will locate the source of the bleeding, which has still not been located. As we all know Bret is a fighter and we are hopeful that once all is complete the slurred speech, blurred vision and dizziness, etc. will be eliminated and all functions will return to normal.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Bret Michaels suffered a massive brain hemorrhage Thursday night, specifically bleeding at his brain stem, according to TMZ.com.

Michaels was a star on Celebrity Apprenticethis year.

2010 NFL Draft: Mr. Irrelevant Paul Salata wraps up the draft

New York, NY - The 2010 NFL Draft was history as Mr. Irrelevant Paul Salata announced that Tim Toone was the 255th and last selection of the Draft. Some brief thoughts as this blogger gets ready to leave New York City.

First, this was the best and smoothest NFL Draft I've had in the six years I've attended these events as part of the media. This all started as a kind of New Media experiment that at times took the NFL off guard with my live webcam show in 2007 and camcorders in 2006, but they're all used to that now, so it's easy for me to work.

The matter of who had the best Draft I've not come to a final conclusion but for now, it's the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders made economically smart draft picks, and did not overreach for anyone. They massively improved their defense and got a speed-burner wide receiver. Plus, they got another experienced quarterback in Jason Campbell. On paper, the Oakland Raiders are a much better team. I can't wait for 2010.

The 2010 NFL Draft players were all really nice and for the second time in as many years. The emphasis on character is showing in a group of men that really are people you like and respect.

More on that later. Still more videos to post!

Stay tuned.

The Inn at Irving Place luxury hotel best in New York City

New York, NY - The 2010 NFL Draft is history and the Zennie62 coverage and the trip would not have been a reality except for The Inn at Irving Place, a part of The Small Luxury Hotels of The World brand. The Inn at Irving Place is at 56 Irving Place in New York's Gramercy Park neighborhood. It's more like a bed-and-breakfast in the middle of Manhattan as you can see in my video at the 7:22 mark:



If you're planning a trip to New York, and I don't state this just because they've hosted this blogger, stay here. The Inn at Irving Place staff treated me like family.

My room, called Stanford White for you Cal Alums, was a welcome place to spend time making videos, writing blog posts, drinking wine, or just sleeping. I spent more time here than I have in any other hotel. When I had the choice, I stayed in my room. It's that comfortable.

What I also recommend is making reservations for their popular afternoon tea, and doing so days in advance, which I should have done. But next time.

The other gems here are the Vegan restaurant Pure Food and Wine which is just below The Inn, on the left and the Martini Bar I tweeted about and visited on the right. I took my friend Mediatite Editor-At-Large Rachel Sklar to lunch at Pure Food and Wine and both of us - she Vegan, me not - loved the place. All together 56 Irving Place makes for the best stay I've ever had. I mean that.

If you're coming to New York for the first TechCrunch Disrupt conference. Stay here.

Stay tuned.

Jillian Michaels wants NFL Football in LA (video)

New York, NY - Super woman Jillian Michaals was on The NFL's first Red Carpet as part of the primetime version of the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall Thursday night. With her publicist in tow (or was towing her, I can't tell), Michaels met the media, including this blogger for the second time that week.

(What was funny in the video was that her publicist wasn't sure if she could go over to sign autographs, but Jillian did so anyway.)

Michaels said she's becoming an NFL football fan and informs that she did not grow up with football because Los Angeles did not have a team (or maybe she wasn't paying attention when the Raiders were in LA because she was, maybe in her early teens at the time).

 Whatever the case, Jillian Michaels wants NFL Football in LA, and loudly said so in the video.

I told her about what Ed Roski was doing to bring NFL Football to LA, as explained to me here at The Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party in Miami:



So now, Ed should call Jillian and make her a spokesperson or vice versa. The website is Los Angeles Football Stadium.com

Stay tuned.

Sexy Jillian Michaels on strong women (video)

This NFL Draft installment (thanks to the Inn at Irving Place, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of The World brand) comes from New York, Central Park and the NFL Play 60 event - Sexy Jillian Michaels, star of The Biggest Loser, was a guest of The NFL as part of their NFL Draft festivities including the NFL Play 60 event.

When Jillian wasn't talking about fitness tips she was hobnobbing (or is it flirting?) with some of the NFL's future stars. Michaels stopped to talk to this blogger about why strong women like herself were suddenly mainstream in society.

Michaels says the younger generation sets the tone for this change with "women like Venus and Serena" and in politics Madeline Albright and Condoleezza Rice visible and active. "Having strong women in every field whether its athletics or politics or medicine has been a huge source of motivation."

Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels does not think men are the problem when it comes to any remaining lack of acceptance of strong women, and says her guy friends are supportive, but points to women not supporting each other as "the last frontier of feminism," saying, "It's up to us girls to get behind each other. Support each other." Michaels then says that is happening, just that it needs to happen more often and is a big part of why strong women are more mainstream.

Jillian Michaels points to California First Lady Maria Shriver and TV personality Suze Orman as her mentors (Notice the Republican references? well Maria's really a Democrat but her husband California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is Republican.)

Michaels herself makes efforts to help women in the entertainment industry and in sports and "make sure that I'm there for them."

Jillian Michaels' big break

Jillian Michaels said the opportunity for The Biggest Loser was brought to her and she really didn't want to do it because she hated the name of the show and didn't want to do reality TV.

Now that The Biggest Loser is a success, she says there are some of the players she's kept in touch with out of the hundreds of people, like her favorites Julie Haddon, Michelle Aguillar, and Sam from Season Nine who's "still in the mix."

Jillian Michaels' is fun

Jillian Michaels was an NFL Draft great time and a ball of energy who loves to connect with people. I personally did not know about her controversial statements about pregnancy, where she said "I can't handle doing that to my body," but this blogger knows a number of women might agree with her. Some women fear childbirth. At 36, perhaps it's Jillian's compensating for not finding the right relationship, settling down, and starting a family. Some women adopt. Just a guess. But then I'm a guy.

Whatever the case, and as you will see in the next post, Jillian's a fun-loving person who loves to connect with people.

Rock the Casbah!

Tiki Barber on The NFL Draft, NY Giants, and an NFL lockout (video)

This NFL Draft installment (thanks to the Inn at Irving Place, part of the Small Luxury Hotels of The World brand) comes from New York, Radio City Music Hall - New York Giants Football Legend Tiki Barber took time to talk with "Dr. Football" and Football Reporters Online and NFL Business New Blog Managing Partner Bill Chachkes and this blogger as video-blogger on the state of New York Giants Running Backs after the 2010 NFL Draft.

Barber and Chackhes

After being drafted in the second round ("almost first" he said to Chachkes) from Virginia in 1997, New York Giants Running Back Tiki Barber retired at the end of the 2006 postseason as the Giants all time leader in yards rushing and catches.

Barber almost immediately rose to media stardom as a correspondent for NBC's Today Show and Football Night in America. Barber is a legend among NY Giants fans, so it was fitting that one of New York's biggest Giants fans, Bill Chachkes talked to Tiki.

Barber was at the NFL Draft representing Yahoo! Sports and "just covering what's going on here," he said. "Feeling the vibe of some of the teams."

Barber observes that the NFL's "hype-filled" machine works to raise an incredible level of interest and awareness of the NFL Draft and builds the expectations of the college players and fans to equally high levels.

The NFL Draft Running Back Class

Tiki thinks there are "four or five guys" who are going to make it; he named four: San Diego Chargers' Ryan Matthews, Buffalo Bills' C.J. Spiller (who both Chachkes and Barber thought would be a New York Giant), Detroit Lions' Jahvid Best, and Minnesota Viking's Running Back Toby Gerhart.

On Gerhert: "he goes to Minnesota. Watch Adrian Peterson run. He pounds people, but he's a finess guy, a speed guy. Now with Toby Gerhart, they're going to have a formidable rushing attack. It's exciting to see what's happening with the Vikings. Now, defenses are never going to get a break. Adrian's more of a slasher-type running back. Toby? He wants to be bloodied.

Barber compared C.J. Spiller to himself:"He can return kicks. He's going to be used on 3rd down. Then they'll line him in the "I" and get some every-down carries."

Barber thinks the NFL's close to a 2011 Lockout

Asked about the possibility of a labor strike or "lockout", Barber answered in the affirmative: "It's a lot more dire than people want to pay attention to. The league and the players are very far apart in their demands and their comprehension of the issues is so completely different. And until something can bring them closer together we're in significant danger of having a lockout."

Barber and Bill agree that a lockout would wreck the NFL, much as it did hockey in America. Barber asserts that America will not be sympathetic to the needs of "athletes making tons of money."

Bill and I thank Tiki for taking the time to make this video at the NFL Draft.

Stay tuned.