Hi, NFL Fans!

Can you believe we are halfway through the NFL season already? It seems like just yesterday I was announcing a draft pick in New York City and meeting Fergie at the NFL Kickoff in Pittsburgh. Time flies when you’re busy spreading Fandemonium across the globe!

I can’t think of another NFL season when there have been so many teams dominating the league. I mean, eight teams are 6-2 or better and two of those teams are undefeated. Consequently, that means there are some really bad teams, too (you know who you are but don’t worry – it can only get better!).

Individually we have seen some incredible performances this season, as well. How about Cedric Benson out of Cincinnati leading the league in yards rushing, or Steve Smith (the other one in a Giants uniform) with nine catches over 20 yards and 600-plus yards receiving? The QB position hasn’t been too surprising with Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and (my man) Brett Favre leading their teams to a combined 23-1 record. All true professionals.

Speaking of true professionals, I recently had the opportunity to sit down with one of the classiest men in the NFL, Super Bowl champion, and former Walter Payton Man of the Year winner, Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, to discuss this season’s highs and lows:

Director of Fandemonium: Bus, which team has been the biggest surprise for you this season, good or bad?

Jerome Bettis: The New Orleans Saints. I’m really surprise how well they are playing on defense. The two key factors [have been] Darren Sharper and Drew Brees.

DOF: Who’s your midseason MVP, top rookie, and top comeback player?

Bettis: Drew Brees-MVP, Percy Harvin-rookie, Cedric Benson-comeback player.

DOF: Okay, last question, Mr. Bettis. Which team is taking home the Vince Lombardi Trophy this year?

Bettis: [It’s a] toss-up between the Steelers, Indy and New England in the AFC, and Minnesota, New Orleans or Philly in the NFC.

There you have it, NFL fans, the official Monster Midseason Breakdown straight from the legend himself. Be sure to become a fan at www.facebook.com/fandemonium and apply for my job at nfl.monster.com. There is only one week left to apply for the best job in the NFL! We’ve also added some cool features on the web site, including career information and access to jobs. More pics and videos from the Department of Fandemonium coming soon!

Aloha,
Onyx Herrera
Monster Director of Fandemonium

Fans will get the chance to see a special halftime show this Thanksgiving, as the NFL, United Way and Motown will collaborate to present A Motown 50th Anniversary Tribute. The show will feature six of the brightest talents from the current roster of Universal Motown Records performing classics from Motown’s All-American songbook.

The Motown tribute will take place during halftime of the first game of the NFL’s Thanksgiving tripleheader, when the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Join 49ers Pro Bowl LB Patrick Willis for a live chat Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET on NFL.com. Submit your questions for Patrick now, and check back in later as he answers your questions on his season, coach Mike Singletary, the outlook for the 49ers and more.

Click here to join the live chat.

Hi again, NFL fans!

Being a native of Hawaii, I crossed two ponds (Pacific and Atlantic) to attend the 2009 International Series game in London between the Patriots and Buccaneers. Not exactly home-field advantage for either team, but your Director wants to see how far real Fandemonium can spread!

At first, I was a bit skeptical about whether a country where “football” isn’t played with your hands could generate the same kind of NFL Fandemonium that we all know and love stateside. What I found were nearly 85,000 fans packed into Wembley Stadium wearing every kind of NFL jersey, hat and scarf you could imagine. Even with a huge “football” game of their own between Liverpool and Man U played earlier in the day, the British crowd was still incredible. I saw fans of bitter NFL rivals happy to show their NFL pride by wearing rival gear. One woman I met, named Cassie, was even wearing a jersey bearing the patches of all 32 teams! Sure, the majority had to ask the closest American sitting near them about the rules, but these fans sure know how to support the NFL game. London gets an enthusiastic thumbs-up for its widespread Fandemonium.

I also had one of the coolest experiences of my life before the game started. I was in the tunnel pre-game with the players helping to hype them up before running onto the field. Imagine those huge, talented athletes ready to go. It was like bulls in a cage! The adrenaline was pumping and I was so excited to be a part of it. I still can’t believe all the access I get as the Director of Fandemonium! This is such a dream job.

Though it was a lopsided victory for the Patriots, a great time was had by all. I even had the privilege of being part of the biggest fan ‘wave’ I have ever seen. That tsunami of Fandemonium lasted nearly 10 minutes! To finish the weekend, on the train ride back to the hotel, I befriended a group of bonny Scots from Ayre who came to London just for the game. They claimed to be big Miami Dolphins fans, even though they live more than 4,000 miles away. That’s commitment!

What a trip! You can check out all my pics and videos on www.facebook.com/fandemonioum and don’t forget to sign up to be the next Director of Fandemonium at www.nfl.monster.com. There are only a few weeks left to apply!

Aloha,
Onyx Herrera
NFL Director of Fandemonium

(Note: Erin Casey from the NFL Events department is one of a handful of NFL employees who arrived in England more than a week before the annual International Series game on Oct. 25 between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Erin will file a series of blog updates this week.)

LONDON — It’s been a rainy day in London, and as result both the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided not to hold their scheduled walkthroughs on the field at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Instead, the teams both used ballroom spaces at their respective hotels. Their operations staffs for both teams still went to the stadium, which is an important detail because soccer and NFL stadiums are set up very differently. Soccer facilities are meant to separate fans, so access for staff and coaches between public areas is not easy, and there are a number of operational differences. For example, most NFL teams ask for approximately 10 coaches to have a bird’s eye view of the field, so a “gantry” is constructed to accommodate them in the upper level. Soccer teams only have a couple of coaches, and they watch from field level.

The Patriots’ practice at The Oval cricket ground on Friday was successful. Approximately 100 media members turned out to interview coach Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady before it began, which was a big coup for our public relations department. Later that evening, the Buccaneers arrived at Heathrow and had a smooth trip into Central London. After having a fantastic “Welcome to London” gala dinner on Thursday night, followed by an exciting conference yesterday, it felt really nice to have the team operations go well, too.

In a few moments we are departing headquarters to go to the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to England, Louis Sussman, where there will be a reception for the teams tonight. It won’t be a late evening since everyone is preparing for the game tomorrow, but it is always a pleasant one.

On Sunday, we will rise early and head to the stadium at around 9 a.m. in preparation for kickoff at 5 p.m. It must sound early, but there is so much to do on game day. Our first priority will be making sure that the tailgate party is ready for the commissioner to tour in the morning before opening for fans at 11 a.m.  We are very excited about the tailgate party, which is a fan festival with a booth for each of our 32 teams, a 3-D cinema and a Hall of Fame museum. There will also be cheerleader performances and a raffle featuring autographed memorabilia from 26 teams. If it goes well, you may see something similar heading to cities in the U.S.

So wish us luck, and tune in tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET, when the anthems and pregame show from Wembley will be broadcast nationally in the U.S.

– Erin Casey

“I’m happy to have my kids home, but sometimes not everything that comes with them,” says Olivia Manning, America’s “first lady of football” and mom to NFL superstars Peyton and Eli Manning. That’s why Olivia Manning has teamed up with Febreze, the leading home freshening brand and the Official Air Freshener of the NFL, to launch www.facebook.com/febreze. With a little help from Febreze products and some expert mom advice, Febreze and Olivia are giving sports fans and moms an official game plan for freshening their homes. Olivia serves as America’s “freshness coach,” offering tips and solutions for everything from getting ready for gameday to getting rid of sweat odors on gear and equipment. The fun doesn’t stop on Facebook either – you can also visit www.FebrezeGameDay.com for a chance to win four tickets to Super Bowl XLIV in South Florida, all compliments of Febreze. Visit the websites to watch Olivia in action.

It doesn’t even matter which team you root for! If you love football or if you’re a busy mom, check out www.facebook.com/febreze throughout the NFL season for fun prizes (free Febreze fabric refresher and jerseys galore!), advice from Olivia and personalized content to keep the home fresh all season long.

Fans looking for tailgating recipe ideas or just in need of fun interaction with other NFL fans can look no further than Facebook. Febreze updates the site daily with great content like football and freshness trivia and fresh plays of the week, but the fans are the ones doing the cool stuff. Moms talk up their gameday cleaning routines, girlfriends chat about NFL team rivalries and people vie for free prizes.

So check out the sites, become a fan and tell your friends. And don’t forget to follow Febreze on Twitter: @Febreze_Fresh.

Derrick Dockery of the Washington Redskins speaks to the media about Breast Cancer Awareness on Capital hill in Washington D.C. on October 21, 2009. (Courtsey of Doug DeMark)

WASHINGTON, D.C – Cancer survivors teamed up with the NFL and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Tuesday for a breast cancer awareness event on Capitol Hill.

Coinciding with October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the NFL has implemented the Crucial Catch Campaign, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, working to save lives from breast cancer by encouraging women to get their yearly mammograms starting at age 40.

The event was hosted by Representative Donna F. Edwards (D-MD), who in her first term has been a vocal champion of the cancer community and consistent supporter of legislation to improve public health. Rep. Edwards also represents the district that includes FedEx Field – home to the Washington Redskins.

Redskins guard Derrick Dockery and his wife Emma told of their connection to breast cancer. Derrick’s mother is a breast cancer survivor and Emma’s mother lost her fight with the disease. They were joined by Tanya Snyder, Crucial Catch spokesperson and wife of Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, who shared her personal story with breast cancer.

“Breast cancer affects one in eight American women and I was one of them last year,” Snyder said. “I am proud to work with the league and the Redskins to remind fans about the importance of annual screenings.”

Throughout October, NFL games are featuring players, coaches and referees wearing pink game apparel to raise awareness for the Crucial Catch campaign, as well as on-field pink ribbon stencils and special K-balls and pink coins. All special pink apparel worn at games by players and coaches as well as the balls and the coins will auctioned off at NFL Auctions, with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society and team charities.

(Note: Erin Casey from the NFL Events department is one of a handful of NFL employees who arrived in England more than a week before the annual International Series game on Oct. 25 between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Erin will file a series of blog updates this week.)

LONDON — With only four days remaining until the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers face each other at Wembley Stadium, it is easy to tell the game is near. The NFL offices at the Landmark Hotel are busy from early in the morning until late at night. Bucs cheerleaders are roaming the hallways, and league executives and assorted team owners have arrived for the Global Sports Summit, which takes place on Friday.

At the Summit, leaders in sport from around the world come together to discuss a variety of topics, such as player salary caps, sponsor partnerships and broadcast deals. The first panel of the day will include former Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, as well as Fabio Capello, Andy Flower and Martin Johnson – head coaches of the English National football (soccer), cricket and rugby teams, respectively. It will be the first time that all three English National coaches have sat together on a panel, which is a very exciting moment here. Also participating in the Summit will be Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, former heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis, San Francisco 49ers owner John York, South Africa’s Minister of Sport and Recreation Makhenkesi Stofile, and NASCAR CEO Brian France, just to name a few.

Thursday evening, there will be a “Welcome to London” gala dinner for VIP Summit guests. Last year, this dinner was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where Princess Diana married Prince Charles. This year, it will be in the Locarno Suite at the Commonwealth Offices. Prior to dinner, Patriots owner Bob Kraft and Buccaneers owners Brian and Joel Glazer will join NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at a special reception at 10 Downing Street, where English Prime Minister Gordon Brownresides, and they will have a chance to sit at Winston Churchill’s old desk.

Despite all of these activities, our primary focus is making sure things are ready for the teams. Tuesday morning, advance representatives from each club arrived. They will spend the rest of the week making their own final preparations. Wednesday, we painted a football field over the cricket “wicket” in London, and built a weight room for the Patriots to use after practice on Friday. We also put up goal posts and nets at Wembley, which is always a fun thing to see. While the Patriots reviewed our work at the cricket stadium, the Buccaneers’ focus was on their hotel and meeting room accommodations. Thursday, both teams will do walk-thrus at the stadium, followed by one last meeting at the airport, and then they’ll try to get some sleep before things really heat up Friday. As for us – we’re off to “scout” a dining location for the commissioner. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!

Wish us luck at the gala dinner Thursday night, and look for a final update on Saturday.

– Erin Casey

(Note: Erin Casey from the NFL Events department is one of a handful of NFL employees who arrived in England more than a week before the annual International Series game on Oct. 25 between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Erin will file a series of blog updates this week, beginning with this one.)

LONDON — After nearly nine months of preparation, the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are only seven days away from playing in the NFL’s third annual game at Wembley Stadium.

At every major event, the NFL operates out of a central location, referred to as headquarters. In London, that is the beautiful Landmark Hotel. Our offices here opened last Wednesday.

It’s hard to imagine all of the work that goes into planning any NFL game, but international games pose unique challenges. The stadiums and practice facilities in London are designed with other sports, such as soccer, rugby and cricket, in mind. The grass is grown and cut differently, the locker rooms are smaller, and they use different weight equipment for strength training. Those may sound like minor differences, but to an NFL coach like Bill Belichick, every detail counts. As you can imagine, there is quite a bit of sensitivity about our 300-pound linemen damaging the most storied and hallowed sporting grounds in England. Our job is to negotiate compromises that preserve the interests of both parties.

During the spring and early summer, we took operations, marketing and security representatives from both teams on tours of multiple sports venues and hotels in the London area to determine which suit their needs best. In the past, teams have chosen Chelsea and Arsenal’s training facilities, WASP’s rugby field, and we have renovated existing fields at countryside hotels — where the English national rugby and soccer teams practice — to match them with NFL standards. When teams decide to travel during the week, and which hotel they choose to stay at, strongly influence the practice site they select. We also try to get to know each other on those trips, and have some fun. It’s very important to have good relationships with team personnel, and we almost always have a lot of laughs. A night of dinner, dancing and drinks at Soho’s “Little Italy” has practically become a rite of passage.

The Pats decided to fly overnight Thursday, arriving first thing Friday morning. They will practice at a cricket ground in London that afternoon and then have a walk-thru at Wembley on Saturday morning. The Bucs, who are the home team, have chosen to fly Friday morning and arrive in London that evening. They will have one walk-thru at Wembley on Saturday afternoon, before the game on Sunday. This means they will stay closer to their usual schedule during the week, but will have less time to acclimate to the time difference. Both teams have chosen five-star hotels on Park Lane in downtown London, near Hyde Park.

Last week, we finished the details and signed any remaining contracts, received and sorted the practice and game equipment that was shipped via ocean freight, submitted the rooming lists, set up the offices at headquarters and reviewed procedures for the team charter arrivals at Heathrow Airport. This weekend, while the Pats and Bucs are playing their Week 6 games, we will paint the field at Wembley and review ticket allocations. On Tuesday, we will switch gears and focus on transforming the cricket ground into an NFL practice site and begin welcoming NFL executives and sponsors to town for the game and its events. It’s sure to be exciting and unpredictable at times – as operations always are. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the week!

– Erin Casey

Monday night’s Jets-Dolphins game in Miami is the culmination of the NFL’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, and it will include a special message from President Barack Obama.

Obama will open the game in stadium and on-air on ESPN’s broadcast with the following taped message:

“Tonight, we’re all looking forward to a great game between the Jets and the Dolphins. But before we kickoff, I want to join the NFL in recognizing another reason to celebrate … Hispanic Heritage Month.

“Tonight, young players like Mark Sanchez and Greg Camarillo follow in the footsteps of legends like Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz, or Joe Aguirra, the first Latino drafted into the NFL in 1941.

“The lives and careers of these great American athletes are a testament to the determination, courage, and teamwork that have always made this country great. They’ve shown young fans across America and around the world that if you dream big enough and work hard enough, there is no limit to what you can achieve.

“Our nation faces extraordinary challenges right now, and our ability to tackle them will depend on our willingness to recognize that we’re all in this together, that we each have an obligation to give back to our communities, and we all have a stake in the future of this country.

“Because, in the end, todos somos Americanos — we are all Americans.

“Thank you, and enjoy the game.”

Before the Buffalo Bills hosted the Chicago Bears in a preseason game at Ralph Wilson Stadium back in August, Guy Fieri of the Food Network took to the parking lot for a tailgate throwdown. Two teams of veteran tailgaters from Buffalo and Chicago squared off in a serious competition. The results can be seen on “Tailgate Warriors,” a one-hour special that will air on the Food Network on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 9 p.m. ET.

As part of the competition, each team had to create a themed menu capturing the spirit of the Buffalo/Chicago game. Teams were required to make one appetizer, two entrees, two sides and a dessert. They were judged on taste, execution and creativity. The food (and their flair) was graded by three judges with years of experience in tailgating, entertaining and eating.

(Shameless plug: One of the judges was Ray Lampe, a.k.a. Dr. BBQ – author of the The NFL Gameday Cookbook.)

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Giants president/CEO John Mara at Giants' Hometown Huddle event on Tuesday. (courtesy: New York Giants)

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and New York Giants president/CEO John Mara joined Giants players Tuesday as the team partnered with the United Way and the Lyndhurst, N.J., school district to install an indoor and outdoor fitness challenge course at Lyndhurst High School. The donation of the course was a reward for the Lyndhurst school district successfully completing the Giants 2009 PLAY 60 Challenge, encouraging their kids to get 30 minutes of active play in school and 30 minutes of active play after school each day.

This appearance was one of many around the country, as NFL players, coaches, and executives spread the word on the importance of health and fitness Tuesday during a league-wide day of service. During the 11th annual NFL-United Way Hometown Huddle, NFL teams rebuilt playgrounds, hosted youth football clinics and helped kids stay active for 60 minutes a day as part of NFL PLAY 60, the league’s youth health and fitness campaign.

“Getting kids active for at least 60 minutes a day is the goal of our PLAY 60 campaign, and we are pleased to be working with United Way on this initiative,” said Goodell.

Just like Brett Favre, a good rivalry never gets old! My NFL dreams came true on Monday night when I flew to Minnesota to watch my Vikings beat up on their divisional rivals, the Green Bay Packers, live in the Metrodome. What an incredible experience, highlighted by Favre’s three TD passes and the stadium-jarring Vikings fans. The ‘dome was definitely OUR HOUSE on Monday Night Football.

I still can’t believe all the cool things I get to do as the Monster.com’s Director of Fandemonium. I’ll be sad to give up this plush gig after the season but… WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR…? Go apply now at www.nfl.monster.com!

Some of the funnier moments on Monday night were seeing grown men torn between their loyalties to the Packers and to Favre. Many had half-Packers, half-Vikings jerseys! They must have been confused. It’s that kind of Fandemonium that makes a good rivalry so special. Those guys made me think of some other great NFL rivalries, so here is my Top 5 list of all-time NFL rivals. Drop me a line at www.facebook.com/fandemonium or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/monsterdof and let me hear your thoughts:

5) N.Y. Jets vs. Miami Dolphins: Dan Marino’s “fake spike” for the Fins and Gang Green’s Monday night “Midnight Miracle.”

4) Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns: With NFL legend Paul Brown having a hand in starting both franchises, it’s the closest thing to sibling rivalry.

3) Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns: Ah yes, the Rust Belt rivalry. Each dominant in alternating decades. Does that mean that Cleveland can expect a Super Bowl or two in the next 10 years? I’m not sure about that…

2) N.Y. Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles: From Chuck Bednarik and Frank Gifford to Ron Jaworski and L.T. to Donovan McNabb and Eli Manning. This NFC East rivalry has no lack of star power to keep it going.

1) Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins: The most celebrated rivalry though it defies geographical parameters (Dallas in the NFC East? No wonder kids in the U.S. can’t even identify their own state on a map!). The games between these two teams are almost national holidays in their own right! With eight Super Bowls between them and freewheeling owners who will stop at nothing to ensure their team’s supremacy, there’s definitely no slowing down this rivalry.

Well, there you have it, NFL fans, the Director’s take on the All-Time Greatest NFL Rivalries. Let the debate begin! What do you think is the greatest NFL rivalry?

In the meantime remember to follow the entire Department of Fandemonium at www.nfl.monster.com and apply for my job now! Thanks, Minnesota, you’ve been great, but it’s time to fly back to Hawaii now. Man, this is a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

Aloha,
Onyx Herrera
Your NFL Director of Fandemonium

Fresh of a 35-0 win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, San Francisco 49ers QB Shaun Hill will check in with NFL.com today at 1:30 p.m. ET to chat live with fans. Submit your questions for Shaun now, and then check back later to follow along.

For video on the 49ers’ win and Hill’s game highlights, check out the 49ers’ video section.

Tom Brady will be one of many players wearing pink gear this weekend to recognize breast cancer awareness.

• As part of the NFL’s support in the fight against breast cancer, players around the league will be donning pink cleats, gloves and sweatbands this weekend.