We are getting closer and closer to Super Bowl LII finally kicking off at U.S. Bank Stadium, but before the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles actually get down to business, there are a few days of pomp and circumstance still left at Radio Row.
Loverboy famously said that everybody's working for the weekend, and that indeed appeared to be the case today, as the Mall of America was once again packed to the gills with fans, players, and media members alike.
Super Bowl Weekend – which is now officially upon us – is more than just the football game. In addition to a champion being crowned Sunday evening, the 2018 Hall of Fame class is announced Saturday.
The unveiling of the class is always one of the more anticipated moments leading up to the game, and Raiders.com caught up with Hall of Fame wide receiver Tim Brown to get his thoughts about which players will enter the Hall this weekend, and which member of the Silver and Black will be the next guy immortalized in Canton.
Bruce Gradkowski knows Jon Gruden.
The current head coach of the Silver and Black drafted Gradkowski back in 2006, and the former Toledo Rocket spent the first two seasons of his career with Gruden in Tampa before he joined the Cleveland Browns, and then eventually the Oakland Raiders.
Gradkowski knows incredibly well the attention to detail that Gruden approaches a game plan with, and as Derek Carr gets ready for his first year with the Raiders newest head coach, preparation is going to have to be the name of his game.
"I think as a quarterback, you love to be prepared going into games, and one thing Coach Gruden did is he has his quarterbacks prepared," Gradkowski said. "He's going to give you the tools, and the weapons, going [into] each and every game, and you're going to feel comfortable going into those games, so with Derek, he's going to have more weapons than he's used to, about calling the shots, and getting to certain plays versus certain looks. He's going to get taught very well by Coach Gruden, and so I think that's going to be a plus."
Former Raiders wide receiver James Jones also stopped by for a chat, and shared with us the benefits of Greg Olson returning as part of Jon Gruden's staff, and the potential of Derek Carr.
One of the best parts about the Super Bowl is that while it's the biggest celebration of football each year, everyone seems to get in the mix.
Whether it's movie stars, musicians, or everyone in between, the center of the sports and entertainment world this week is unquestionably Minneapolis.
That being said, we caught up with our old pal, and diehard member of the Raider Nation, Sway Calloway.
Sway is a dude who bleeds Silver and Black, and his message to Raider Nation is going to get you fired up for this season, I promise.
Other Notable Sightings at Radio Row:
-Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon
-Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (Go Ducks)
-New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton
-NFL analyst Rodney Harrison
-Rapper Busta Rhymes
-New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees
-NFL broadcaster Tiki Barber
-Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson
