My First Blog

submitted by MarkClayton

July 17, 2007 | 106 comments |

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Here it is, my first blog. I am excited about being able to blog and open up personally to the fans. I have been wanting to do something like this since my second year in the league and now it's started. Connecting with the fans is really important to me. I try to influence and have a positive impact on anybody I come in contact with. We may be athletes but we're regular people too. When we step off the field we have to deal with life issues too. I had a kid in the mall in Baltimore just stop and stare at me when I was checking out. He was right in front of me and it was to the point when he couldn't speak. I just said "what's up" and had a conversation with him. It was funny, but I never imagined anyone reacting like that to me. I want people to know that I'm just Mark. I happen to work in the entertainment business but I'm just a regular guy. That's the way it is in Norman, Oklahoma. It's such a close knit country town that everyone I have ever met has gotten the vibe that I'm just Mark.

I try to get to Norman as much as I can. I've been there twice this month. I recently bought a house in Baltimore and spent most of the offseason there, getting better acquainted. I really like being in Baltimore. I love the East Coast. D.C. is right there and New York is two hours away. It just seems like there are so many things to do and so many big cities that are close by. You can visit and hang out. I like having that variety. In Oklahoma, it's just open land. It's unique. It's got it's own thing going on. I get to experience both extremes and I like it.

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106 Comments On: "My First Blog"

	1. fr0arenas , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	Well, lemme be the first to bless your blog! lol! NAH I'M KIDDING! But it's cool that you decided to join us! i hope we will hear from you trhough out trainning camp, the regular season, and ''THE SECOND SEASON" as well. TAKE CARE. and stay blessed!

	1.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+2 pts \| \| \|
	Yo i appreciate ya and God bless u too... i plan on keepin it pretty interesting i got some good topics and stuff just to spark controversy and some pretty silly stuff too...

	2. Pete , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Welcome to the Yard, Mark! I think you'll find that people here on Yardbarker will be psyched to interact with you and discover all the ways that you're a "regular person." Personally I'm looking forward to following you throughout next year, as you hopefully carry forward your great last season. Keep the posts coming!

	2.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	thanks for tha welcome bro... i believe this thing will b fun this yr

	3. FatMoon , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	I love the outlook on life Mark. I think you are going to enjoy hanging out in the Yard.

	4. whitejordan32 , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+2 pts \| \| \|
	Great to have you in "The Yard", Mark! It's gonna be great hearing your thoughts as the season comes and goes. Good luck this year, I think this might be another Super Bowl year for B'More this year as long as everyone stays healthy. Good luck with everything Mark.

	5. thumbsdown , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	you're not regular people. you're superhuman. even these words on this page next to your face in this blog are somehow surreal and awe-inspiring. the most powerful and influential you can be is through this blog Mr. Clayton, and through the good you try and bring to the community. just, uh, when you start to suck on the field, you'll lose that power. Good luck to you Mr. Clayton!

	5.1. MCmyOUfave , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+2 pts \| \| \|
	uh, Mr. thumbsdown, Mark Clayton will never suck! :) He is an awesome talent, very driven, a hard worker who gives it his all every play!

	5.2. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+2 pts \| \| \|
	how do u lose power to influence? or i guess u speakin from experience.. lol..

	6. FanProphet , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Hey Mark, good luck this season. Stay healthy! Theoretically this should be your year to shine being that its your 3rd season. Not to mention you're playing on a contender with a way above avg. QB and a top runner in McGahee. Anyway, I know you are well aware of fantasy football and a bunch of fantasy crazed owners on YB. Dude, don't come in here without a plan to go off this year. The fantasy pressure is on. :)

	6.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	Preciate ya gettin my back prohpet i owe ya one... and itll b a good one this yr.

	6.2. fbkid15 , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Yeah Mark I have you on my fantasy football team also I'm sure you will do great this year and establish yourself as a number one receiver. Hope you can find a way to enjoy training camp

	7. HelloMROden , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Did you meet Troy. Smith that is.

	7.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	T Smeeeeeeeeeeeeezy!!! he good people and he can chunck that rock im just excited to see him in pre-season should b really fun to watch and in a couple yrs makin huge contributions from the Qspot

	8. rossgrant , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+2 pts \| \| \|
	Is Mark Duper going to do a blog too? Just a little humor for the old school Dolphin fans. Welcome to the Yard!

	8.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+2 pts \| \| \|
	I called him but he wouldnt call me back... not sure if hes still mad cause he thought me and marino was playin keep away with the ball and we'd throw him a sympathy pass every once in a while

	8.2. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	but ill keep tryin to get him... LOL>.

	9. General_Zod , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+2 pts \| \| \|
	Welcome to the Yard Mark...looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the league and any crazy pregame rituals that you've witnessed. So far John Henderson's right at the top SLAP!...

	10. DaGardenOfOden , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+3 pts \| \| \|
	MARK CLAYTON !! are you kidding me !! youre a LEGEND....its GREAT to see an athlete of your stature writing to the fans...KEEP DOING THE DAMN THING !!

	11. scnbenstein , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	oh crap its mark clayton!

	11.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	whatever u do, dont do that in ur pants... whats good pimpin

	12. stevens8204 , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Welcome to the yard Mark....every person from the East Coast remembers those classic Dolphins-Jets games...keep on blogging...and great perspective.

	12.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+2 pts \| \| \|
	ummmm thats Mr. Mark Clayton aka hall of famer.. im def not there yet and he is not my daddy and i appreciate u hittin the page hope u keep in touch this yr itll b nice

	13. IONKA_PDX , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	IM JUST A GIRL IN A GUY'S WORLD- AND ITS FUN GETTING TO KNOW ALL OF YOU! IM A DIE HARD CHEESEHEAD- BUT I DONT DISCRIMINATE, BECAUSE I'M A FOOTBALL HEAD! I JUST LOVE FOOTBALL! I SEE A FEW OF MY FELLOW ODEN HEADS OVER HERE SO IT MUST BE ALL GOOD!!!! :) I LOVE THE "BIG PEOPLE" WHO DONT 4GET ABOUT THE "LITTLE PEOPLE", SO YOU'RE ALRIGHT WITH ME!!!!!!! BLOGGING IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL!

	13.1. thumbsdown , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	learn to use lower case?

	13.2. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	ewwww cheese i do not like cheese ;-) my brother a huge cheeseball and loves brett i do to hes simply amazing... i thank u for the nice words and hope to continue to hear from u thoughout the yr

	14. TL24x7 , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	I can tell you from first hand experience that Mark Clayton is as real as a professional athlete can be. He's grounded, he's humble, he keeps things in perspective while being generally and outwardly appreciative of his good fortune. The only thing that fans and the media alike can want more from Mark is superior play on the field and that is coming given his commitment to his craft. Don't ever change Mark Clayton. We hope your bark is in our

	15. FFGoat , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Welcome. I look forward to reading your posts.

	16. Fcowher , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Again welcome to Baltimore. Hoping you have a monster season and the offense returns to a vertical threat. See ya @ Training camp. GO RAVENS!!!!!!!!

	16.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	yes training camp everybody loves training camp except the players.... Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooootttttttt.... Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

	17. Madbacker57 , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+3 pts \| \| \|
	Hey Mark. Welcome! I look forward to reading your blogs and getting your perspective on some of the crazy stuff going on in the NFL right now. By the way, the picture of you and your puppy in the Ravens catalog is very cute :)

	17.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	thanks my puppy is already gone i had to give him up cause my lady didnt like dogs.... dam it!!

	17.1.1. Madbacker57 , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	that's too bad. I think my husband woud get rid of me before his dogs!

	18. ursportspro , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Glad to see you here Mark. I'd love to get hear some insight from a player at the wideout position. Looking forward to your blogs.

	19. BennyBlanco , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Whats up Mark? Nice to see you in the "YARD"! I hope to see some interesting articles from you bro. Any thoughts on the whole Mike Vick thing? Dont forget to holla at my boy Troy Smith! Good luck this season, hands Clayton, hands!

	19.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	benny b thats a tight name sounds like a r&b artist.. id buy tha cd and yeah all i can say to that is Wow... i dont know tho u think him standin up the congress had somethin to do with them diggin and diggin till they found somethin or do u think they already knew about it long ago

	19.1.1. the_butler , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	sounds like an old Mac Dre song....hyphy baby.

	20. RavenFanatic , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Troy Smith to Mark Clayton .... Touchdown!!!! The future is now!

	21. the_butler , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	Welcome Mark! My plan was to target you as a "sleeper" in my fantasy drafts this year. But you're beginning to become less of a sleeper, folks know you are poised for a big season. We look forward to following what you have to say this season...

	22. oufan4life , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	(Comment deleted)

	23. RavenTD , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Great to hear that you are a down to earth guy.The NFL needs more of this and it needs to be said more. What with all the bad players we keep hearing about every year.The good guys don't seem to make the headlines nearly enough. What's it like having a vet QB like McNair around you so early in your career? Looking forward to seeing you make those DB's dizzy in 07. All the best look forward to reading more about you. Paul in England.

	23.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	preciate u boss and i like the idea of DBs bein dizzy makes scoring tds alot easier... dang so u in england thats far dude what part?

	24. saxysooner , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+3 pts \| \| \|
	I had the privilege of watching your junior and senior seasons as a member of the marching band my first two years at OU, and you are probably my favorite receiver ever! I used to hate the Baltimore Ravens because I was a Cleveland Browns fan when I lived in Ohio, but now I cheer for Baltimore because of you. And I'm looking forward to reading your blog, because you seem to be one of the nicest guys in the NFL. Good luck this season and Boomer Sooner!!

	24.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	well i appreciate it and u know tha band played a very important role in what we accomplished cause the fans loved yall and had fun with yalls music i did too i really loved when the drumline would play around late in the game after we've crushed somebody that was tight

	25. shamas , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Hey Mark, I am proud to have you representing OU, football and professional athletes. I have enjoyed watching you from being recruited outta high school to your first big breakout game as a young receiver breaking texas longhorn defenders ankles while winning the game. This may sound familiar

	26. yiannis , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	Hey Mark, Great to watch you streaking into the next season. Since you are one of the football players of notable character I wanted to ask if you follow politics and if so which presidential candidate you support. Have fun catching the ball and plan a couple of cool celebrations for us :)

	26.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	imma get back to u on the presidential campaign im independent so im still listening to all and see where they stand and everything i know one thing is for sure im definitly for bringing our troops home i think theyve been there wa to long

	27. pychaboyz , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	MC- Looking forward to reading your thoughts throughout the season. You have quickly become my favorite player on th team! You must have a killer season this year for us to succeed!

	28. TSylvester , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	Welcome a board Mr. Clayton and best of luck on the season! It is nice to see the other side of NFL players, the media is so quick to ignore; the good you folks do.....

	28.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	LOL... u know the motto now in days "if it aint bad news it aint good news" sad huh...

	28.1.1. TSylvester , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	Aint that the truth. See you at camp and be happy, Coach B dropped the time by an hour! No, I will not call it you know what, but stop by, smile for the camera, I'll be in my usual spot, the far endzone snapping away!

	29. BoomerSoonerOU , July 18, 2007 \| Reply	0 pts \| \| \|
	BOOMER SOONER

	29.1. MarkClayton , July 19, 2007 \| Reply	+1 pts \| \| \|
	BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!

30. odenformvp , July 18, 2007 | Reply

NFL >> Baltimore Ravens >> Mark Clayton

My First Blog

106 Comments On: "My First Blog"