The summer is unofficially about to get underway this weekend as Memorial Day weekend is at hand. Summer got going for some folks a little earlier than others, but Memorial Day weekend is sort of the unofficial kick-off to the summer. For baseball, MLB standings start to take on a bit more meaning. For football, we are racing along through OTAs and just looked to come out the other end in time for the start of football. We're not quite in the home stretch, but we're picking up steam.

While this weekend will be about beaches, BBQ, baseball and general fun for most people, it's of course worth noting the reason we have Memorial Day. Matt Ufford and SB Nation Studios put together this video of some folks (including Matt), who served in the military. They recall some of their favorite sports memories from when they were deployed. Give it a look when you get a minute.

First day of Ota's Will be fun n fast cuz we have had majority of our whole team together working since the start of off season program.

— Patrick willis (@PatrickWillis52) May 22, 2012

The 49ers officially began their 2012 offseason training activities (OTAs) today, and have nine more days, plus a mandatory minicamp and a couple potential non-OTA days left on the schedule. OTAs allow for offense versus defense drills, but there can be no live contact during said drills. Players can wear helmets, but no shells. It is not exactly the best way to determine where the team is standing in implementing aspects of the offense, but it likely adds a little bit more than simply running around conducting individual drills.

This marks the second time since 2005 that the 49ers will have the same offensive and defensive coaching staff in place throughout their offseason. The last time that happened, the offensive coaching staff was led by Jimmy Raye, so that comes with an automatic asterisk.

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It's a slow day, but that didn't stop Jason Slowey from helping us out by retweeting this great line.

@JasonSlowey is the symposium where they teach you how be be a normal member of society and not shoot yourself in a club?

— Alex Orr (@Alex_Orr_What) May 16, 2012

Over the summer, NFL rookies take part in an NFLPA rookie program, coming up this weekend, and then a rookie symposium the league conducts. The NFLPA rookie program is more about getting the players names out there and includes the day where they get some photos for football cards.

The symposium is where players get a chance to learn about the perils of NFL life and how to stay on the straight and narrow. Some players live the good life and make it through their NFL career with few issues. Others do not.

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Memorial Day is approaching, and SB Nation's YouTube channel wants to honor veterans with some video. If you ever served overseas, the network would love your help on this project: we're seeking video of veterans talking about their favorite sports memories while deployed. Matt Ufford, a former Marine who does a lot of video content for the network will be compiling video submissions into a sort of long form feature video.

The content can really be anything: how you learned who won the World Series, watching the Super Bowl at 3 a.m., playing soccer with Iraqi kids (or kids of whatever country in which you were deployed) -- whatever sports memory that has stuck with you through the years. Tell us how you felt, what the atmosphere was like, why it mattered to you.

There are no concerns about the production quality of submissions. Webcams are fine, and you can upload it to twitvid or YouTube and tweet it to Matt, or email Matt the video file. Please include your name, your service, and the years you served.

Thanks, and we look forward to sharing your memories.

As announced on Thursday, SB Nation is a proud media partner of the NFLPA's Rookie Premiere next week in Los Angeles. We'll be there, with video cameras in hand, to follow this year's crop of rookies around for a few days.

But perhaps most important to NN readers is the chance to interview either A.J. Jenkins or LaMichael James! SB Nation and the NFLPA Rookie Premiere are excited to announce the Rookie FanChat, a contest in which the winner gets to Skype with their team's top rookie. And that's not all -- the winner also gets an NFL Rookie Premiere helmet signed by their team's top draft pick!

Enter the SB Nation Rookie FanChat contest with three easy steps:

1. Like SB Nation on Facebook
2. Follow SB Nation on Twitter
3. Tell us in the comments of this post: If you had just one question to ask your NFL team's top draft pick, what would you ask him?

The winner, selected on Wednesday, May 16th, will have the chance to Skype for 15 minutes with their team's top draft pick on Friday, May 18, between 1:00-4:00 p.m. PST. And there's even a prize for second -- an autographed football AND a Rookie Premiere Gift Pack. Enter now for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

The NFLPA Rookie Premiere is where 35 of the top 2012 NFL Draft picks will make their official professional debut, beginning May 17. In addition to being the first rookie class to wear the new Nike jerseys, the players will participate in events around L.A. in the lead up to their official coming out party. Here's the official schedule of next week's activities, which includes a flag football game with celebrities and former NFL players.

It's an incredibly dead time of year, but with the weekend just around the corner, this seemed like a reasonable choice for a tweet and picture. Randy Moss and Patrick Willis appear to have enjoyed a day out fishing recently.

It's worth noting that the beat writers are reporting Moss looked very solid in practice today, running a numerous patterns with relative ease. Donte Whitner has apparently also checked in indicating he doesn't think Moss has lost a step. Definitely good to hear!

R.Moss n I fishing yesterday n I reeled out the biggest! I know i know I should be in the Bass Pro tournamen instagr.am/p/KcyRMOQN9S/

— Patrick willis (@PatrickWillis52) May 10, 2012

via Patrick Willis on Instagram

In case you didn't hear, the 49ers got a random pop culture mention last night. Apparently NBC's show 30 Rock ran a live episode last night. Early in the episode (just after the 1:50 mark), the show had a song and dance number that included a mention of the 49ers drafting AJ Jenkins to prove it was live. Given the surprise by most people about the pick, this is definitely not something they could have faked!

It is entirely random, but I thought I'd post it up here. Jim Harbaugh was complaining about the lack of 49ers highlights early last season. Maybe he'll count this as increasing the 49ers profile.

Head after the jump to check out the embedded video. I don't watch 30 Rock, but I'd imagine some of you out there do check it out from time to time. Personally, I didn't even realize it was still on the air. Who knew.

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For those that were not aware (and I'm guessing it is most of us), today is National High Five Day! In honor of that, here is some video of an EPIC high-five involving 49ers star tight end Vernon Davis, his trainer, and an SB Nation intern.

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I would be passing along some questions to Vernon. Due to the timing, they were unable to get him the questions, but it sounds like I'll be able to get an interview together at some point in the coming months. I've kept track of all the questions posted and we'll see what I can come up with then.

SB Nation has a lot of great video so head over and subscribe. In the meantime, enjoy an epic high five today.