Tomorrow night, for reasons some even unbeknownst to me; I will forego a prior commitment, so I can stay at home to watch television. I would not do this under normal circumstances, but this year the NFL Draft for the very first time in its history is being broadcast during prime time. If it were any other Thursday night program I would fulfill my obligation. Tomorrow I will make other arrangements. You may wonder, “What’s so special about the NFL Draft?” What about the draft is so riveting that it would cause me to shirk a responsibility? The answers to both those questions seem to escape me for the time being.
Forty years ago the NFL Draft wasn’t even televised. I’d wait to see the draft results in the following day’s newspaper. You remember those, right; when we got any information worth getting in depth from the newspaper. I’d scan the sports section for the draft results, focusing on the marque names in the first round, and peruse the other rounds to see how my team, as well as the local teams (Giants and Jets) fared. The following Monday in school there would be minor discussions concerning the draft among the pro football fans in class; they were a small minority. Eventually the draft made its way to TV, but interest among my peers remained limited. In the ‘80’s, ESPN made its debut and the status of the draft changed.
ESPN gave America twenty-four hours of sports coverage. That’s a lot of air time to fill. What better way to do it than with the NFL Draft. Hours and hours of monotonous, bland, analysis of every college player that ever donned a uniform. Then ESPN decided to employ Mel Kiper Jr. along with his hair, or whatever entity that is that sits on his head. To this day Mel takes the draft as seriously as a doctor describing his groundbreaking cancer research. Kiper’s delivery of said information is done with the exuberance of someone on the verge of a cure.
The ESPN draft package has been honed and refined over the years with such precision and care, that it puts network Presidential election coverage to shame. The NFL Draft now takes place at Radio City Music Hall, home of the Rockettes. And when some college kid’s name is called, you’d swear he’s going to break into dance at any moment; justifiably so due to the amount of money he’s about to sign for.
Over the last decade or so, my interest in “watching” the draft has increased. Please don’t ask why that is. I don’t have an answer for that either. The draft is about as boring a television event as has ever been concocted. There are huge gaps in time between picks. There are way too many commercials. There are way too many talking heads. There are way too many people with absolutely nothing of interest to say. The draft provides little to no redeeming entertainment value outside of Mel Kiper’s hair per se. Yet each year I am drawn to the television like a moth to a flame on draft weekend.
With the launching of the NFL Network, the siren song of the draft has begun earlier the last couple of years. You see the NFL Network televises from Indianapolis, the NFL combine for prospective pro prospects. I watch bits and pieces of that as well. And no,; I don’t know why. As a matter of fact, all evidence should point to the contrary; that these two events are of such little significance in determining professional football success, that it’s a wonder anyone with half a brain watches at all, unless of course they have a vested interest in the outcome.
Over two thirds of those players drafted never make it in the NFL. It is frequently pointed out throughout the two day broadcast that a player is better off signing as a free agent after the draft has ended rather than being selected in the late rounds. But still I watch.
Personally, I have several reasons not to watch. As a Bengal fan, I’ve seen my team squander more number one picks than any other franchise. I’m not talking about first round picks; I’m talking about first player chosen picks. Some of the ignominious players (if you can call them that) have been Ki-Jana Carter, Akili Smith, Dan “Big Daddy (my ass)” Wilkerson, and Peter Warrick. Do any of those names ring a bell? I thought so.
Since 2004, I’ve watched the NFL Draft in the hope of hearing the name of a player from my alma mater the Florida Atlantic University, announced. I befriended, tutored, and taught many of their players over the years. It would bring me as well as the school great pride by attaining the milestone of having an NFL draftee. No such luck to date. I also have a special interest in which University of Florida players are taken. My son has become friends with several of them. It’s always nice to see someone he knows make good. This year is no different, but the viewing schedule has changed.
The first round to the NFL Draft will be broadcast live, from a sold out Radio City Music Hall, tomorrow night beginning at 7:30. Yes, I said sellout audience. Fans show up to sit there to watch Roger “I’m in charge here” Goodell says someone’s name every fifteen minutes. And I thought I had serious brain damage watching on TV.
At least I can do other things while I’m waiting. What do you do at Radio City? You can’t throw Frisbees or knock around beachballs.
After the first round is completed, and Christ knows what time that will be; I will have to wait until Friday at 6:30 for ESPN to resume coverage of rounds two and three. Rounds four through seven will be aired still live, on Saturday beginning at 10:00am. Three days. The NFL Draft has been spread out over three days. ESPN and the NFL are banking on enough fan interest that people will stop what they’re doing, change viewing habits, and tune in to the draft at different times over three days. If you can’t tell, this is all very hard for me to fathom.
Wouldn”t it be just as easy for me to track the draft online at ESPN, without having to subject myself to the idle banter of a bunch of football blowhards. What back story will be so intriguing that I won’t be able to pull myself away from the TV? Must I know that there is a player sweating it out Aaron Rodgers style off stage in the green room? The answers to these questions are: 1. Yes 2. None 3. No.
And yet I’ll watch.
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