The NFL Draft has become big business, but after the first round, interest tends to tail off, which is why teams have come up with unusual ways to keep fans watching. Unusual places for Saturday’s picks have now become commonplace and organizations are trying to outdo one another.
ESPN treats the first two days like it is a Super Bowl. There is a battalion of reporters and televised coverage. Two firsts will happen this year. The proceedings will be held at a football stadium. AT&T, home of the Cowboys will be the host. Secondly, all seven rounds will be televised.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said the concept of having a draft at a stadium is one that could start a tradition depending on how this year goes.
“I’m always going to do what’s best for the league,” Goodell said. “We had 21 cities bid for the draft next year before we got down to the current finalist. More networks will cover it live this year. There is a lot of excitement that comes with the draft. I expect this one to be special.”
First Day a Hit
By all accounts the first day of the draft was one of the most successful in recent memories. Despite what is becoming an annual tradition of Goodell getting booed when he appears on stage, the facility accommodated the proceedings effortlessly. Seating was available for 20,000 fans and it looked filled to capacity.
Eric Finkelstein, the league’s senior director of event operations, told the Dallas Morning News that the site was chosen with fans in mind.
“We look at this event as the fans’ event,” Finkelstein said. “It’s why we don’t charge. Fans made this event into what it is. For many of them, it’s their Super Bowl and their chance to really be a part of and represent for their teams.”
Solving Third Day Doldrums
By the third day of the NFL Draft people are pretty burned out on watching selection after selection by teams. Round four begins on Saturday and before the telecast even begins there have been almost 100 picks of college athletes.
Most of the name athletes are long gone by this point, and the only people watching are die hard football fans and college players that haven’t been chosen yet.
So organizations got together and have spiced up the last day. They are making picks in exotic locations and it seems no place is too outlandish.
Some of the places are a nod to the armed services. Baltimore’s Hall of Fame offensive tackle, Jonathan Ogden will divulge the team’s third through seven picks from the USS Constellation. Kansas City will make theirs from Fort Riley Military base. The Oakland Raiders will be at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. Last year the Raiders made selections in the later rounds from the famous Welcome to Las Vegas Sign.
Some of the teams have gotten fairly creative with the process on the last day. The Buffalo Bills employed former running back Thurman Thomas to announce the team’s picks from Niagara Falls. The Tennessee Titans will be at the Grand Ole Opry.
A couple of the teams decided it wasn’t where the pick was made, but who made it. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are utilizing the services of a parrot to deliver the team’s picks to an announcer at the pirate ship at Raymond James Stadium.
