The draft as a three day event

[Patler]

I hate it.

I look forward to the results, studying and discussing it.
But the event it self? Taking three days? I have no interest in it at all.

I quit watching it intently a while back when it was still a two day event. I would check in periodically and try to catch the Packer's picks live. Kind of a nice way to spend a weekend, puttering around and checking on the draft over a Saturday and Sunday.

Now, I am pretty much content to just read about it after the event. I don't particularly care for Thursday night games, and I like Thursday night for one round of the draft even less. One round of the draft the first day just isn't very exciting for me.

[Joemailman]

I agree. But it's all about having a television show that people will watch. They want the 1st round to be in prime time. As for the Thursday Night games, I chose not to watch last year except for when the Packers played. It's here to stay though as long as the television ratings are decent.

[Guiness]

I've voiced my opinion on this a couple of times - I really don't like it either. Talk about unnecessarily dragging out and event that doesn't have a real lot of action.

And of course, from the nfl draft coverage website, "Round 2 of the Draft, presented by Bud Light,". You had to know that was coming.

[Patler]

I would like to think that the NFL is at the brink of over-dramaticizing the event, but I know better than to believe that. Playing up the significance of late round draft picks will go on and on, as fans yearn for the guy who will make a difference this year. Having over-coiffed talking heads grading the teams draft performances is absurd, yet fans suck it up.

I've never figured out the need to give teams so much time in the early rounds. Do they really need to make up their minds as to who they will draft? Trades? They can do that quicker too if they need to. They take the time because they have it. Why not give every team that uses 5 minutes or less in round 1 an extra pick at the end of the 7th round? Teams that know who they want and aren't interested in trading should just turn in the pick immediately.

[red]

i have the same fear this year that i've had in the past. i'm gonna sit around watching that crap for 3 hours waiting for the packers pick, only for GB to trade out of the first round when the time comes

[red]

I've never figured out the need to give teams so much time in the early rounds. Do they really need to make up their minds as to who they will draft? Trades? They can do that quicker too if they need to. They take the time because they have it. Why not give every team that uses 5 minutes or less in round 1 an extra pick at the end of the 7th round? Teams that know who they want and aren't interested in trading should just turn in the pick immediately.

YES YES YES

everyone has their big board, everyone has some kind of idea as to who they want and who will be available

5 minutes maximum between picks sounds just fine

the only reason for the 15 minutes that i can see is to give the talking heads time to talk and to be able to squeeze in more commercials

[Cheesehead Craig]

I just hope the fans do the "What?" treatment to the commish again.

[Patler]

i have the same fear this year that i've had in the past. i'm gonna sit around watching that crap for 3 hours waiting for the packers pick, only for GB to trade out of the first round when the time comes

:-) Ya, I remember that feeling when they drafted Nelson. It will be even worse now with only the first round on Thursday.

Of course, I remember a few years back when I left after they picked Raji, then checked back a few hours later to see how close they were to their second pick, only to see that they had traded it, and feeling a bit of disappointment thinking TT had traded down. It was a while later that I decided to watch the "ticker-tape" running down the picks at the bottom of the screen. I almost fell out of my chair when toward the end of the first round I saw "Green Bay - Clay Matthews"!

[run pMc]

I hate that they drag everything out. I don't even tune in...it's a complete waste of my time. If I can I might listen on the radio for a few minutes or login late in the evening to see who was drafted where, but usually I wait until the next day to read/hear about it.

I've actually been listening to the JSO Podcasts with Dunne and McGinn from last year's draft -- they're pretty interesting to listen to in hindsight. For as much hoopla as ESPN and the fans can make this, they're all rookies who have to earn their stripes (and usually get schooled along the way), so I've learned to take all this stuff with a grain of salt. It's exciting when a pick like CMIII turns out like he has, but you don't know they will for sure on draft day.

[George Cumby]

Same here. It has really gotten painful to watch. Like most of you, I just check it on the interwebs from time to time. It really is overdone and overblown.

One has to give the NFL credit, though, they have got themselves a year-round money-making machine.

[Guiness]

I would like to think that the NFL is at the brink of over-dramaticizing the event, but I know better than to believe that. Playing up the significance of late round draft picks will go on and on, as fans yearn for the guy who will make a difference this year. Having over-coiffed talking heads grading the teams draft performances is absurd, yet fans suck it up.

I've never figured out the need to give teams so much time in the early rounds. Do they really need to make up their minds as to who they will draft? Trades? They can do that quicker too if they need to. They take the time because they have it. Why not give every team that uses 5 minutes or less in round 1 an extra pick at the end of the 7th round? Teams that know who they want and aren't interested in trading should just turn in the pick immediately.

lol, hilarious idea! Will never happen though :(

To think the draft used to be 12 rounds...in two days! I'm surprised the commish doesn't bring that back and serialize the draft into a weekly show that runs all summer!

[Smidgeon]

I'll turn it on and let it run in the background. I'll try to pay attention as GB comes closer to picks, but for the most part, I'll be around the house working on other things. I used to stay glued to the TV when it was a two day affair. Then I forsook the second day. And now, I usually try to just get close enough so I can see the pick in real time.

[Patler]

lol, hilarious idea! Will never happen though :(

To think the draft used to be 12 rounds...in two days! I'm surprised the commish doesn't bring that back and serialize the draft into a weekly show that runs all summer!

Heck, until 1977 it was 17 rounds (after the combined draft was agreed to with the AFL), and I think they did it in two days. Close to 500 players were drafted each year.

I remember when the draft was held between the end of the college season and the Bowl games, usually toward the end of November.

[Freak Out]

I will not be watching any of that garbage. I'll check the internet from my beach house in Oregon on occasion to keep up to date, but I will not tune in to the circus.

[Fritz]

I only tune in when the Pack is on the board, but it's aggravating to wait so damn long.

Five minutes between picks, or you forfeit the pick. Period.

[King Friday]

I like the 3 day event...because now I can ignore entirely the 1st round and can jump in on rounds 2 and 3 without having to constantly monitor when they are going to begin.

[Upnorth]

I have given up on watching the draft, that is why god made monday morning internet

[pittstang5]

I used to love it when it was on Saturday. Big draft party at my place...BBQ, Beer and Bitches. All day party. Drink, eat, BS about anything and everything, bet on who was going to go next.

Now, on a Thursday night, everyone has work the next day.

[swede]

lol, hilarious idea! Will never happen though :(

To think the draft used to be 12 rounds...in two days! I'm surprised the commish doesn't bring that back and serialize the draft into a weekly show that runs all summer!

I'm going to guess that, back in those days, the worst teams in the NFL resorted to emergency tactics just to fill in a card in the later rounds.

Maybe they drafted any Penn State linebackers with a "ski" at the end of their name.

[Guiness]

I'm going to guess that, back in those days, the worst teams in the NFL resorted to emergency tactics just to fill in a card in the later rounds.

Maybe they drafted any Penn State linebackers with a "ski" at the end of their name.

THAT'S how I ended up on Buffalo's roster! I have my Ukrainian grandfather to thank :alc:

[Joemailman]

Heck, until 1977 it was 17 rounds (after the combined draft was agreed to with the AFL), and I think they did it in two days. Close to 500 players were drafted each year.

I remember when the draft was held between the end of the college season and the Bowl games, usually toward the end of November.

Until 1960 it was 30 rounds. Bart Starr was a 17th round pick in 1956.

Something else I noticed was that in 1958 the Packers drafted Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke and Jerry Kramer. So the guy who drafted those guys also hired Scooter McLean as head coach? Or was McLean the GM who drafted those guys?

[Patler]

Until 1960 it was 30 rounds. Bart Starr was a 17th round pick in 1956.

That's true, but there were only 12 teams then; 360 picks.

[pbmax]

I used to love it when it was on Saturday. Big draft party at my place...BBQ, Beer and Bitches. All day party. Drink, eat, BS about anything and everything, bet on who was going to go next.

Now, on a Thursday night, everyone has work the next day.

Used to watch it while avoiding class on Tuesday or Thursday morning, 7 AM central. That was just hard core fans then. Saturday starting at Noon was a lot of fun. Thursday night might bring them ratings but its not an event anymore.

I wonder what the precedent is for becoming so popular that you tailor you product away from the basic, original fan? And is there a danger than this kind of direction leads you out onto a thin limb? Because while the entire exercise is to lure in fans who used to not watch, those same fans will have a low threshold about switching over to something new.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Agree with Patler. I hate that the draft is a three day event. I hate that the first day is just one round. I hate that there are Thursday night games every week. I love football, but with a family I don't have the time to dedicate 3-4 days/week to the NFL. I watch the games on Sunday and generally only when the Packers are playing the other days.

[Bretsky]

I've always been a bit of a draft fantatic. I've cut many days of grade schhol and high school to be able to stay home and watch the draft. My parents bribed me by letting me know if my grades hit a certain level I could skip a day of school. That was draft day. In high school by my Junior year my whole class knew they would not see me on draft day because I made the honor roll. They would joking say...see you in two day...in front of teachers.

I don't even like the multi day even. I would like two days instead of 3. A few less minutes between picks. You do need a lot to allow for multiple trades to occur, which is exciting. But three days is overkill.

[Pugger]

I wish it were a 2 day affair too.

We all have to agree that the first round drama of 2005 watching our fabulous QB drop into our laps was worth watching tho!

[KalamazooPackerFan]

Jerry Vainsi (sp?) was the "scout" who did the drafting. Great eye for talent and would have been the GM of the year several times over in this era. Heach coaches were hired by executive committee of the board back then. Unfortunately Vainisi died young, I believe in 61 or 62 or the Packers might have been a dynasty into the seventies.


Until 1960 it was 30 rounds. Bart Starr was a 17th round pick in 1956.

Something else I noticed was that in 1958 the Packers drafted Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke and Jerry Kramer. So the guy who drafted those guys also hired Scooter McLean as head coach? Or was McLean the GM who drafted those guys?

[Fritz]

Until 1960 it was 30 rounds. Bart Starr was a 17th round pick in 1956.

Something else I noticed was that in 1958 the Packers drafted Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke and Jerry Kramer. So the guy who drafted those guys also hired Scooter McLean as head coach? Or was McLean the GM who drafted those guys?


So Bart Starr was a mid-round pick. Be like a 4th round pick today.

[Guiness]

What the heck did they do with 30 rounds worth of guys? What were roster limits back then, or was there one?

I guess the difference was that there really wasn't any UDFA market. Teams bring 90 (80 until recently) guys into camp. Say, 50 leftover from the previous year, 7 or 8 from the draft, so twenty or so UDFAs - guys that when there were 30 rounds would've been the round 26 pick.

[Patler]

What the heck did they do with 30 rounds worth of guys? What were roster limits back then, or was there one?

I guess the difference was that there really wasn't any UDFA market. Teams bring 90 (80 until recently) guys into camp. Say, 50 leftover from the previous year, 7 or 8 from the draft, so twenty or so UDFAs - guys that when there were 30 rounds would've been the round 26 pick.

I think the roster limit was 36 in the '50s. In the early '60s it was increased to 40. Not many rookies made rosters back then. Some who were drafted never signed contracts or showed up for training camps.

[ThunderDan]

Used to watch it while avoiding class on Tuesday or Thursday morning, 7 AM central. That was just hard core fans then. Saturday starting at Noon was a lot of fun. Thursday night might bring them ratings but its not an event anymore.

I wonder what the precedent is for becoming so popular that you tailor you product away from the basic, original fan? And is there a danger than this kind of direction leads you out onto a thin limb? Because while the entire exercise is to lure in fans who used to not watch, those same fans will have a low threshold about switching over to something new.

It,s called NFL network. The NFL has 24hours a day of programming they need.

[woodbuck27]

I've voiced my opinion on this a couple of times - I really don't like it either. Talk about unnecessarily dragging out and event that doesn't have a real lot of action.

And of course, from the nfl draft coverage website, "Round 2 of the Draft, presented by Bud Light,". You had to know that was coming.

Ohh no...we need Ted to be sober for that second day. Whoever wins day two...wins this draft.

Someone better kinow how to buy and serve decent coffee. Hand out nerve pills and sweat towels.

[woodbuck27]

I wish it were a 2 day affair too.

We all have to agree that the first round drama of 2005 watching our fabulous QB drop into our laps was worth watching tho!

Not me going back to that Saturday afternoon:

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/logos/logos0802/logos080200126/2553465-surprise--a-very-surprised-man-close-up-of-a-young-man-looking-very-surprised.jpg