The draft as a three day event

[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

[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.