Phew! We made it through the weekend. The NFL Draft, or as I like to call it, ESPN‘s version on New Years Rockin’ Eve, is over.
I don’t have the NFL Network so I decided to watch the World-Wide Leader for their coverage of the draft.
Things have gotten way too out of hand with the NFL Draft. I love the picks and as a Ravens fan watching what my team does is always exciting. But, the hype surrounding it has made this event far too intense to really enjoy.
NFL Live and Sportscenter have been promoing and discussing each team’s picks for the past two months. The Mel Kiper commercial that ESPN has been running for the past couple days is as dramatic as a Fox News promo for a special on the Bush family.
The networks desperately try to fill the time in between picks but it looks poorly produced and awkward because even for the almighty NFL Draft there just isn’t enough to talk about.
Maybe back in the day the players were excited when they were selected, but now they just sit on a cell phone and don’t even acknowledge that they were just selected to be the next millionaire.
By the time we get through the first round it makes the experts look as dumb as that fan that doesn’t know who is team is playing next week. Mock Drafts are just completely destroyed by the actual NFL Draft and every year it seems more and more unpredictable. I’m convinced this is the reason that Mel Kiper was in a pissy mood all day.
To top it all off, the attention whore that is the National Football League created this juggernaut of an event during an early and exciting part of the Major League Baseball season and they moved it back to 4 PM to interfere with the 7 PM games.
Yet despite my hatred for the coverage and the process of the event, I sat here from for 3 hours on Saturday to watch the first round.
I also watched most of the first day (missed the first few picks while attending to personal business). You are right, the draft is an event where they hype always exceeds the execution. But the NFL knows its audience, and it apparently knows that fans can’t get enough of the product, be it the draft, combine coverage or anything in between the Super Bowl and training camp.
Yeah it’s absolutely insane. I can’t help but feel disappointed and I thought ESPN’s coverage was “sloppy”…to say the least.
Right on BSR. Was hoping I could get that hat, but such is my world.
I didn’t watch the draft hardly at all.
Too busy. But you are dead on with the hype.
I think maybe next year I am going to actively NOT fall into the hype machine. Mock drafts are fun though and I’ll do that any old time!
First day had my attention somewhat, I should say. Not much after that.
Me too. Day 2 is a drag….