The live coverage of the draft s*cks now...

First... Chicago?!?!? Come on. No wonder the top three picks are boycotting. Altho... maybe they had 'family commitments'.

Second... night time weekday draft sucks.

Third... MULTIPLE night time weekday drafts suck even more.

Fourth... the draft over three days sucks.

That Saturday-Sunday draft in NYC was the BEST. ("The best, Jerry. The best!") It was like prepping for a weekend of playoff games... got the laptop... the cigars... the food... the big screen TV... the understanding of the wife (perhaps the most important part)... the ready laugh for when the Jets pick... the inevitable 'WTF is that guy the Pats picked in the early rounds that no one's heard of' moment... and then alternating between live coverage and the crazy threads here... a great weekend during the time of football desolation.

And now... it just sucks. Rant off.

Couldn't agree more. It used to be a great lazy weekend. Now it's spread out too thin. I still watch but don't like it as much.

Selfishly, this year if the draft were being held on Saturday I would miss it because it's my gf's birthday, so having the first round on Thursday allows me to watch that at least.

Of course, if they'd just left the draft in the middle of April instead of the beginning of May, we could have avoided this conflict altogether. Shame on you NFL. Next time please check on my relationship details before scheduling your majors events

Can someone explain to me why a draft in Chicago is horrible....... but in NYC...awesome? Unless you are attending the event (and hate nice wholesome midwesterners), what about this Chicago INDOOR EVENT is so odious? Is it an indoor architecture preference.... because I can't think of one rational reason why a TV viewer would object to any locale.

I agree. Especially when your team trades out of the first round you're like 'huh, carved out an evening for nothing'. Having the draft go all day Saturday and Sunday felt more special.

I don't mind it being spread out over 3 days but I wish it was 1-2, 3-4, 5-7 with a 6pm eastern start time on Friday night for round 1.

Its not that bad. I liked it better when it was two days only but I do not care that it isn't in New York.

You may have forgotten that the league had their hands tied on the location when the original draft site was going to be used for something else. They said something like that the hall was used year round and the recent late shift of the draft conflicted w/ their scheduling.

There is one thing that I like about the changes. It allows me to completely forget about watching the draft, and to focus on either watching something else, or doing something else, and just looking to the internet for draft updates.

The idea that I'd spend Thursday and Friday evenings watching about 15 seconds of "With pick number ____, the New England Patriots select ......" and 6 hours of "Well, he showed good hip movement as a freshman, but got injured as a sophomore" is laughable.

Thanks, Obama! Goodell!

borg said:

Can someone explain to me why a draft in Chicago is horrible....... but in NYC...awesome? Unless you are attending the event (and hate nice wholesome midwesterners), what about this Chicago INDOOR EVENT is so odious? Is it an indoor architecture preference.... because I can't think of one rational reason why a TV viewer would object to any locale.

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If anything I want it in MORE cities. Change it up every year. Every city that has an NFL franchise should have a shot at the draft, and I highly doubt there's a single one of those cities that doesn't have a hall that could accommodate it. Green Bay might be tough I suppose, but they could do it in Milwaukee.

NFL milking that cow.

With rounds 1-3 over and done with. What's left for Saturday?

I used to love Saturday from noon to late evening as they would grind through 3 rounds. And would check in on Sunday around the time the Patriots were picking.

Now I feel that my weekends are free. If there were some may to go to Fri-Sat-Sun. So that Saturday would be Rounds 2-3. That might get me back to watching on the weekend.

I fell for it in the past too.
It is literally a guy reading names off a piece of paper. And I can't even pretend to know the college players. Pretending I know the team needs might be better, but I trust the people paid to figure that out.

If we trade up, I'll be enthused. If we trade down, I'll be enthused. If we stay put, I'll be enthused.

I'll go to bed at my usual time. I won't say that I won't watch, but I doubt I'll stay up to pick 32.

fnordcircle said:

I agree. Especially when your team trades out of the first round you're like 'huh, carved out an evening for nothing'. Having the draft go all day Saturday and Sunday felt more special.

I don't mind it being spread out over 3 days but I wish it was 1-2, 3-4, 5-7 with a 6pm eastern start time on Friday night for round 1.

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The first round will end after 11 on Thursday. Adding a second round on Thursday would be unreasonable, as would starting earlier.
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For me, a 2-day draft was fine. HOWEVER, I certainly understand putting the first three rounds into prime time.

We can check last year's ratings. I suspect that there were more people watching the first round then before, more watching the 2nd and 3rd round and yes, at least as much watching the 4th round compared to before the changes.
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There is no perfect times for the draft. I suggest that more people watch this format. If folks don't like to watch the first round, then don't watch, or watch internet updates until 10:30 and then start watching.
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I happen to watch all of the draft, using the DVR to avoid commercials.

micronin127 said:

With rounds 1-3 over and done with. What's left for Saturday?

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What used to be left for Sunday's coverage?

I would only note that, as now, the patriots have 5 picks to make on Saturday. If the past is any indication, 3 of those players will make the team (both 4th rounders and one of the rest).

The new format should be PERFECT for folks like you who have no interest past the 3rd round. You get to watch all the picks that you care about in prime time.

This is a bit like people who complain that NCAA championship games - bball/fball - start too late. I am one of them. Here, it is past 10:15 pm before tip off/kick off.

But I am one guy in the Atlantic Time Zone. The ratings speak for themselves. It would be crazy NoT to have it this way. The draft is a huge ratings winner. I don't blame them for milking it. $$$$$$$$$

The absolute worst part of the draft last year was when Mike Mayock was doing a "live" draft analyst. What was going on is the pick was in 5 minutes ago and before they announce it mike would give his "prediction" as to what the pick might be. Of course you could tell he was being told and it was the network saying "oh, look how knowledgeable our draft guru is"!

made me so pissed.

They have made a few tweeks to the draft that will speed up Saturday.

For all comp picks, you only have 4 minutes on the clock, ditto for the seventh round.

I will be interested to see if there will be less boo's since it's not in New York. But with deflategate...who knows.

I'd ask for members on here to refrain from talking about the pick until it was shown on live tv but I don't think everyone would abide by this.

I'm a pretty devoted draftnik, but even for me watching the first round is just plain excruciating. It's like a game with a 10-minute play clock. I can't imagine actually watching it straight...I'll put the radio on while I do some chores.

Im glad you edited "sucks"

Man I would be fired for sure if my coworkers saw such a terrible word.

I wish they had rounds 1-2 on the same day. Then 3-4. Then 5-7.