Draft Coverage

[1960Pats]

Wow! The tv coverage of this draft was one of the most annoying things I've ever seen. Thank goodness I had recorded it and wasn't trying to view it live.

I checked out both ESPN and NFLN, but only taped NFLN because they showed a more complete list of the upcoming picks, and I could fast forward through everything until the next interesting team came along. In less than an hour I got to see all of the Pats and AFCE picks.

I don't think I'll take in the draft anymore though. It's too confusing to watch. Plus, Goodell makes it worse.

Any thoughts?

 

[Nonentity]

I saw Round 1 on NFL Network, Rounds 2-3 on ESPN and Round 4-7 on NFL Live (streaming it from NFL.com).

Round 1 was fine, it was a boring first round but at least they stayed in sync. Almost made you wish for Manziel Mark II.

ESPN's coverage of Rounds 2-3 was abysmal. Regularly ended up a few picks behind the commish, told us next to nothing about half the prospects, and spent a good 20 minutes fellating Randy Gregory after the Cowboys took him. Which of course meant we then missed even more picks.

I had Rounds 4-7 on all evening - thankfully we had a bunch of picks - and Lance Zierlein/Bucky Brooksdid a really good job talking about all of the late-round prospects without overdoing it.


I'll watch next year because I always watch the draft, and it'd take a few boring drafts in succession for me to start skipping them.

I think the problem with the 1st round was the lack of trades. Trades create storylines - think of Miami trading up for Dion Jordan, Buffalo trading up for Sammy Watkins, the RGIII bounty that the Redskins gave up. Plus the only two decent QBs in the entire draft going #1/#2.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

On coverage:

1) Both networks seemed programmed to go to commercial whenever NE picked. I watched NFLN, took a nap, then did rd 6 on at ESPN... seemed to happen way too often.

On staging:

1) So much cooler than "Radio City Kiss NY's Ass Music Hall..." Chicago really actually made it an event. If they'll build a whole draft TOWN around the draft, give it to em again next year. Plus the traditional JEST boo-birds didn't overpower the whole experience.

2) Picks from random fans with dread diseases or who just came back from a war or lost their children to dread diseases? Get stuffed. Don't like it. Work in more T&A or something and just do the picks from the Podium, Goodell and all.

3) Early on I thought I noticed some Goodell-booing, but I might have misinterpreted. If so, that's a good sign.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I thought that what I saw on the NFLN pretty much sucked, but I won't watch ESPN unless the Patrots are playing on it and I have no other choice.

 

[reflexblue]

On coverage:

1) Both networks seemed programmed to go to commercial whenever NE picked. I watched NFLN, took a nap, then did rd 6 on at ESPN... seemed to happen way too often.

On staging:

1) So much cooler than "Radio City Kiss NY's Ass Music Hall..." Chicago really actually made it an event. If they'll build a whole draft TOWN around the draft, give it to em again next year. Plus the traditional JEST boo-birds didn't overpower the whole experience.

2) Picks from random fans with dread diseases or who just came back from a war or lost their children to dread diseases? Get stuffed. Don't like it. Work in more T&A or something and just do the picks from the Podium, Goodell and all.

3) Early on I thought I noticed some Goodell-booing, but I might have misinterpreted. If so, that's a good sign.

Ive noticed that the going to commercial when NEs pick is announced has been going on for a long time, it wasn't just this year. Theres been many times in the past that i was sitting there locked up in a room surrounded by draft publications breathlessly waiting for NEs pick to be announced onlyu to have ESPN go to a commercial break. When they came back they had moved on to the next team and maybe mention who the pats selected.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Ive noticed that the going to commercial when NEs pick is announced has been going on for a long time, it wasn't just this year. Theres been many times in the past that i was sitting there locked up in a room surrounded by draft publications breathlessly waiting for NEs pick to be announced onlyu to have ESPN go to a commercial break. When they came back they had moved on to the next team and maybe mention who the pats selected.

You might be a draftnik

 

[Peachhead]

I think Chicago did one hell of a job. And it was so nice to almost eliminate the NY boo birds. The local fans were cheering for almost every pick. I hope Chicago does it again. But I'll bet if they're in the middle of bringing a team to L.A. it'll be there next year. At any rate, it really needs to get out of NY permanently.

Another observation/gripe: the thing where the commish sometimes went outside to announce a team was "on the clock" then took 10 or more minutes to get inside to announce the pick, was crap. Do each pick totally inside or outside, don't keep holding up things going back and forth.

I also hated the day 3 thing where they went around the country so random fans could announce the pick. We don't need to see Billy-Bob Superfan "on the teevee".

Too many damn commercials!

Why was NFLN so far behind all three days? Aargh!

I watched maybe 90% on NFLN and the rest on ESPN. I normally watch closer to 50-50. I put almost no stock in Kiper, but I love to see him freak out at some of the picks. It seems Mcshay likes to rattle his chain a lot now, too. However, that black chick with blond perm who moved like a stripper while she sang the same line over and over and...over drove me absolutely up a wall. Plus, the way NFLN did the graphics on the bottom of the screen was far superior.

 

[reflexblue]

You might be a draftnik

Maybe, i haven't missed one since 1978.

 

[AzorianPats]

The draft, just like the SB should change from city to city every year.

 

[hwc]

Wow! The tv coverage of this draft was one of the most annoying things I've ever seen. Thank goodness I had recorded it and wasn't trying to view it live.

I checked out both ESPN and NFLN, but only taped NFLN because they showed a more complete list of the upcoming picks, and I could fast forward through everything until the next interesting team came along. In less than an hour I got to see all of the Pats and AFCE picks.

I don't think I'll take in the draft anymore though. It's too confusing to watch. Plus, Goodell makes it worse.

Any thoughts?

I never even turned on ESPN. I watched a little of NFLN, while I was cooking dinner, but it was unbearable listening to Mike Mayock prattle on about "vertical" and "3-cone". Plus, they always went to commercial when the Pats were on the clock so there wasn't even any decent Pats talk. I DVR'd all of the NFLN draft coverage each day, but deleted it without going back to watch a single minute of it.

The only way to follow the draft is online with the round by round draft picker. You can see who is on the clock, see the picks that have been made, and click a name to find out who a player is if you even care. I listened to a bit of Sirius XM NFL radio during the draft. They had their whole lineup -- Kirwin, Miller, Phil Savage, Gil Brandt, etc. It was OK, but it will be much better this coming week looking back at how the pieces fit for each team. Most of their commentators spent the week at the Senior Bowl (Savage is the Exec. Director as well as ex-NFL personnel guy and play-by-play radio color guy for Alabama), so they will be very familiar with several of the players the Pats took.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Yeah, that's the last draft I'll tune in for, and this is coming from someone who used to watch it religiously. Tuned in for maybe 2 hours worth of all three days and it was painfully unwatchable. Both stations were bad but NFLN was by far the worst.

 

[1960Pats]

On coverage:

1) Both networks seemed programmed to go to commercial whenever NE picked. I watched NFLN, took a nap, then did rd 6 on at ESPN... seemed to happen way too often.

On staging:

1) So much cooler than "Radio City Kiss NY's Ass Music Hall..." Chicago really actually made it an event. If they'll build a whole draft TOWN around the draft, give it to em again next year. Plus the traditional JEST boo-birds didn't overpower the whole experience.

2) Picks from random fans with dread diseases or who just came back from a war or lost their children to dread diseases? Get stuffed. Don't like it. Work in more T&A or something and just do the picks from the Podium, Goodell and all.

3) Early on I thought I noticed some Goodell-booing, but I might have misinterpreted. If so, that's a good sign.

1a) It really did seem that the networks went for the break when the Pats pick was up. Just because we're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after us.

1b) They announced that there were 100,000 fans there. Amazing.

2) You prefer to have Goody the Jet announce the players instead of fans? Come on now, think about what you're saying.

3) Goody was booed just about every moment he spoke. It was kind of funny hearing the fans go from booing him to cheering the former players and right back to booing as soon as Goody spoke again.

 

[Username]

I watched NFLN, I can't watch ESPN because Kiper infuriates me.

Having said that I might watch ESPN next year because NFLN's coverage has become the extremely unfunny Rich Eisen show, even more so than ever before. The dude must be incredibly insecure because he makes the whole thing about him, it's one massive attention seeking vessel. "Wow. Teams are picking players, and I've got some pretty decent analysts in Mayock, Jeremiah and Davis here beside me, but let's not talk football. Let's be irreverent and wacky instead and talk about everything but football. Wow. Chicago, things that look like other things, puns, bouncy castles and let's keep going to Melissa Stark for no apparent reason. God, I'm such a wild card, maverick renegade. Wow. Rich Eisen here. And the Cowboys just picked someone in the 3rd round who was projected to go in the 3rd round. Wow. Back after these."

 

[DarrylS]

I choose not to watch the draft on the NFL.. the internet provides less hysterical views of what is going on..

What I did see on various you tube segments only confirmed that this extravaganza is getting less appealing to my demographic.. bunch of self aggrandizing media whores, who loudly proclaim; "Oh look at me, look at how smart I am" after every pick.... Mayock, Kiper, Eisen etc. are a bunch of self loathing narcissists...

 

[Marinlik]

On coverage:

1) Both networks seemed programmed to go to commercial whenever NE picked. I watched NFLN, took a nap, then did rd 6 on at ESPN... seemed to happen way too often.

I'd bet that they had commercial when the pats picked no more than for other teams, but because you are a pats fan and waiting for the pick you notice it. But when another team that you don't care about as much gets a commercial when they pick you simply don't care and don't take notice of it.

 

[letekro]

I'd bet that they had commercial when the pats picked no more than for other teams, but because you are a pats fan and waiting for the pick you notice it. But when another team that you don't care about as much gets a commercial when they pick you simply don't care and don't take notice of it.

That makes no sense. The reason is clearly the Global Conspiracy to Destroy the New England Patriots and Antagonize and Frustrate Their Fanbase. Duh