Following the NFL Draft: Past vs. Present Thoughts

[Hyped]

In the past, I would follow half of the draft all day on a Saturday. I'd even host a party with the TV on and have two computer screens...one for following the draft and another for commenting on message boards or doing player look up/research. Then on Sunday, I'd be less involved...but still following on the computer while watching something else on TV.

Present, I just watch a little bit of the 1st round on Thursday...then for the rest of it...I refresh my iPhone every 30-45 minutes and do a little research into the Pats' picks as well as offensive rookies for FFL purposes.

Amazing how much it has changed....and this year's event is in Dallas...wonder how many people will show up...60K+?!?!?!?

I really don't like the new format...haven't for the last few years. I think that coupled with the Pats trading down in the draft or trading picks for vet players has killed the excitement for me somewhat. However, this year with 4 picks in the first two rounds I can't wait for Thursday, but will also be watching the Celts game (they shoulda won yesterday, d%#*[email protected] B's tonight...close it out!).

 

[SammyBlueCat]

I have never been to or hosted a party for the draft. Let's be happy that the league or any other forces of darkness have not manufactured another controversy to steal our picks again. everyone guesses and most guesses are wrong. I do remember a poster here posting pictures of Jerod Mayo the day before the draft the year he was picked.

 

[holyredeemer]

In the past, I would follow half of the draft all day on a Saturday. I'd even host a party with the TV on and have two computer screens...one for following the draft and another for commenting on message boards or doing player look up/research. Then on Sunday, I'd be less involved...but still following on the computer while watching something else on TV.

Present, I just watch a little bit of the 1st round on Thursday...then for the rest of it...I refresh my iPhone every 30-45 minutes and do a little research into the Pats' picks as well as offensive rookies for FFL purposes.

Amazing how much it has changed....and this year's event is in Dallas...wonder how many people will show up...60K+?!?!?!?

I really don't like the new format...haven't for the last few years. I think that coupled with the Pats trading down in the draft or trading picks for vet players has killed the excitement for me somewhat. However, this year with 4 picks in the first two rounds I can't wait for Thursday, but will also be watching the Celts game (they shoulda won yesterday, d%#*[email protected] B's tonight...close it out!).

I’m gonna save you some time. Pats are going to double dip at the LB position in rd. 1 and select LVE & Evans. We are then going to trade up to the beginning of the 2nd rd and select Rudolph. After that, we’ll select a few offensive lineman, a safety and a DE project no one has ever heard of but tested well. Oh, and a CB and maybe a CB/S hybrid out there. The real excitement is going to be the big haul of priority UDFA’s we pick up. Of course we will trade all over the place to make this happen.

Who am I kidding. We are gonna trade the first pick into next year. With our 2nd first rd pick, we will grab an OT or DB most have pegged for rd 4-6. Pick a few high injury risk/high reward guys in the 2nd & a bunch of ST’s guys the rest of the way. But I’m gonna stick with the haul of priority UDFA’s.

 

[borg]

A draft party ......with an actual TV on?



And about computer #2....Your guests would rather post thoughts to anonymous people on message boards than communicate with other party goers?
I'm wondering how many invitations to the opposite sex were declined.
Were Sheldon and Raj there?

Sorry...I just couldn't help myself. Ball teed up so high

 

[Hyped]

A draft party ......with an actual TV on?



And about computer #2....Your guests would rather post thoughts to anonymous people on message boards than communicate with other party goers?
I'm wondering how many invitations to the opposite sex were declined.
Were Sheldon and Raj there?

Sorry...I just couldn't help myself. Ball teed up so high

LOL, in those days I invited people and BBQ'd a little then they "disappeared" when they realized that I was nuts .

 

[Hyped]

And I was the only one on the MB's.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I think the draft is much more exciting for those who follow college football.
I only care who we pick ...
I like watching rounds 1-3 ... I have given up predicting what Belichick will do.

 

[mgteich]

Don't we all have the TV on (using the DVR or pause to skip commercials), with a computer next to us to investigate or post on, and written lists of players available that we cross off when someone else takes them?

In the past, I would follow half of the draft all day on a Saturday. I'd even host a party with the TV on and have two computer screens...one for following the draft and another for commenting on message boards or doing player look up/research. Then on Sunday, I'd be less involved...but still following on the computer while watching something else on TV.

Present, I just watch a little bit of the 1st round on Thursday...then for the rest of it...I refresh my iPhone every 30-45 minutes and do a little research into the Pats' picks as well as offensive rookies for FFL purposes.

Amazing how much it has changed....and this year's event is in Dallas...wonder how many people will show up...60K+?!?!?!?

I really don't like the new format...haven't for the last few years. I think that coupled with the Pats trading down in the draft or trading picks for vet players has killed the excitement for me somewhat. However, this year with 4 picks in the first two rounds I can't wait for Thursday, but will also be watching the Celts game (they shoulda won yesterday, d%#*[email protected] B's tonight...close it out!).

 

[primetime]

Watching the draft is miserably depressing and a thoroughly hateful experience and I look forward to doing it once again this Thursday evening.

 

[mgteich]

Watching the draft is miserably depressing and a thoroughly hateful experience and I look forward to doing it once again this Thursday evening.

yup.

Even this year, we may come out of Thursday night with a trade down in the 2nd and a trade into 2019.

 

[Hyped]

Don't we all have the TV on (using the DVR or pause to skip commercials), with a computer next to us to investigate or post on, and written lists of players available that we cross off when someone else takes them?

This what I was getting at...I used to do this on draft Saturday...it was like Xmas morning... not any more ...

 

[manxman2601]

Watching the draft is miserably depressing and a thoroughly hateful experience and I look forward to doing it once again this Thursday evening.

100% this.

 

[DarrylS]

Not sure how long ago it was, but remember well the days when ESPN on Saturday had their regularly scheduled programming and scrolled along the bottom the draft picks, no live coverage, no "experts".. a fan has to scramble in their "Street and Smith's" draft review to figure out who the guy was...

But now the NFL and its "marketing geniuses" has managed to turn this into a multi billion dollar event, complete with a host of prognosticators all of whom make cash off of this event.. the endless drone of Kyper, Maycock et al has turned it into an increasingly aggravating activity...

This year Parrots will be announcing the picks in Dallas for the Bucs... not sure how this will all end.

 

[ATippett56]

Less than 72 hours from NY Jets Armageddon:

 

[stinkypete]

This what I was getting at...I used to do this on draft Saturday...it was like Xmas morning... not any more ...

Agreed, the last draft I watched was 2009. I hate the 3 day format, and I'm not staying up until midnight on a work night.

 

[maineman209]

Watching the draft is miserably depressing and a thoroughly hateful experience and I look forward to doing it once again this Thursday evening.

It's somewhat more tolerable of you leave the sound off.

 

[Nunchucks]

I used to get together on Saturdays with my friends have a have a big party for the draft. Beer and great food with lots of fun football talk and fantasy football trade talk.

I have been boycotting ever since they changed the date to Thursday night.

 

[maineman209]

not sure how this will all end.

Painted turtles.

After this, it's painted turtles all the way down.

There was a time when the game itself was the event, the "show", and the players were the stars. It was nice when a game was broadcast on television. No music aside from the marching bands and pep bands. No graphics cluttering up the screen.

MNF, unbeknownst to us at the time, heralded a sea change in perspective. Now, the broadcast is The SHOW, and the commentators and analysts are the stars and "production values" dominate everything - to the point where, before every game, coaches and some players have a meeting with the broadcast's producer, director and booth guys to preview the contest so that they can develop their pre-scripted talking points and attached camera shots.

The game itself is just there to support their talking points. The aspects that matter to actual fans of the game - things that often happen where the ball isn't - don't really matter much to The SHOW. And entire parts of the game - particularly special teams plays - ceased to matter at all quite some time ago. When kickoffs go away, the billion fans that the NFL has acquired over the last twenty years probably won't miss them a bit.

Anyway, the draft, now moved into primetime for two nights, is merely another symptom of this affliction, another triumph of The SHOW.

 

[Uptown]

Here are the projected times for the Patriots draft picks

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Years ago ( 2007-09 I took my near teen sons up to NY and the draft. We waited in line for 6 hours the first year to get tickets. The next year we went on the second day and got tickets for year three.. Back then the talking heads would get tipped off to the picks 30-045 seconds before it was announced which is why they sounded so smart....
I don't knoe if they still are but it was interesting seeing a name pop up on th teleprompter and then then listed it as 1 of 3 possible selections for the team..