Although it wasn't really shorter, it felt snappier and more focused. Not having butt loads of fans, players, random people making selections helped. It felt a little old school, back in the days when it wasn't a mega event. Also was really cool seeing inside the actual homes of players, GMs and Coaches. Seeing kids, pets, interaction, families, decor choices... interesting and humanizing. I wish we didn't have to go back to the giant citywide party, but hopefully they get good takeaways and are smart about it. Biggest issue for me was Wingo and ESPN insisting om bringing up borderline hyping dead family members. My dudes, no thanks.
It took 30 minutes just to announce Burrow on Day 1. It would have been worse with the whole pageancy aspect. I heard they were gonna have the picks come to a podium in the middle of a fountain on a boat? Jesus. The radio City thing that they do is fine but I'd much rather have something like this. Goodell has to ease on the Xanax or whatever he was on the first two nights.
And, Trey Wingo was disaster. Either his notes were bad or he was just way off. I don't watch ESPN much anymore but it looks like he aged 30 years since the last time I've seen him. And his wardrobe was particularly bad.
considering the ones from a city didn't focus on the death of someone in the family for every single draft pick, i'll go with city.
I love this draft. Just don't have to point out everyone's sob story. Maybe if it is interesting like the guy coming from Nigeria like Prince from Auburn. That was an interesting story. However, too many people have had someone who was close to them that has died. After a while it just isn't interesting anymore, and when people look back at this as one of their favorite days they probably would like it if they weren't reminded of one of their worst.
It was pretty odd because you usually see one or two stories like that every year. But this year it seemed like every other player had a tragedy in their lifetime. I mean the kid whose Dad died and then his brother got struck by lightning playing baseball? Insane. Do you think it was because it was they didn't really have immediate access to the players and coaches for interviews and they had to rely on these stories? Or, was it just an odd year that these kids drafted had crazy tragedies happen to them more so than other years?
They need to shorten the first round. No one needs that much time between picks. You did your homework just have them work on trades 10 mins is plenty IMHO
I want it to go back to how it was in the 90s, honestly. A program for NFL diehards who care deeply about this process, and not something for the casual fan who wanders in. I don't want it to be loud. I don't want live music. I don't want to hear about the players' personal lives whatsoever. I want any interviews to football focused, and for the players who are there at the event to be chosen based on being good communicators. Tell me about the player. Tell me how he played in college. Tell me how he fits with his new team. Give opinions about whether it was a good pick or not. Next.
Just show some of these guys working out shirtless if necessary haha. Easy fix imo, I do think they tried it as human interest and to cover for lack of direct interviews and not having them at the event. However, it was just too damn much. Like it can be one person's story, find something else for others. Surely some of these kids have SOMETHING interesting in their history!?!? Man, I just DO NOT miss having players and fans and other random people announcing picks. With rare exception most of them are borderline painful, mess up names, make unfunny jokes, etc. Get em gone. Draft should be about the players, not a bunch of has-beens.
Weren't you going to the Vegas one? If so, have you gone to any before? Were you going because you were interested in the football aspects, or more into being part of the party, especially in Vegas? Would you have the same opinion of next year's Cleveland draft? Sorry, lots of questions, just curious!!
I don't miss that either. I am fine with one make a wish kid per round or something like that. But when you get to 15 or so of them per round it is just annoying.
I live in Vegas, so you can say I was highly disappointed that I was not able to experience this draft, especially with how many picks we had.
Don't worry. He said ya'll gonna host it next year. At least I think that is what he meant. He messed up the year, and said 2020, when he was announcing it.
I don't care either way as long as they cut out some of the unnecessary non-football stuff. It's getting so commercialized, it's almost becoming unwatchable.
I got tired of seeing Goodell announcing the picks with little energy- in my opinion he shouldn't be the one doing it. Let him announce #1 and #256. What they should have done for this virtual draft was let a HOF from each team announce their picks...that gets their fans excited and creates much more of a connection to the pick. What irked me even more though was when we saw "the pick is in" but then we'd watch 5 minutes of a recorded piece on a different pick...or someone they're projecting to be taken soon. Personally, I think it would be cool to personalize the entire draft for the fans and put us in the Dolphins bunker for the entire draft- let all 32 teams have their own announcers/streams that talk about their rebuilding process, who they're keying on, etc. To me, that would be INCREDIBLE and it would get a lot more people paying attention. Of course, that announcer wouldn't have a high level knowledge of our draft board, but they could still talk about potential fits and stuff like that. I really liked the virtual format overall but at the same time, I thought they completely blew it by over-producing the whole process. I don't need to hear every draft pick's life story...I'd much rather have that three hour focus on our team.
2022, the one next year is already announced for cleveland 2021, which will probably have just as many people as this years. bc cleveland is hell.
That would be neat. Though the "the pick is in" then waiting for five minutes is much better than previous years. They used to just have ten picks go by. Announce the ten picks. Then go back to interviewing a coach about what he thought about it. I enjoyed the players being with their families. I have no idea what is added by having them there. Especially for the poor people who drop in the draft. Then it is them looking sad in a suit. While not perfect, I still think this was the most entertaining draft from top to bottom.
I dont like all the obituaries Trey Wingo kept on and on, almost every other draftee.. next time, tell the players to honor their loved ones with some sort of photograph or light message. You can fit that in, 10-15 seconds.. instead of a two minute segment of each time someone drafted had a dead parent.. that aside, the NFL proved that you cant dent the shield, theyre going to always to win, and win big. A few glitches here and there, but they smashed tv records, and just showed that they always have and will be kings of all sports.
Lol I hate all the old guys taking 20 minutes to shuffle put, stare at the card and then botch the name personally. I do like the idea of a team specific draft, but that seems like it would have to be set up by the teams and produced/broadcast by them rather than ESPN or NFLN.
Goodell did a crap job this year, no question. Whether he was tired, or drunk, or just apathetic, it wasn't good. However, I would still prefer to have someone from the league office do it, and do a good job with it.
They should get Pat McAfee or some other personality to do it. Someone who is good at being a presenter. Goodell is not a good presenter.
McAfee is a sideshow. Believe me, I've been familiar with the dude since he was both the kicker and punter for my Mountaineers. Fine guy to have as a radio host, but not someone in charge of something that should be serious.
Did you make a bid to watch a Monday night football game with Goodell in his man cave? ;-) Even if I had those kind of resources, which I don't (poor boy here), I am not sure I could handle it. No offense to him, he probably would make a gracious host, but he seems a little too formal and stuffy for me. Now, hook me up with watching a game with Channing Crowder, and I'm in! We can watch it while fishing on his boat!
Did each draftee household have access to all 32 teams hats? That's what I was wondering more than anything. For instance...How did Jordan Love obtain a Green Bay hat? Did each kid receive a box of all 32 teams New Era hats??? If so...Holy Crap!
I live in So Cal so it was going to be a 4 hour drive. We had lots of picks and it was my buddies BDay. Plus it looked really cool in Nashville. Lots of energy. I don’t follow college ball that much so I don’t know any of the players that we’ll. I haven’t been to Vegas in 10 years so it just a chance to get away with a bunch of football fans.