Has anyone ever waited for paint dry?
It is a long, slow, agonizing process. While it may be dry in one place where the new paint has been applied, it may still need hours or even days to reach a point where it can be considered dry.
No matter how much you wait, twiddling your thumbs in the process, doing anything possible to kill time, the torture just never seems to end.
This is what waiting for the NFL Draft has become this year.
When Roger Goodell announced that the NFL Draft would be moved to May this year, most probably never gave it a second thought. The reason for the move was because Radio City Music Hall-the home of the draft for draft since 2006-would be hosting an Easter program in April. Rather than attempt to find a new venue, the decision was made to shift the draft back three weeks into early May so Radio City could still be used.
No big deal, right? Wrong. Absolutely, positively wrong.
Moving the draft back has left a massive void in terms of coverage for the NFL. A gigantic black hole of nothingness. To be very blunt, it sucks.
There are only so many mock drafts one can look at leading up to the draft. While they are fun to read and somewhat informative, after a while they all start to look basically the same. Add the fact that mock drafts are basically pulling a name out out of a hat and attaching that player to a team, and they tend to lose their value over time. Adding an additional three weeks of mock drafts does not help anyone.
The coverage of this dead period leading up to the draft on TV and radio as been equally challenging. What is there to discuss that has not already been discussed? An in depth analysis of every player’s Wonderlic score? Player’s shoe size? Their favorite color? Pet names? The networks and their announcers are not to blame either. The NFL is king, and talking about the Draft is par for the course leading up to the festivities. However, it would be fair to say that at this point the content being discussed is rather flimsy.
And to think there are only another two and a half weeks to go before the draft!
Woo. Frickin’. Hoo.
Moving the draft to May because of the show at Radio City Music Hall might have made sense at the time. Why try to find a new venue for such a large event when it can just be rescheduled a few weeks? Goodell probably thought nothing of it when the decision was made. Most of us probably didn’t.
We now know how things should be: the NFL Draft should be in April every year. Period. End of story. No more drafts in May. Ever.
These next few weeks waiting for it are going to be like watching paint dry-torture. Just like the past few have been.
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John Rehor is a writer at PackersTalk.com.
He can also be heard as one of the Co-Hosts of Cheesehead Radio. ---------------------
8 responses to “Waiting for the NFL Draft is Worse Than Watching Paint Dry”
Beyond this being wearisome for fans, it’s hard on players as well. That extra two weeks of team workouts takes a toll on these kids. After the draft, they then go into rookie minicamps, OTA’s and other team activities. Give ’em a break!
The May draft compresses phase II of free agency. It’s unfair to veterans who find themselves on a roster bubble.
Is it just me? Or, should the NFL Draft be a moveable feast? Radio City Music Hall is nice…If you live in the vacinity, but the NFL should use different venues, bringing the draft to the fans.
As a guy who has had to write something new, and interesting about the same draft prospects every week for three months, this May draft sucks.
I feel bad for you draftniks. It’s difficult enough to find enough to write about when the draft is in April. This year must truly be agony. Seriously.
I personally believe the draft should travel between each NFL city. Give the cities a chance to show off a little bit, give those cities some national exposure while generating revenue for the local area, and give fans throughout the country the chance to attend, not just those in close proximity to New York.
I’d love to see this happen. Do I think it ever will? No. And that’s actually kind of sad if you ask me.
It is a shame. Money talks. I doubt they will ever get it out of NYC
I’m currently working on my 3rd Packer mock draft,and I LOVE the draft, but I hope they move it back to April next year. There is a finite amount you can write/talk about the draft and have it still be interesting.
“I’m currently working on my 3rd Packer mock draft”
In the biz this is what is known as a tease
Look for it tomorrow afternoon at Packerstalk.com : )