There’s been a lot of buzz lately regarding the logistics and timing of the NFL Draft, which has been pushed back from April to May and might stay there, and which also might become a four-day event, only half a decade after the league expanded it from two days to three.
Oh, and there’s also talk that the draft could go on the road.
On the surface, that sounds fine. Why remain married to Radio City Music Hall in New York when you can market one of your largest annual events to different cities such across the nation? Doing so wouldn’t change things for television viewers, and I can’t see how it would have a negative impact on anyone involved.
But this idea, mentioned Tuesday by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, takes things too far:
One possibility would be having the draft in a different city for each of the three (or perhaps four) days of the event, which would give it a natural freshness and energy each and every day.
Setting aside that doing so would become a logistical nightmare of epic proportions, the idea that any major venue could sell, for example, Rounds 5-7 of the NFL Draft is outlandish. I know that whatever Roger Goodell touches turns to gold, but I think placing the late rounds solely in different cities would have disastrous results in terms of fan interest, ticket sales and overall atmosphere.
Remember what Mark Cuban said about the NFL becoming a fat hog on the verge of slaughter? It’s silly, over-the-top ideas like these that have me wondering if he had a point.
