Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock somewhere you know that the NFL moved its draft back to May 8-10. For years the draft was held in late April and for the past few it’s been scheduled for the last Thursday in April, concluding on the last Saturday.
In 2013 Roger Goodell, who is about as sincere as Lindsay Lohan is to her NA sponsor, said the change was needed in 2014 because the league’s draft venue of choice, Radio City Music Hall, was hosting an Easter show during the month of April, 2014.
And that prompted the Commish to then conclude, “At this late stage, for us to do it the right way, we don’t see having any choice but to move the date.”
Interestingly enough, the Easter Bunny won’t be at RCMH this month at all. In fact the venue’s schedule lists exactly ZERO performances in April.
Can we please stop with the BS Roger?
We’re all big boys and girls here. If you don’t think for a second that the larceny in your heart doesn’t shine brighter than Rhianna’s diamond, well then maybe I can interest you in some stock for this new payphone company.
Can we just call a spade a spade please?
The NFL pushed the draft back with the hope that they could extend the interest of the viewing public a couple of extra weeks. That means more dragged out content for their NFL Network and website, which as we know means more advertising dollars.
GRAB THAT CASH WITH BOTH HANDS AND MAKE A STASH!
The truth be told, the league is blowing it.
Interest at this time of the year isn’t what it was a year ago.
By now we would know what the league’s schedule is for the entire season. Tickets would be sold. Trips would be planned. Corporate suite parties would be arranged and so on and so forth.
Next Thursday would be the draft and after the draft fans would be excited about their team’s new toys and hang on every word of every report of every organized team activity provided by every media outlet.
That buzz would continue right up to the annual break which starts in mid-June right into mid-July at which time the buzz would begin to swell about training camp, then preseason games and then right into the season.
Unless you are a fan of the Cleveland Browns, that buzz would resonate for most right up to Christmas and for many up to and beyond the start of 2015.
The only real hole in the NFL calendar was that June 15-July 15 window. And not many seemed to care much because millions of families vacationed within that window.
Now, thanks to Goodell’s greed and his imaginary hop down the Radio City bunny trail, the NFL has created a new hole. The buzz from the Scouting Combines through free agency and into the NFL Draft was one continuous offseason. Pushing the draft out without altering the other dates has created a gap.
The free agency buzz is gone.
The draft talk is already beginning to wear a bit thin and there are still 20 days to go.
Hey, maybe Roger plans to release the schedule one week at a time for the next 17 days beginning Monday on NFL Network.
Moral of the story Mr. Commissioner…
Gordon Gekko isn’t always right!
Greed isn’t always good.
