Draft Woes

Change Hurts

By Matt Shanley

I don’t hate the National Football League. As a matter of fact, I love it with every beat of my heart. I love the preseason, I love the awful commentators, and, maybe more than anything else, I love the draft.

It combines my passion for college athletics with the allure of the professional ranks, and, in all honesty, where else can you see a disaster of a haircut like you can see on Mel Kiper?

But honestly, NFL, what gives?

This year, the first round of the draft takes place on a Thursday night. The second round takes place on Friday night. The remaining rounds will take place over the course of the weekend. Instead of viewing the entire thing of two days, Commissioner Roger Goodell decided it would be a good idea to spread the draft out over a four-day process so the event could get some primetime air play on national television.

Call me a fan, call me a loser, call me crazy, but I’d much rather sit on my couch for two full days watching the entire event several rounds at a time than spread the process out round-by-round.

I’m a college student. Do you know what Thursday and Friday nights mean to me, Mr. Goodell? I’m guessing your answer is “No.” These two nights are my nights to relax. Thursdays and Fridays are my time to forget about school, chill out, and, yeah, you caught me, become a victim of binge drinking. I don’t want to have to worry about how the Giants are going to blow their first-round pick on an I-don’t-like-to-cover-corner. I’d rather do that on a Saturday afternoon while I recover from the previous evening of shenanigans.

More importantly, though, what about the college students the NFL will be inviting into the green room for this fateful event? Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has been projected to be drafted anywhere between the first and fifth rounds this year. Is he going to go to Radio City Music Hall four days in a row just to hear his name called?

I sure wouldn’t. In spite of his past successes and the potential that his future holds, that’s simply embarrassing. Even the proudest of Alabama Crimson Tide fans would begin to feel sorry for the kid.

Hopefully, the NFL will revert back to its original process sooner rather than later. Much like holding the Pro Bowl in Miami, as opposed to Hawaii, the Sunday before the Super Bowl, instead of the week after, this switch simply doesn’t make sense.

I’d say I’ll boycott viewing the selection process this year, but I’d be lying. Beware, though, Rowan speakeasy attendees: a few drinks in and my reactions to certain draft picks may be a little angrier than usual.