NFL Draft 2008: Time to ‘Believe in Now’
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Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL
This was my fifth straight year covering the NFL Draft on-location in New York City. It never gets old for me. With each passing season, the Draft brings with it a new hope for all 32 teams. And it’s always exciting to be a part of that. I travel to the Super Bowl, to the Scouting Combine, to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement weekend, and to select preseason and regular season games. Each is special in its own right and I enjoy them all, but none quite compares to my love for the NFL Draft.
Photos by David Kindervater
This year, I was among nearly 450 media covering the Draft (not including ESPN and NFL Network who send huge teams). That includes 13 of the top 20 newspapers; media from 12 states plus the District of Columbia; television outlets such as ABC News, CBS News and CNN; international media from England and Japan; and non-sports media such as Forbes, the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal.
The 2008 NFL Draft featured a new “streamlined” format — a later (3 p.m. EST) starting time and shorter time frame for teams to make their selections (10 minutes in today’s first- and second-rounds). It worked. The faster pace kept things exciting and interesting. The first-round concluded in just three hours and 30 minutes, the fastest time since 1990. Check out my 2008 NFL Draft first-round analysis with NFL Draft guru Lloyd Vance.
Photos by David Kindervater
After I got settled into my spot in the press box at Radio City Music Hall, I ventured across the street to check out NFL Draft Fan Central. Like last year, fans had the opportunity to participate in several interactive football activities typically offered during NFL Experience events in the Super Bowl host cities. Among the activities offered at NFL Draft Fan Central were “Quarterback Challenge,” “Goal to Go,” “Stadium Bounce” and “Red Zone.” Fans could also visit the Autograph Stage to meet players from the Giants and Jets and had a chance to win Draft tickets. Those who weren’t lucky enough to get inside could watch live coverage of the Draft on the NFL Network big screen. NFL partners like Hummer, Sprint, Sirius NFL Radio, EA Sports and others had product displays with additional interactive elements. It’s a fun “carnival of football” and takes up a whole block of Manhattan real estate — 51st Street between 6th and 7th avenues.
Once back in the press box, I “enjoyed the show” and offered my thoughts on each of the 31 first-round Draft picks. I also traveled back and forth between the interview room downstairs where the six players (Glenn Dorsey, Vernon Gholston, Chris Long, Jake Long, Darren McFadden and Matt Ryan) who were invited to the Draft were conducting pressers with their families also in attendance. Naturally, Chris Long’s Hall of Fame dad Howie got the most attention. The NFL and Radio City also provided meals for the media across from the Interview Room.
From start to finish, it was a 22-hour day for me (a new record which beat my 21-hour Super Bowl XLII Media Day in Arizona this past January). It was an exhausting day. And of course, it was all worth it.
Tags: Chris Long, Darren-McFadden, Glenn Dorsey, Jake Long, Matt Ryan, NFL Draft, NFL Draft 2008, Radio City Music Hall, Vernon GholstonRelated Stories
POSTED IN: NFL Draft
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