As expected, the NFL officially announced today that the 2014 draft will be May 8-10 at Radio City Music Hall. The late date is due to a scheduling conflict at the Hall.
However, the release included this interesting statement from the NFL:
“No decision has been made regarding the dates of the NFL Draft in 2015 and beyond. A variety of alternatives are being explored, teams were told, including holding the draft at Radio City or at other locations, either in the New York area or in other cities.”
Yes, it’s time to move the draft to other cities. It is getting old listening to Jets fans whine about their picks. Let other fans have a chance to complain.
Besides, the draft is becoming more and more of spectacle. Moving it around would give the draft a different feel, which would add unique qualities to the telecasts.
It won’t be long before the draft is in arenas and even stadiums. Imagine the scene when Mel Kiper Jr. gets introduced on draft night to 70,000 people. I want to be there for that one.
You still have three months’ notice to host a NFL Draft under the following proposal; award the draft to the city whose team has the best playoff record, on the condition that the city hosted neither the Superbowl nor the draft in the past five years. In practice, Superbowl finalists will be awarded the draft most of the time.
The NHL has had some success with changing the draft venues every year, so why couldn’t the NFL do so? Many teams are shut out from in-person draft access… and the draft is but one of the things a NFL fan looks forward to in any given year.