So what are some of your earliest memories of the NFL Draft? I'm in my mid 40s so I remember the days before it was televised and not really a big deal at all. However, I remember getting hooked at an early age and have ALWAYS been a draft geek.
My first real memory of the draft was in 1982. I was 12 years old and in 6th grade. I grew up a Bears fan since that was my dad's team. They were sorely needing a QB and my dad was hoping they'd draft Jim McMahon. So of course they draft him and my dad calls me at school to let me know they got him and we were both pumped.
That was my first real taste of the draft and I've been hooked ever since. I remember watching it on TV all weekend and feeling like a total football nerd but still loving it. It's grown so much over the years but the importance of it has never changed. I was definitely in on the ground floor with following it though and it's been fun seeing others join in on the fun.
So that's it for me. What about you guys?
I'm in my mid 40s and remember following the 1983 draft on ESPN. It used to be televised on Tuesday mornings. After that, I used to skip school to try to watch it.
I remember seeing the Jeff Lageman pick by the Jets and the Jets fans going nuts because they wanted Rison. That was 1989...which was a great draft at the top (Aikman, Mandarich, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders [with the Mr. T. starter set] and Broderick Thomas.
I remember the drafts of the 1990s pretty well.
The 1994 draft was the infamous "Who the hell is Mel Kiper" draft.
I recall the 1995 draft seeing Boselli hold up that teal jersey, and ESPN interviewing TC, who was beaming with pride over the selection. That was the same draft the Jets fans wanted Warren Sapp, who fell due to rumors of marijuana use. Instead they picked Kyle Brady, which prompted the Jets fans to go insane. This happened right in front of Cleveland, who was coached by Belichick, who wanted Brady. He was so ticked to see Brady taken before him, he traded from 10 all the way down to the bottom of the first round, where the 49ers took J.J. Stokes.
Lots of different memories regarding the draft.
I don't think I started watching the draft until maybe 7-8 years ago. When I started watching football in the 70's, I used just to see who the Rams drafted, the first team I rooted for, from my local news that night. I think the web is what got me interested in the draft because of the mock drafts online now and wondering who team x is going to draft ahead of team y, etc
First draft I ever watched was 2001 when we picked Stroud. Of course, I was still very young so I thought WRs and RBs were the only positions worth taking. I was so mad we didn't get David Terrell or Koren Robinson instead of some boring lineman. I'd say it ended up working in our favor.
My favorite draft memory was 2003 when the Vikings ran out their clock and we ran up to the podium and drafted Byron. I loved Brunell but I knew he was getting old and I was 1000% sure Leftwich would be a superstar.
My worst draft memory was 2010, when Goodell walked up to the podium and announced to the world we drafted Tyson Alualu. My first reaction was "at least it wasn't Tebow" immediately followed by "who the [BLEEP] is Tyson Alualu?"
Honorable mention for worst was when we took Anger in the 3rd round. I knew right then that I was done with gene smith and it was the only time I felt ashamed to be a Jags fan.
All in all I love the draft and I watch almost every round every year. I do miss the draft being an all weekend event. Not a huge fan of the Thursday night 1st round but whatever.
Good stuff Bullseye (I'm not able to quote for some reason). I think the 1994 draft is really when it started to take off. That was my favorite decade for the draft.
This decade's probably my least favorite. The red carpet, the split over three days, only Round One on Thursday... It's too showtime now. It feels like the Oscars. I almost enjoy days two and three better now.
I remember just reading it in the paper the next day.
When ESPN came along they didn't have any major league ties and were broadcasting stuff like Swedish fencing, Australian Rules Football, and the International Arm Wrestling Championship. When they started broadcasting the NFL draft, people thought they were nuts. There were a handful of fans in attendance wearing Jets and Giants jerseys, and there was one draftnik in the world, Mel Kiper, Jr.
The 2005 draft, my best friend was over my house and we were watching it and I was waiting for the Jags to pick. I ended up missing the Jags pick because I had to go to the bathroom so bad I couldn't hold it. LOL. But when i came back, my friend was like "The Jags got this awesome freak wide receiver. Matt Jones I think his name was?" At the time I was pumped. "No way! That guy is 6'6 240 and ran a 4.3!"
Then we kept watching to see where Aaron Rodgers would go. Once he finally got drafted, I don't know why, but we both celebrated with an awesome high five. I'll never forget that. Not even packers fans. I think we were just really happy he finally got picked.
The next year, 2006 draft, me and my same friend had just got back from Grad Bash in Orlando that same day. Got home from Grad Bash super early in the morning and he slept over my house. We ended up sleeping just a couple hours cause we got up in time to watch the draft. He's a Jets fan, so he was super pumped when he heard the Jets were trying to trade up for Reggie Bush, cause that's who he wanted them to get. They ended up with Ferguson, which was my prediction they'd get, so we had a good laugh about it and that was that.
Watched 2007 with him too and we will both never forget the reaction after the Dolphins drafted Ted Ginn. All-time classic!
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I remember seeing the Jeff Lageman pick by the Jets and the Jets fans going nuts because they wanted Rison. That was 1989...which was a great draft at the top (Aikman, Mandarich, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders [with the Mr. T. starter set] and Broderick Thomas.
Related to what you mentioned, Mel Kiper Jr. went on tirade about the Jets not understanding draft value when they drafted Jeff Lageman with pick # 14. Then Jets G.M. Mike Hickey blasted Kiper. That was an epic scene!
Quote:Good stuff Bullseye (I'm not able to quote for some reason). I think the 1994 draft is really when it started to take off. That was my favorite decade for the draft.
This decade's probably my least favorite. The red carpet, the split over three days, only Round One on Thursday... It's too showtime now. It feels like the Oscars. I almost enjoy days two and three better now.
I thought the draft was best when it was done over two days-Saturday and Sunday. You could plan your whole weekend around watching it. Now? Pffft. Goodell messed it up again.
I lived in Seattle as a kid and my earliest memory is actually the 1987 Supplemental Draft. It was when the Seahawks took Brian Bosworth. The team had been mostly terrible and everyone thought Bosworth was the franchise savior.
Quote:I thought the draft was best when it was done over two days-Saturday and Sunday. You could plan your whole weekend around watching it. Now? Pffft. Goodell messed it up again.
If I had my way, the draft would go back to Tuesday Mornings, as you brought up great memories of those days!
Quote:I thought the draft was best when it was done over two days-Saturday and Sunday. You could plan your whole weekend around watching it. Now? Pffft. Goodell messed it up again.
Yep. Saturday-Sunday with a noon start. I liked the 15 minutes between first round picks too. It was a weekend event, not the current prime time TV show it has become.
Quote: If I had my way, the draft would go back to Tuesday Mornings, as you brought up great memories of those days!
I'm not sure about THAT.
I see lots of advantages to the Saturday-Sunday format.
Quote:Yep. Saturday-Sunday with a noon start. I liked the 15 minutes between first round picks too. It was a weekend event, not the current prime time TV show it has become.
It wouldn't be so bad if they wouldn't habitually avoid talking about the Jaguars when we are on the clock.
Quote:I'm not sure about THAT.
I see lots of advantages to the Saturday-Sunday format.
It will never happened because of money/ exposure. But what I liked about the days of the Tuesday Morning beginning of the draft is it was for the truly diehard fans that would do anything realistically possible to watch the draft like us. The passionate NFL Draft fans of today that never experienced this because they weren't alive then or too young missed out on something real special.
Quote: It will never happened because of money/ exposure. But what I liked about the days of the Tuesday Morning beginning of the draft is it was for the truly diehard fans that would do anything realistically possible to watch the draft like us. The passionate NFL Draft fans of today that never experienced this because they weren't alive then or too young missed out on something real special.
I don't know of many casual fans who spend any time watching the draft now.
Unless you are a diehard, it isn't exciting television.
I really never followed the draft until 2010. Before that my wife and I didn't have Satellite. We couldn't really afford it. The most I ever did was look up the picks online the day after. I remember being disappointed by our pick of Matt Jones, and I remember having no idea who most of the players were. I think most of the players I liked were based on their names.
In 2009 after the digital television switch, we got satellite television. Of course with my terrible luck, the Draft came on the same time as one of my wife's shows. So I figured "Okay, I'll follow it on the internet this year." That didn't work out either, because our phone line went down on Wednesday before the draft, and wouldn't be fixed until Friday afternoon. But I was still determined. I got in my car and turned on the radio and tried to find a station that covered the draft. Lucky for me, I found one. It was pretty hot outside, so it wasn't easy sitting in the car listening, but I wanted to know who the Jags would pick. "Not Tebow," I said to myself. I was convinced he wouldn't be good. No, I wanted Jimmy Clausen. I was convinced he would be a good Quarterback.
Of course the station turned to commercials before the Jags pick. To give them credit though, they did talk about the Jags picking Tebow or not. Then I heard the name: Tyson Alualu. All I could think was "Who?!" The people on the radio when they announced it sounded confused too. I went back in, and forgot about the draft until the next day and our internet was fixed.
Quote:I don't know of many casual fans who spend any time watching the draft now.
Unless you are a diehard, it isn't exciting television.
Many casual fans seem to tune in for the 1st and 2nd Rounds until their favorite team picks in each round.
There's no question that watching the entire draft is not for everyone. Unless you are very passionate and learn about the players prior to the draft, it's not an event I would recommend to people in terms of watching more than 10 % of the draft.
Like Bullseye, I used to make an entire weekend out of it too. I loved the Saturday noon start. I'd watch it the entire weekend and feel like somewhat of a loser by round six or seven (or rounds 11 or 12 back before they reduced the rounds).
I even had a draft game with my best friend where we'd predict the first round and devised a point system. We'd bet money on who's would be more accurate. Yep, football draft nerd right here.
Quote:Like Bullseye, I used to make an entire weekend out of it too. I loved the Saturday noon start. I'd watch it the entire weekend and feel like somewhat of a loser by round six or seven (or rounds 11 or 12 back before they reduced the rounds).
I even had a draft game with my best friend where we'd predict the first round and devised a point system. We'd bet money on who's would be more accurate. Yep, football draft nerd right here.
My first experience with the NFL Draft in trying to follow picks live was to call ' Sports Phone' , a service that provided scores of games and sports news. They had around 1 minute updates. Every few minutes, I would call to see if there were any updates. In those days ( late 1970's ), that was basically the only way to follow the draft every few minutes.