291 replies to this topic

[Elliot]

Yes, it's the most boring sports show of the year. Yes, I have much better things to do on an April Saturday. But I can't help myself.

And being a draft analyst has to be the world's easiest job.

Can the Giants get Gallery at #4? They need a young LT much more than a QB at this point, even if we're talking Manning. I think they have to swing a deal with the Raiders at #2, and can, as long as the Raiders don't insist on the 2nd-rounder along with the Round 1 pick swap.

Edited by Elliot, Apr 20, 2004 @ 8:43 PM.

[edoug]

It's a guilty pleasure. The price to go from #4 to 2 is going to be high. Cleveland really wants Gallery plus a couple of other teams might want to move up.

[cronox5]

there's a ton of depth in this draft too. The Jets will definitely have a player at #12 if their GM doesn't screw it up like usual.

And I love the Draft because of 3 little words:

Mel. Kiper. Jr.

[Elliot]

Mel. Kiper. Jr.

The absolute best job in sports...maybe anywhere. Not only does he not have to be right, but it takes years before anyone can definitively say he's wrong! And by then, there are several new draft classes to follow....

[cheesesteak]

For me, the star of the NFL Draft show is always Mel Kiper Jr's hair. And like the NBA draft, it's always a hoot to check out what player has on the most fucked up suit, which "student/athlete" is the most inarticulate, who's got the fattest mom, the ugliest girlfriend, who's parents are missing the most teeth, who needs the number to the crisis hotline because they've dropped twenty positions lower than their dumb ass agent predicted...

Edited by cheesesteak, Apr 21, 2004 @ 10:15 AM.

[HeavenLy]

it's always a hoot to check out what player has on the most fucked up suit, who's got the fattest mom, the ugliest girlfriend, who's parents are missing the most teefs, who needs the number to the crisis hotline because they've dropped twenty positions lower than their dumb ass agent predicted...

Word to that. The most pimped out suit is my fave, but a close second is who of the last of the special invitees is the last drafted. That dude is usually on the phone with his manager. I have been a fan of Warren Sapp since I saw him at the draft. I remember his long, sad face when he slipped due to some pot allegations. He seemed so sincere when TB finally drafted him and was all, "I'll show them..." Too bad he's such an ass now.

Mr. HeavenLy has watched this since the very beginning. He thinks the coverage is FAR too predictable. They cover the same "stories" every year - who has dropped, who was a reach, who was a bust, etc. This year, they'll throw in Maurice Clarett/Mike Williams and something about the Mannings. Mr. HeavenLy misses the days when they weren't prepared, didn't have film on someone, and knew nothing about someone.

Edited by HeavenLy, Apr 21, 2004 @ 1:46 PM.

[Elliot]

Does anyone remember when the coverage featured Thurman Thomas and his family watching at home? It turned into great TV when he fell all the way to the middle of the 2nd round -- some 20-25 picks behind what everyone but the teams themselves expected.

[Hasbro]

Viva Mel Kiper's Coif!

Annual highlight of the first round EVERY YEAR: "with the 12th pick in the ____ draft the New York Jets take Tight End, Big Jim Slade from Ball State University."
Jets' Fans in unison: "AWWW!!!!" (It's always a TE and guess the reference there.)

Is there anybigger waste of TV than the second day of the draft? I love finding out who's going to be Mr. Obscurity as much as the next guy and I know alot of good players come out of the second day. But I'll just check the ESPN webpage.

This should be an interesting draft, I'm still atwitter trying to guess how San Diego is going to screw up this year's number one. (Cryan Leaf, trading Mike Vick, Bethard trading a one for a two every year...)

One guy I hope I don't see: Drew Rosenhaus! After making the rounds self-fellating over his brilliant "call Willis McGahee on my cell to make it look like he's getting interest" gambit. Did Rosenhaus invent the "hold the phone to your chaest so to pretend like you're checking you're schedule" trick, as well? His predictions of a thousand yard season and a pro bowl for Willis were a tad optimistic. That egotistical cock is one reason I can deal with the Portis trade.

[cheesesteak]

Speaking of Drew Rosenhaus.... There was an article in the Philadelphia Daily News yesterday about how one of the "unspoken" items that affects when a player gets drafted is his choice of agents.

http://www.philly.co.../8480644.htm?1c

[MsZoid]

My dad mentioned the CHarger's thing today--I can't belive you can do that. It seems so...whiny. THe point of being the first pick is that you go to a sucky team, isn't it?

I might actually have to watch the draft this year, because of Gallery (GO HAWKS!!), he seems like a nice guy as well as a killer player.
My dad's hoping that anyone *but* Cleveland draft him so that we can watch him on tv next year.

Mel Kiper Jr? Scares me.

[tgrfan23]

My favorite tidbit about Mel's legendary coif? His wife cuts his hair. I kid you not.

[Elliot]

As a Giant fan, I have very mixed feelings about the Eli Manning situation.

Their best move, since they're a veteran team that was just killed by injuries and a tough schedule last year, would be to keep Collins, sit at #4 and take Gallery if he's there. If Gallery is gone, which is probable, they can move down a few spots and still pick up an elite player, whether it be Big Ben or otherwise.

Eli Manning would be fun to have around, but I'm not sure that the price will be worth it, given the alternatives available. Besides, the power plays don't sit well with me on principle. More power to the Mannings if it's important enough to them and they can pull it off now, but IMHO the draft rules should be advised to force the player pulling an Elway to wait two years rather than one to reeenter the draft.

[GooberPyle]

My favorite tidbit about Mel's legendary coif? His wife cuts his hair. I kid you not.

It's true. And she's a professional hairstylist.

[Elliot]

Mel Kiper posted his mock sixth round on ESPN for those who are members of "ESPN Insider" (I'm not). A mock sixth round? That's insane. How much more can the draft be milked before the fact?

[VeronicaNC]

Another punch in my VIP ticket to hell, but after what happened to Pat Tillman, I hope Eli and the rest of the whiners in the Manning family blow out their knees.

[VeronicaNC]

Hee they booed him -- little bastard crybaby whiner.
Not a classy move to hold the jersey and then go sit and interview and say you were hoping to be traded.

[Hasbro]

I hate Irvin's grunty voice.

[cronox5]

Chris Berman needs to go away. for good. The guy is annoying as hell.

[Hasbro]

I hear ya cronox, it's like he did a pound of blow before the draft.

It was nice to hear Tony Kornhieser admit he was wrong about declaring ESPN idiots for televising the draft 15 years ago. Not enough columnists have backed off of this position, (day one anyway.)

Anyone doubting the superiority of the NFL's position in the sports culture in America notice how the draft will get more attention than baseball games and NHL and NBA playoffs this weekend. Of course that might have something to do with baseball not even televising their draft, even my sport hockey isn't that stupid.

[xaxat]

Let me tell you something Eli - you get no grace period. None. Nada. You better be great right out of the box. You think you got booed at LSU? Sonny, you ain't heard nothin' yet!

Eli Manning may regret this powerplay, but then again it worked out for Elway in the end. Count me in as to being tired of the whole class act thing.

Did I really see a woman in the audience wearing nothing but a couple strategically place bumper stickers?

[prophetreturns]

Edit: ESPN can suck my dick. I hate Berman and the rest of them and their bullshit. "Classy move, classy move holding the jersey." What the fuck else is he supposed to do? Defecate on it. And it wasn't like he was holding it up high, he was slumping and crumpling it. And you can't compare this cornpone dumbshit fuck to Elway or Bo, because they could play another sport. It's funny how when Steve Francis did this, ESPN was lambasting him, calling him a selfish prick for trying to be a free agent when he didn't want to go to Vancouver, but Manning gets a fucking free pass.

Well, I can't comment on ESPN in general but Chris Berman will always be much more willing to give an NFL player the benefit of the doubt than he would an NBA player. Berman has spent the last ten or so years bashing the NBA. The NBA players have only one work-stoppage incident in the history of its league and Berman bashed them for it even though he has gone easy on NFL and MLB players and owners who have gotten into more frequent labor disputes. Even worse he refered to the NBA labor problem from a few years ago as a strike in print even though as a professional he knew very well that it was actually a lockout and understood the difference between the two (and there is a big difference). Looks how he gives Barry Bonds and every other assumed steroid baseball using player a free pass. If it was NBA players using roids instead he would be all over them. And of course for those who pay attention he almost never picks an NBA play as one of his top plays of the week unless the play involves some record being broken or the retirement of one of the great players from the Golden Age of the 80s. I don't mind his not caring for the league but I wish he would do his job and stop being a hypocrite.

On to Kevin Winslow. Shut up, bitch! So the Skins didn't pick you. So what? Move on, "soldier."

It was nice to hear Tony Kornhieser admit he was wrong about declaring ESPN idiots for televising the draft 15 years ago. Not enough columnists have backed off of this position, (day one anyway.)

Anyone doubting the superiority of the NFL's position in the sports culture in America notice how the draft will get more attention than baseball games and NHL and NBA playoffs this weekend. Of course that might have something to do with baseball not even televising their draft, even my sport hockey isn't that stupid.

Yeah, and reality TV dominates the ratings. Doesn't mean its any good. :)

My problem with the NFL is that for a game that is supposed to be so great it hypes itself way too much and tries to force feed its way down our collective throats (10 hours of pregame shows on Sunday is just too much). Kornheiser obviously is going to apologize for his comments about televising the draft because its gets ratings and TK doesn't want to look like a fool who goes against the grain when it comes to sports viewership. 15 years from now he may be apologizing about his comments concerning NASCAR. Not because he will like it but because so much of the country does. Unfortunately one of the problems with TK is that he bases quality of a sports event on ratings. A great game could take place in the NHL but since its gets zero ratings Kornheiser will just brush it off and say it isn't really worth talking about.

In my opinion the NFL Draft coverage, which stole its formula from the NBA draft coverage, is overkill. You got 1000 reporters trying to break everything down and a bunch of NFL executives so obtuse thet need an hour between each pick to make a decision. At least the NBA draft is over quickly. I can start and finish "War and Peace" between the opening and conclusion of the NFL Draft. Its too much.

I hate Irvin's grunty voice.

Amen. Its bad enough he's a Cowboy but he's also a clown who DOES NOT have a "TV voice."

Edited by prophetreturns, Apr 24, 2004 @ 6:33 PM.

[xaxat]

In my opinion the NFL Draft coverage, which stole its formula from the NBA draft coverage, is overkill.

Are you sure about that? ESPN started televising the NFL draft in the early 80's. Back then the NBA couldn't even get its playoff games on live TV.

Kellen Winslow sure does have a big stick up his but considering how priviledged his uprbringing was. I would love to see what the vets do to him as a rookie in camp.

Edited by xaxat, Apr 24, 2004 @ 6:53 PM.

[klm]

Another punch in my VIP ticket to hell, but after what happened to Pat Tillman, I hope Eli and the rest of the whiners in the Manning family blow out their knees.

Amen to that. I'll sit next to you on that ride. That's First Class, right?

[mtvcdm]

My thoughts:

*Eli? Do go engage in self-fornication, please. Let me explain what a 'draft' is, in case RubbaBandMan's explanation wasn't enough. In what you went through to get to Ole Miss, a 'signing period', the players picked where they wanted to go. In a 'draft', which is what happened today, the teams pick who gets to play for them. You had no right to tell the Chargers not to draft you. You have no say in the matter.

But it turns out you did, and the Giants had to get raped by the Chargers to accomodate you. And I did catch the part where you had on that big fake smile and no hat when the Chargers took you, and then you had a real smile and a Giants cap when you were in East Rutherford less than 2 hours after being traded. I'm not wishing you to die or anything, just maybe tear something in your arm and throw like a girl for the rest of your football career. It doesn't even have to instantly end your career. Just a little career-shortening embarrassment is all I ask.

*You too, Irvin. Don't think I missed the part where you called an underclassman who didn't declare (forget who it was) stupid for staying in college instead of coming out early. So, let me get this straight: The kid's valuing an education over the NFL... and he's stupid?

*The attraction to Mel for me is not his hair. It's his ability to yammer on endlessly about a constant stream of schlubs who will inevitably get cut in June and never step on a high-end football field again. Amazed when you heard about his correct prediction of San Diego taking the Iowa kicker in the 3rd round? Wait till he describes the throwing mechanics of Joe Schmo from Southern North Dakota State late in the 6th round.

*A name you may not be familiar with: Darnell Dockett of Florida St. I saw him on the board when the Packers were up in round 2 (pick traded to Jacksonville for a couple of 3rd rounders). Sports Illustrated had him going to us in the 1st round. So, naturally, I started screaming at the TV about how we should pick him. It was only after they traded with the Jaguars that I found out that Dockett is a complete mental case. Then it became a game of 'how far will he drop?' Who ultimately got him? Arizona. Of course.

*That's to say nothing of Tillman. Clearly a great man, very moving pieces about him, although after seeing him for basically all day Friday all over the airwaves, I was a bit Tillmaned out. But that's really more on my end than ESPN's or the NFL's.

*Flashbacks. Love 'em. Deion Sanders? Another self-fornication candidate, from the flashback where he had JUST been drafted and was wearing vast amounts of bling-bling. Atlanta should have taken this as an omen.

Edited by mtvcdm, Apr 24, 2004 @ 9:59 PM.