Out of control NFL draft coverage

Not to belabor another old and beloved SportsJournalists.com joke, but I'm surprised more attention isn't paid to re-grading old drafts. Why not go through the 2003 or 2004 draft around now and pick winners and losers?

 

It was Bill Tobin, in one of the great moments in the history of draft coverage: ``Who the hell is Mel Kiper?''

 

The Polian Years
1996 1 1 19 19 Marvin Harrison WR Syracuse
2 2 21 51 Dedric Mathis DB Houston
3 3 21 82 Scott Slutzker TE Iowa
4 4 20 115 Brian Milne RB Penn State
5 5 19 151 Steve Martin DT Missouri
6 6 24 191 Keith Conlin T Penn State
7 6 38 205 Mike Cawley QB James Madison
8 7 23 232 Adrian Robinson DB Baylor
1995 1 1 15 15 Ellis Johnson DT Florida
2 2 16 48 Ken Dilger TE Illinois
3 3 15 79 Zack Crockett RB Florida State
4 4 16 114 Ray McElroy DB Eastern Illinois
5 5 15 149 Derek West T Colorado
6 6 16 187 Brian Gelzheiser LB Penn State
7 7 15 223 Jessie Cox LB Texas Southern
1994 1 1 2 2 Marshall Faulk RB San Diego State
2 1 5 5 Trev Alberts LB Nebraska
3 2 3 32 Eric Mahlum G California
4 3 2 67 Jason Mathews T Texas A&M
5 4 3 106 Bradford Banta TE USC
6 5 2 133 John Covington DB Notre Dame
7 6 3 164 Lamont Warren RB Colorado
8 7 2 196 Lance Teichelman DT Texas A&

I guess you could call it all or nothing. Too many empty picks.

 

Put me in the heartless brigade.

I don't care if a team spied on Russell, either.

 

i will not be drawn into yet another discussion about how full of shit freeman is when it comes to this stuff. : :

 

Ummmmm... You made the same mistake as Huggy. That's Bill Tobin's record. Polian was busy drafting Kerry Collins and Tyrone Poole as GM of the Carolina Panthers. I'm sure about that, as I was covering the Panthers at the time.

 

It was the choice of Trev Alberts over Trent Dilfer that touched off the whole thing. Kiper said Tobin screwed up and Tobin came back with his shot.

That's kind of my whole issue with Kiper. I'll give him credit for creating a lucrative year-round industry from an exceedingly dull non-event. I won't watch a second of the draft coverage (it'll put me to sleep), but millions do. I believe in each of the past two years, the draft has pulled better TV ratings than NBA playoff games running at the same time. And Mel has made millions for knowing that the backup right guard at Toledo moves his feet well in pass-blocking but needs a stronger base.

What bothers me about Kiper, however, is his absolute smugness. He's so sure he has all this figured out and anyone who believes anything other than what he says -- including teams that employ squadrons of scouts whose sole professional purpose is to evaluate players and whose continued employment depends on it -- is wrong. Mel can miss on every kid and he'll be back on ESPN next year as the all-knowing ``draft guru.'' Teams miss on picks and coaches, GMs and scouts are looking for work.

As for me, I'll check NFL.com every once in awhile to see who's been taken. Then I'll head out for my kid's soccer game.

 

Dr. Z does that.

 

I keep hearing how the draft is a "national holiday," mostly by, surprise, ESPN. I don't know one person who is really excited to watch the draft. (I also love how bars are having draft parties, esp. in cities where their team is picking in the 30s.)

 

I agree.

ESPN has really overblown this draft coverage for the last few weeks. I mean it's one thing if this happen two or three days before the draft, but for the last few weeks. C'mon!

 

Fixed that for you.

 

The SportsNight episode that hinges on the NFL draft was one of that show's great episodes.
And, as I recall, a two-parter.
I used to be a big fan of the draft, but now I don't care. I'll read the article in Sunday's paper and then see if any players I covered were picked or if anyone from where I went to college was picked and then I'll be done.
As for Trev Alberts, while he might be a doofus, had one of the greatest moments in broadcasting, maybe the greatest.
Alberts was quizzing the Colts GM on the draft and basically said the GM didn't know what he was doing. The GM fire backs with, how the Hell do you know?
Alberts responds with, well you picked me.
End of conversation.