The ratings of this debut were, without question, impressive. As reported in a Sports Illustrated article by Richard Deitsch on April 23, the draft viewership increased by 32 percent from last year’s event on the first day. Here’s a startling statistic: the first round of the draft was the eighth most watched cable program this year.
After the first day of the now three-day-long event, Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “...to see the kind of extraordinary increase in viewership I think does reinforce the idea that we can put the draft on a bigger platform, and that’s great for everyone,” as reported in the aforementioned Sports Illustrated article.
There’s no question that growing popularity is beneficial to the league, but where does Goodell draw the line? Moving the draft to the prime time slot might’ve gone too far, as the NFL is sending the wrong message to its veteran and incoming players and fans alike.
The draft is undoubtedly an important component to the NFL season. Success in the draft is crucial to the depth and growth of each organization, and while it also boosts the popularity and interest in college football, that’s not to say that it should be made into a night show spectacle. Establishing the draft as a rating-boosting show only adds to the unnecessary glorification of these young athletes.
The league already deals with this problem from an economic standpoint. Rookie contracts have grown to a ridiculous figure, prompting veteran players to question why kids straight out of college are earning more than their proven teammates before even stepping on NFL grass.
Media coverage of the draft is just as overblown. ESPN assigns two experts in Todd McShay and Mel Kiper, Jr. to cover the draft for the entire year. Their job in its entirety is analyzing college athletes and making mock drafts. Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated has already posted a mock draft for next year on their website. What more could the media do to give college athletes overconfidence and hype about an event that has nothing to do with the competition or current players?
Other sports have ridiculous media coverage as well. NCAA Basketball has Bracketology, while most leagues are smothered with weekly power rankings, but these commentaries are at least rooted in actual competition. The flood of mock drafts leads to even more superfluous hype.
Other sports leagues may have even taken note of the switch and how it impacts their own operations. Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, voiced his displeasure about the decision to move to prime time, mainly because it took place during an NBA playoff game.
“I just don't think the NFL is playing themselves out to be a good partner,” Cuban said, as reported by Todd Archer in an an April 21 article in the Dallas Morning News. Cuban also mentioned that the NBA doesn’t schedule games during the NCAA Basketball championship. The Mavericks owner isn’t the most level-headed or entitled voice to speak this opinion, but he does make a necessary point concerning inter-league relations.
The draft also took place during the first week of the NHL playoffs. The fact that some playoff hockey games aren’t even nationally televised presents an important question for the sporting world: should the NFL draft really take precedence over these crucial playoff games?
In the end, what the fan wants is what the league is going to provide, especially if it means an increase in money and popularity. How much will the NFL change based on the fan’s demand? The spectacle that the draft has become is dangerously crossing the line that separates fan entertainment from true competition.
College stars deserve to celebrate their entry to the NFL, but having that process on a prime time marquee is going far overboard.
No comments:
Post a Comment