NFL Draft Analysis
Well, we've all had time to rest a little bit after this year's NFL Draft, and let me tell you, it was a real wipeout for a lot of people. Players were sitting there sweating in their suits on the floor of Madison Square Garden, Tagliabue was busy celebrating his new contract extension and really didn't look like he wanted to be bothered with saying, "There has been a trade involving this pick" for the 28th time.
And the players...poor Eli Manning. First he's drafted by the lowly San Diego Chargers with the first pick overall, and then he's traded to the New York Giants (the team he really wanted to play for) for one player and three more draft picks - one pick this year and two more next year.
But really, the NFL Draft isn't about the players, or who picked who, or team grades.
It's about the talking heads.
Every year, the NFL Draft allows ESPN a chance to showcase its on-air talent in a decidedly non-athletic situation. There are no athletes running around trying to hit things or people, there is no beer, and there are no cheerleaders.
"Let's go Commissioner! *clap clap clapclapclap* Let's go General Managers *clap clap clapclapclap*"
So these sportscasters that ESPN carts out to the NFL Draft from their storage vaults in Bristol are forced to react to the academic pursuits of the league (watching game tape of individual players, aptitude tests, statistics) rather than watching guys like Aeneas Williams lay a nasty lick on somebody - and they suck at it. Never have I seen sporstcasters look as uncomfortable as they do on draft day.
So with that out of the way, lets get to the grades:
Chris Berman, Sporstcaster and occasional Swami: Berman has the virtue of being a 55-year-old loudmouth with a great job and the money for decent suits, and he's been around enough NFL Drafts to really know what he's doing. Berman himself has acknowledged that though there are usually concensus number one draft picks (like Manning, and Carson Palmer before him), but after that, it's really about drafting players that fit the team, and no team has only one weak spot, with the possible exception of the New England Patriots. So draft guides and mocks really don't mean much when the team sends their little notecards to the Commissioner to announce their selection.
Berman reacted well to the trades, I thought, as there were a record 28 trades on draft day. He also managed to keep a constant flow of dialogue going among his cohosts, and he does have an oddly pleasing gruff voice. He's developmentally ready for this task, and there's no need to worry about upside or intangibles; the former is already realized, and the latter can't be broadcast between the hours of 6 AM and 10 PM. Plus, he's a character guy.
Grade: B
Michael Irvin, former wide receiver and cocaine addict:
Irvin is a guy with huge potential, but it's hardly ever realized. He doesn't react well to pressure at all, and there is no pressure in the world like realizing that 40 million middle-aged men are sitting in a bar watching nothing but you for two days. Irvin reacted negatively to just about everything that was said and done, and didn't have a good thing to say about any single selection, except the Manning to Giants trade. He's got questionable character, and really is more of a distraction to any sportscasting team than an addition. His leadership skills are good, though, but the question is, do you like where he's leading you?
Grade: D
Mel Kiper, Draftnik:
Kiper is a lot like Tim Biakabutuka: put him in the right situation, and he really shines. Mel Kiper spends hours and hours doing tape study of potentially eligible players. You can't measure his dedication to the draft, but it's there. It is, in fact, all he does - he gets paid year-round to worry about the draft.
Kiper's hair grease is a potential worry for some folks, but it doesn't matter - he's savvy enough to keep it from dripping on anyone's notecards but his own. He has no formal training in coaching, so he's rough there, but he's a dedicated guy. In fact, he won't screw up team chemistry by being distracted by things like booze or women - I doubt he's seen much of either. He's a solid pickup for any broadcaster, but remember this one thing: he's not socially adept. It may cause him to fall in the rankings, but that only makes him a bigger steal for whoever gets him.
Grade: A
And that's it. Until next year, I'll be watching all of the broadcasters to see who's going to be calling the draft next year. I have a mock set up already.
Well, we've all had time to rest a little bit after this year's NFL Draft, and let me tell you, it was a real wipeout for a lot of people. Players were sitting there sweating in their suits on the floor of Madison Square Garden, Tagliabue was busy celebrating his new contract extension and really didn't look like he wanted to be bothered with saying, "There has been a trade involving this pick" for the 28th time.
And the players...poor Eli Manning. First he's drafted by the lowly San Diego Chargers with the first pick overall, and then he's traded to the New York Giants (the team he really wanted to play for) for one player and three more draft picks - one pick this year and two more next year.
But really, the NFL Draft isn't about the players, or who picked who, or team grades.
It's about the talking heads.
Every year, the NFL Draft allows ESPN a chance to showcase its on-air talent in a decidedly non-athletic situation. There are no athletes running around trying to hit things or people, there is no beer, and there are no cheerleaders.
"Let's go Commissioner! *clap clap clapclapclap* Let's go General Managers *clap clap clapclapclap*"
So these sportscasters that ESPN carts out to the NFL Draft from their storage vaults in Bristol are forced to react to the academic pursuits of the league (watching game tape of individual players, aptitude tests, statistics) rather than watching guys like Aeneas Williams lay a nasty lick on somebody - and they suck at it. Never have I seen sporstcasters look as uncomfortable as they do on draft day.
So with that out of the way, lets get to the grades:
Chris Berman, Sporstcaster and occasional Swami: Berman has the virtue of being a 55-year-old loudmouth with a great job and the money for decent suits, and he's been around enough NFL Drafts to really know what he's doing. Berman himself has acknowledged that though there are usually concensus number one draft picks (like Manning, and Carson Palmer before him), but after that, it's really about drafting players that fit the team, and no team has only one weak spot, with the possible exception of the New England Patriots. So draft guides and mocks really don't mean much when the team sends their little notecards to the Commissioner to announce their selection.
Berman reacted well to the trades, I thought, as there were a record 28 trades on draft day. He also managed to keep a constant flow of dialogue going among his cohosts, and he does have an oddly pleasing gruff voice. He's developmentally ready for this task, and there's no need to worry about upside or intangibles; the former is already realized, and the latter can't be broadcast between the hours of 6 AM and 10 PM. Plus, he's a character guy.
Grade: B
Michael Irvin, former wide receiver and cocaine addict:
Irvin is a guy with huge potential, but it's hardly ever realized. He doesn't react well to pressure at all, and there is no pressure in the world like realizing that 40 million middle-aged men are sitting in a bar watching nothing but you for two days. Irvin reacted negatively to just about everything that was said and done, and didn't have a good thing to say about any single selection, except the Manning to Giants trade. He's got questionable character, and really is more of a distraction to any sportscasting team than an addition. His leadership skills are good, though, but the question is, do you like where he's leading you?
Grade: D
Mel Kiper, Draftnik:
Kiper is a lot like Tim Biakabutuka: put him in the right situation, and he really shines. Mel Kiper spends hours and hours doing tape study of potentially eligible players. You can't measure his dedication to the draft, but it's there. It is, in fact, all he does - he gets paid year-round to worry about the draft.
Kiper's hair grease is a potential worry for some folks, but it doesn't matter - he's savvy enough to keep it from dripping on anyone's notecards but his own. He has no formal training in coaching, so he's rough there, but he's a dedicated guy. In fact, he won't screw up team chemistry by being distracted by things like booze or women - I doubt he's seen much of either. He's a solid pickup for any broadcaster, but remember this one thing: he's not socially adept. It may cause him to fall in the rankings, but that only makes him a bigger steal for whoever gets him.
Grade: A
And that's it. Until next year, I'll be watching all of the broadcasters to see who's going to be calling the draft next year. I have a mock set up already.
posted by Brian at 9:41 AM
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