As ESPN’s influence on the NFL Draft has increased, the very setup of the event has come to reflect the needs of the organization that spends billions on rights fees to the NFL – ah, that’s ESPN.
Last year, and going back to 2005 for me, ESPN has always struggled to make the NFL Draft look like it was dominated by legions of rabid fans screaming and clamoring to be on camera. To do this, ESPN producers would send camera-persons up to the higher levels and at times aided by a person who’s job it was to direct and rev up the crowd they found to work with – usually about 100 or so people in a section.
That worked fairly well, but it only went so far in the media-and-NFL-dominated main floor. It used to be that print / Internet people were in the left, middle, and right side with respect to the stage. Then, all of the media was moved to the left side, and radio row to the right side, and some fans sat on right side behind radio row.
For 2014, the entire set up was different. The media was placed on what is called the mezzanine level, and the main level was pretty much dominated by fans and the NFL, with a few large radio outlets on the side.
This is the problem for the media up there. If they want to go down to the Grand Lounge, where I am, and hear, say, Khalil Mack’s interview, they have to go through crowds of fans and then get down three flights of stairs, or, if they’re lucky, catch the elevator. In all, it’s a hike, and then, if their computer’s back at their table, they’ve got to trek back upstairs.
Ok, so you’re thinking the media’s taking one for the fans, and the fans are happy right? Well, no. I talked to a NY Jets fan from New Jersey (and who lost his cell phone before it was found by a very nice Radio City security woman) who said “There were these long time gaps between picks where you just sat there (he’s not used to the NFL Draft, it was his first time) and if I put on the radio feed for ESPN, I could not hear my buddy talk, but if I took it off, then there was nothing. I think in 2014 the NFL could figure out something.”
I mentioned an idea that’s app-based, but it’ a hope the NFL adopts it. The NFL, for some reason, is slow to adopt new media technology. I write this not to be mean, but to tell an unfortunate truth. I think there are so many people at the NFL just fearful of losing their jobs, that innovation isn’t the first thing on their minds. That sad, but that’s my observation. The NFL can be a leader in event tech, but it has to be dragged long – I know there are many on the NFL staff who want to innovate, but it just never seems to come to fruition, because there’s no champion that pushes from the ranks to get the bosses to be innovative.
But I digress.
The whole NFL Draft setup needs to be rethought. I like having the fan emphasis, but don’t have them just be there as ESPN props, give them something to do that involves social media and the NFL brand. As for the media, why not make a kind of separate tent setup, with rows and rows of tables and a tv feed, and tons of food, and a stage for interviews and then bring the players there.
Call it “The NFL Draft Big Tent,” an offshoot on an idea originally produced by Kos, the founder of Daily Kos at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He did this because a lot of left-wing media was left out of the main credentialed press (not me), so out of anger, he came up with this cool idea and landed great sponsors, like YouTube, and got celebs to come in and visit. It was the place to be.
Stay tuned.
Zennie Abraham | Zennie Abraham or “Zennie62” is the founder of Zennie62Media which consists of zennie62blog.com and a multimedia blog news aggregator and video network, and 78-blog network, with social media and content development services and consulting. Zennie is a pioneer video blogger, YouTube Partner, social media practitioner, game developer, and pundit. Note: news aggregator content does not reflect the personal views of Mr. Abraham.