The NFL draft will highlight this week’s sports TV. The NFL, in its marketing wisdom, has turned this year’s draft into a three-day event. This is a great move for a number of reasons.
First, it allows the fans to get three days’ worth of draft information instead of overloading on one or two days. The first round alone averages about six hours to complete.
Second, the NFL can market itself for three days with great exposure, commercials, and a “feel good” message for advertisers and fans.
Third, the people conducting the draft itself with the respective teams will do a better job of drafting because they have more time to make decisions.
Personnel people around the league can draft their first-round pick on Thursday, assess what has happened, sleep on it, and come back Friday and select their second- and third-round picks.
Once again, the draft will take place in the Big Apple at Radio City Music Hall. ESPN will broadcast the event for the 31st consecutive year. Host Chris Berman will be the lead dog for the 30th time, while draft guru and sidekick Mel Kiper Jr. will be doing his 27th. It would take four pages to list the talent that ESPN will use during the broadcast. However, there are some real highlights worth tuning in to.
The draft officially begins at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. There will be numerous shows on ESPN that are draft specific that will begin at noon.
“Boomer” (Berman) will be the host on the main set. He will be joined by Jon Gruden, Tom Jackson, Kiper and Steve Young. This is a strong group that will give us great insights as to what is taking place. Kiper is the star because this is his thing. This is what he does all year, 24-7. Although people have ridiculed him for his strong opinions and pompadour hairstyle, this guy is great and he is usually right-on in his views. He predicts that heralded Florida QB Tim Tebow will be drafted in the second round and end up being an “H-back” in the NFL. Gruden, TJ and Young will chime in with football opinions to make the broadcast very sound from a football point of view.
Rounds 2 and 3 will start at 3 p.m. on Friday. Once again, additional programming will begin at noon. Trey Wingo will fill in for Boomer and be joined by Gruden, Kiper and Ron Jaworski. Jaws is excellent in everything he does.
Rounds 4-7 begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday. Wingo, Gruden, Kiper and Jaws will bring us the action once again.
ESPN will go in many directions during the draft in terms of using its talent. It will get live reports from all the NFL facilities, as well as commentary from its stable of analysts. Should be great stuff.
Insiders at their best during draft
The draft is also a great showcase for the “scoop” people of the NFL. ESPN has an awesome trio in Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter and John Clayton. If something is happening behind the scenes during the draft, such as a trade, these guys will have the scoop. Mortensen, who is too arrogant for me, is truly respected. Schefter, who has great insider info, is very hardworking and trusted by all. Clayton, who has been around forever, is as honest as the day is long and is trusted by most of the NFL brass. These guys will make Thursday, Friday and Saturday as much fun as the draft itself.
— The NFL Network will also bring us the draft.
If you are lucky enough to get it on your cable provider, it will be good, but not great.
I am not sure the network has the star power of ESPN. Guru Mike Mayock is outstanding, but not as controversial as Mel Kiper Jr. Wise-cracker Rich Eisen will be the host, but is no Berman in status or presentation.
However you must respect the NFL Network for trying to catch up to ESPN.
This year it has added three parts that are great.
1. It will televise a four-part sitdown interview that Mayock did with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick that talks about his draft history and philosophy.
2. It will be inside the draft room with six teams. This is a record. The teams are Atlanta, Dallas, Green Bay, St. Louis, Seattle and our very own 49ers. The Niners should be interesting because of the recent upheaval in the front office and the fact that they own two first-round selections.
3. NFL Network has added Texas coach Mack Brown to its Saturday coverage. Brown has a great personality and should add some zip to the programming.
Like ESPN, the NFL Network has a very deep list of reporters and analysts. So as a viewer, take your choice as to what to watch.
Who said it
Terry Bradshaw
“Ben [Roethlisberger] needs to realize who he is. He has an image problem,” declared the Fox football studio analyst, who has four Super Bowl rings from his playing days with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Terry is correct. The big question is how the Rooneys, who are very moral and clean living team owners, will react. Insiders tell me Bradshaw and Roethlisberger have never been very chummy toward each other.
Jim Nantz
“He used the Lord’s name in vain. I would be fired if I said what he said on the air,” seethed the CBS broadcaster about Tiger Woods’ profanity caught on camera at the Masters last week. I have no real comment on this. However, I know what a miracle it was for me to be on the air for over 10 years and never swear. Talk about a tough assignment!
One to watch
Closing out series: The Giants will send left-hander Barry Zito, who is off to his first 2-0 start since coming across the Bay from the A’s, to the hill today in the series finale against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and the game can be seen as part of the Fox (KTVU, Ch. 2) national broadcast.
Sports by numbers
TV viewers for the 1997 Masters, most ever for a golf tournament
20.2 million
TV viewers for 2001 Masters, second-most ever
19.1 million
TV viewers for 2010 Masters, third-most ever
16.7 million
On Target
A couple items this week. First, the emotional scene last Sunday when Phil Mickelson won the green jacket at Augusta, Ga., and he was hugging his cancer-stricken wife, Amy. Tearjerker all the way for this devout family man. Second, Tiger has signed up for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. That should send some real electrical waves throughout the Northern California scene. The Tap Room at Pebble should really be rockin’ and rollin’ during that weekend in June.
Artie Gigantino spent 25 years as a coach at the major-college and NFL levels, was lead college football analyst for Fox Sports Net for seven years, was with CBS for one year and was an executive with the Raiders for three years. E-mail him at [email protected].
