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2015 NFL draft 'likely' to move outside of New York City


Villain The Foe

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Report: 2015 NFL draft 'likely' to move outside of New York City
 
 

The NFL won't tell us when or where the 2015 NFL draft will be ahead of time ... they'll likely just announce it pop-up-restaurant or flash-mob style in the middle of the night and say, "Everyone has 12 hours to get here if they don't want to miss it."

Ok, that's not true — that's us being fatuous. But according to MMQB's Peter King, there's a good chance the draft will move outside of New York City in 2015 for the first time since the 1960s. The last time it was believed to be anywhere else but the Big Apple was the 1964 draft(which actually was held on Dec. 2, 1963) at the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago.

So why is the draft moving? For a few reasons, King speculates.

One, the NFL is not happy with Radio City Music Hall, its annual home since 2006. The venue apparently delayed revealing its spring schedule and then told the league it was holding an Easter show during the normal NFL draft time slot. The NFL pushed the draft back to Mothers' Day weekend, which was less than ideal, but stuck with Radio City over other venues that were open the weekend they originally wanted. Then the Easter show was canceled, and the NFL does notget played like that. 

So the league was peeved. That right there probably was the nail in the RCMH coffin. That and the fact that the league believes it has outsized the relatively smallish venue and can take this traveling minstrel show on the road, to far bigger and better rooms around the country.

The NFL might be right. Dozens of cities have called Roger Goodell to beg for the rights. King writes:

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel spoke to Roger Goodell twice about having the draft somewhere there—gigantic McCormick Place near Soldier Field, for instance—and other cities loomed. Jerry Jones pines to have the draft at Jerry World in Arlington. Los Angeles wants it. Bob Kraft wants it in Boston.

King's guess for 2015 is that the draft will kick off April 30 and wrap up May 2 and that it will happen in Chicago. His thinking is that the league wants to push it back as far as it can without treading on Mother's Day territory again. Oh no, the NFL will not appease the annoyances of fans, who griped about the later date; this move most certainly would be tied to TV ratings. (An aside: You thought you mattered?)

We just hope Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel, if the draft does land here (I live in Chicago), doesn't try to play fast and loose with the NFL, thinking that if he can push around the local heavyweights than he can stand tough with The Shield. If he does, or pulls any fast ones, the draft will move to Minot, N.D. before it comes back to Chicago.

So when will we find out when and where the draft is? Our guess: on or around April 6 of next year. Sorry, we're having too much fun with this story to not be a little fatuous.

 

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They could make it work in Chicago (possibly). But they have to be careful. This is a major event that people wait on line for days to get tickets today, that is crazy demand.  If they move it, they better get the same energy.

 

Also, NY is a very diverse town.  You have Jets fans, Giants fans and fans of every damn team here.  If you move it to Chicago, be prepared for the possibility of 87% of the venue being Bears fans.

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They could make it work in Chicago (possibly). But they have to be careful. This is a major event that people wait on line for days to get tickets today, that is crazy demand.  If they move it, they better get the same energy.

 

Also, NY is a very diverse town.  You have Jets fans, Giants fans and fans of every damn team here.  If you move it to Chicago, be prepared for the possibility of 87% of the venue being Bears fans.

Good point. 

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NYC or Miami are the only places it should be. There's football fans from all over here as well as a ton of sh*t to do.

Still think it should stay in NYC though.

L.A. probably fits that bill, too. Lots of transplants, and a few teams who've once called the city home. It's also a city the NFL wants back.

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Philly wouldn't be too bad. You'd have Jet, Giant, Raven, Redskin, Eagles and Steelers fans there. All within 2-3 hours drive. Pittsburgh longer, but there are Steelers fans everywhere in PA.

 

Chicago could have Colts, Lions, Browns, Packers. Those teams are 4-6 hours away.

 

I'd make the trip to Philly.

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