Sunday, April 27, 2008

Draft day and maximum football happiness



I am not obsessive about the NFL draft. I do not spend weeks listening to Mel Kiper, Jr. announce which offensive tackle the Vikings will select in the fourth round. I certainly do not participate in any mock drafts.

ESPN’s coverage of the NFL represents the worst aspects of modern journalism. Speculation is piled upon speculation. Talking heads argue over questions that can only be clarified by the passage of time. We will not know if the Giant’s had a good draft until 2011, so why argue about it today?

I like draft weekend because it marks the annual peak in collective happiness for NFL fans. On Monday morning, fans of every team can look at their roster and start some concrete dreaming:

That guard from Texas could really solidify our o-line. Maybe our running game will be effective this year.

Two new fast receivers. Good. We will finally have some big plays in the passing game.

That nose tackle is an absolute beast in the middle. If our all-pro end bounces back from his injuries, our run defense will be stellar.

Woo-hoo! We traded for Chad Johnson. We finally have a pro-bowler on offense.

Woot! We got rid of Ocho Cinco. Now our locker room won’t have that train wreck distracting everyone.

Well, it’s not the worst draft Matt Millen had
.


From this point forward, it is down hill. First there is the slow attrition of rookie holdouts, training camp injuries, and pre-season jitters. Then, of course, the regular season is a zero-sum game when it comes fan happiness.

But all that is in the future. On Monday, we NFL fans are united in our optimism. (Except of Eagles fans who seem to maximize their happiness by seeing the dark lining of every silver cloud.)

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