It's NFL Draft Eve, and all the ‘mocks' are hung by the big screen with care
In hopes far and wide of a favorite's hug with King Roger to share
Son one in his Maroon Effect gear and I in my Orange hoody settle down for a long TV stare
Still not very thrilled that last year's Fuller was drafted a Bear.
Ugh. Can there be a more lame time for football? Back before the internet, 24 by 7 sports media mania, and oddly dopey sideline questions from the latest fan-boy turned sports jouro, there were the newspapers and the draft room was a telephone bank of middle aged men chain smoking, and talking in loud voices. No one saw, and no one really much cared, either.
Then two revolutions happened, one already mentioned – the electronic New Media, and then the weird, "it’s not gambling" numbers game of ‘Fantasy Sports’. It used to be, in the olden days, that you needed to know someone who knew someone, who could hook you up with a guy that had the day’s sports page rolled up under his arm, and a little notebook of odd codes and columns of numbers to ..cough… play Fantasy football …cough…
So, suddenly the NFL draft becomes the latest "game" pitting the losers and champions in a regulated lottery system that ends up distributing talent across the league, in hopes of avoiding the 1927 New York Yankees from re-occurring in a football uniform.
The rules for the "Draft" (is there anyone out there burning their Draft Card in protest???) are almost as complex as the tax code for a small state. There are trades, futures trades, concession trades, punitive trades (sort of like short selling stocks); it all has the vague feeling of a gladiatorial meat market. All that is missing is the promise of impalement on a trident in the arena. At least that’s the civilized part of me talking.
Well, this totally uncivilized, former football player, old time football fan, has his research in hand, his favorite lists of players and his most cherished football teams (Steelers, Redskins, Packers, and Giants) all lined up for who needs what talent, and who would look best sporting the black and gold.
So, for the next few days, let us indulge our uncivilized side, and enjoy just one more dose of football, before the long Spring and Summer slog through to the Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2015.
Oh, my prediction for the Hokie Hopefuls is not relevant, but it isn’t too sanguine. I don’t think any Virginia Tech player is going to go before the 5th round, if at all most rounds will pass all of them by, and we’ll be scrambling to find familiar names for the walk-on invitation rosters on Sunday and Monday. I guess it’s no hugs from King Roger for us. Dear Kendall… yeah I do think that you are in line for a hug, but I would prefer it be after you’ve exhausted your eligibility as a Hokie…. Frankly it’s the absolute best giant ring you’ll ever earn; trust me.