Fuck You National Football League http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8116faa2&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true The NFL draft will kick off in primetime for the first time in 2010, it was announced Thursday. The first round of the 2010 NFL Draft will start on Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the second and third rounds on Friday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 24 at 10 a.m. ET. The draft will continue to be televised by ESPN and NFL Network. The 2010 NFL Draft -- the 75th draft in NFL history -- again will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York. "We continue to look for ways to make the draft more accessible to more fans," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Moving the first round to prime time on Thursday night will make the first round of the draft available to fans on what is typically the most-watched night of television." The 2009 NFL Draft (Saturday, April 25-Sunday, April 26) drew a record 39 million viewers on NFL Network, ESPN and ESPN2. Total NFL Draft viewership increased 66 percent from 2001 to 2009 (from 23.5 million to 39 million). The first round of last year's draft on ESPN and NFL Network drew a combined average of 6.3 million viewers, topping all basketball, hockey and baseball games that weekend. The NFL draft was a Saturday-Sunday event from 1995 to 2009. It took place on Sunday and Monday from 1988 to 1994, and prior to 1988, it was held on one or two weekdays.
Don't these fucking morons know that its treated like a holiday on Saturday? I don't mind the time change from last year. I dealt with it. No one thinks this is a good idea. I pray that in a few years they change it back.... Yes, i know, its all about advertising dollars. I'd love to see people go, "Well i can check who drafted who online. I don't want to miss my favorite TV show on thursday on account of the NFL Draft."
Yeah, then some drunk-ass Jets fans will do something stupid and they'll use it as a reason to end up moving the draft around to different locations like Goodell has been prattling on about.
I work Thursday nights, and while I don't have much of a life, I'm not willing to spend a Friday night watching the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Screw that. Way to go NFL you just lost at least one viewer. On the plus side, I won't need to take the weekend off or work crazy hours at my part time job so I'll be making a little extra money.
good point. Now people will be taking off work to get on line. What a great idea for the businesses who are now losing productivity on account of the draft, rather than having everyone off on saturday. i'd love the NFL release a article explaining exactly why this is a better idea. Because I guarantee you they'll never say the one true reason why - advertising dollars.
you're right. When it comes to balancing a friday night out having fun or watching the less meaningful rounds 2-3 - few people will choose the latter. those ratings should be very low that friday night. this really is foolish.
please don't even mention that. I can't wait until its in other cities and the crowd reactions aren't as good as they are in NY.
Goodell seems to be missing the point here don't you think? If people already have shows to watch on Thursday night, shouldnt you put it on a night where TV is not as popular so less people will have to choose what to watch? I mean I would rather watch the draft than thursday night tv, but for the casual person who just tunes in to kill time on the weekend, they would rather be watching tv thursday night....
^ you nailed it. They really think that this event will overpower primetime TV. they are going up against other networks top TV shows, not to mention any other sport games going on.
despite how much i am against this move, i still think it CAN overpower those shows. it will easily top the other sports games and i wouldn't be surprised to see it overpower the networks top shows.
it could, but my thought path is that since most people know that they can get the information later online, they'd rather see the TV show that they can't miss this week or else they'll never see it again. It comes down to priority for them.
im not saying it cant beat out those shows. In fact im sure it will be the most watched event that thursday night, but if they put it on a friday night in prime time, or better yet Saturday night primtime, it becomes the only thing on tv, and instead of getting 25 million viewers, they get like 75+ thats my major point. look at what EA sports did with madden. Why bother competing when you can force everyone's hand? by moving the draft to saturday night, they corner the sat. night market bascally. then have like rounds 2-4 sunday during the day and then rounds 5-7 on monday.
