The 2005 NFL Draft Part 7



Mike Golic Prepares His Cookies

Winding Down - ESPN's Mike Golic Feeds the Animals

You know the NFL Draft's winding down when the best entertaiment comes from the ESPN stage. In fact, it became apparent how much the show belonged to ESPN when the producers asked the small, but noisy crowd to move in close together, rather than dispersed in seats spread out from each other -- all the better to make the TV audience think there was still a major, crowd-drawing event going on.

The ESPN people made it their mission to keep the long-staying fans fired up, from one stage director pumping his arms to the crowd as a signal for them to make noise when the camera's were on, to Mike Golic engaging in long-distance conversations with excited, jersey-wearing men. And as if that weren't enough, the chants of "We love you Suzy!" rang out clear once again. Suzy Kolber should have her own calendar. It would sell. I found the whole episode quite funny.

But what took the cake was Golic's decision to litterally toss his cookies into the crowd. My first thought was that it looked like he was feeding animals at the zoo. But then it occured to me that his actions were appropriate: the crowd was acting like animals at the zoo. It certainly helped pass the time, as even the most diehard Drafniks were fading, and a lot of press people had left to catch their flights -- their work was finished a while go.

By the 205th pick in the Sixth Round with one round to go, there was definitely a collective feeling of "let's get this over with," but it's countered by the fact that even these late rounds are important turning points in the lives of the student athletes still available to "go pro." Moreover, considering that the majority of successful players are mid-to-late round draft picks, it's really the 3rd through the 7th round picks that determine how great a team's player scouting and development department does. Many teams had a number of picks between rounds five and seven, like the Jacksonville Jaguars' who seemed determined to wheel and deal. By the seventh round, everyone was waiting for one thing: the selection of "Mr. Irrelevant."



A Very Funny Paul Salada

"Mr. Irrelevant" - Paul Salata's Baby

"Zennie," Chachkes said,"You gotta see this. What they do in announcing Mr. Irrelevant is something to watch. "Mr. Irrelevant" is the name given to the final pick -- the 255th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. The extremely funny Mr. Paul Salata founded the award in 1976, and announced the New England Patriots selection of Andy Stokes, a tight end from tiny William Penn College in Oskaloosa, Iowa. But to me, the personality of 77-year old Mr. Salata is the untold story.

When you attend the Draft as a press person you get used to getting up and walking, either to talk to someone, get something to eat, use the bathroom, or to just plain stretch your legs. In doing this, you run into people again and again. In my case I saw Salata a lot, and on top of that, he came over to share a joke with Bill Chachkes. But on one occasion he really caught me off guard.

It was the middle of the Fourth Round, and I had just came from the men's room and walked into the main room, when Paul walked over and said "Just came from the room huh? Figures. Did ya here that name?" Then, pointing at my pants with his cane, he laughed and said "I'll bet that's what you did!" The Kansas City Chiefs had just drafted Florida State Wide Receiver Craphonso Thorpe.

Now Departing - Until Next Year

In closing, the NFL Draft is quite an experience, one that perhaps should be taken to other cities. I have mixed emotions about the idea, as it seems such a New York-thing. Chachkes and I talked about this, and he thinks it should be rotated to other cities. It's up to the NFL, but I think the league has one of the best reality TV shows in the world.



ESPN's Set In the Middle of The Action

It's ESPN's World; We Just Live In It

What was strange to me was the lack of a "presence" by the NFL Network. I mean there were a few personalities -- well one person. But ESPN seemed to actually run what part of the Draft was broadcast on TV. To my eye, ESPN's work was very scripted and focused on the crowd in the stands, the main stage, and their own stage, and little else. They didn't have cameras and personalities darting around the main floor, going to this radio table, or interviewing someone at the press table, or just walking around - period. So viewers miss what Draft Day is really about. The NFL should fill this void with the NFL Network.

As I was walking out to hail a cab to my hotel, I saw Paul Salata, energetically whistling for a cab with his daughter. One quickly drove up. I don't know if it was offered and Paul refused, but the NFL should provide a limo for him. He's what the NFL Draft is all about.

The 2005 NFL Draft - Part 6

The J-E-T-S Jets Fans

The Draft Day is long. As I write this, it's now 8:29 PM on Saturday, and the majority of the press corps has departed. The stands to the left, right, and behind me are half empty; that they're only that is a example to the dedication of fans who attend this event. Some of those fans -- well, it seems to be most of them from a noise perspective -- are J-E-T-S Jets diehards. This spunky group cheered and commented on every team selection -- they also scream "We love you Suzy Kolber" in response to the ESPN personality's appearance on the main stage -- but were logically most concerned with their own team's decisions.



The Jets Fans Perform On Cue


L-E-G-S Legs!

Yelling for the Jets to select Clemson's speedy cornerback Justin Miller, the Jets contingent was humorously disappointed by the team's choice of a kicker, Ohio State Punter Mike Nugent. This disconnect between the Jets fans and team management led one member of the "Back of The Pack" club representing Draft.Com to yell "L-E-G-S Legs" at the Jets fans.

Finally the Jets supporters were rewarded when, with the 57th Pick, the team did select the surprisingly still available Miller. The Jets rabid backers erupted with the now familiar letter-based cheer. Apparently, the Jets brass listened to their fans.

I left the Javitz convention Center at about 10:30 PM. As I did, I passed the Chronicle's Miller and said "I'm heading out." Miller, striding back to his seat in the press area, said "Must be nice."

Maurice Clarett Gets Picked by Denver

It turns out I left before the real blockbuster news of the day occured -- later at just after 11 PM. Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett, who dared challenge and lost to a system that blocked freshman college players, was picked in the Third Round by The Denver Broncos. This was a total surprise to many, but I thought it was a smart move by the Broncos and for an unconventional reason: the guy will sell tickets.

Look, Maurice Clarett's been on television so many times, he actually can claim to draw ratings higher than a tennis match featuring Anna Kornikova. This should gain the attention of even the most jaded of sports marketers. The first preseason game Clarrett plays will be a television event -- it may even sellout because the sports media will point to it as a "must see" game. If the Broncos are clever, they will tell his story on their website and draw more traffic because of the content. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Oh, yes, I do think Maurice Clarett will do well to the tune of about 700 yards rushing for the season, should he stay healhty. Not a bad start. (An update on Clarrett - After being drafted by the Broncos, he didn't make the team, being cut after Training Camp on August of 2005. His agents worked to get him signed by another NFL team, but as they were doing that, he was reported -- but not yet convicted -- of robbing a couple at gun point. For more information, see the SBS NFL Business Blog

(Breaking News: Maurice Clarett Arrested Again, see Maurice Clarett is a Tragedy

NFL Draft Day Two

I arrived at 9:37 am, and must to my surprise, there was still a crowd of fans for Day Two. Not as large a crowd, but a nice sized group at any rate. Used to the facility's layout, I walked passed them, through the main doors, and down to the ballroom.

Sunday was a much quieter experience and a welcome change from the organized chaos of Draft Day One. What does remain is the constant play of music from NFL Films -- "march" music that sets the tone for the Draft. It's to the point that I hum some of the tunes as I work.

The small number of fans here -- I estimate about 330 people -- have been grouped into a tight formation of seats close together for ESPN's live telecast. The ESPN stage is still there, only today the television team's different. Gone are Chris Berman and Tory Holt. Replacing them are the very popular Suzy Kolber and Sean Salisbury. But Chris Mortensen and ESPN's Draft Day star Mel Kiper remain.



'Mel Kiper On The Morning of Draft Day Two

ESPN's Mel Kiper

I had the opportunity to speak with Kiper for a moment. He informed me that ESPN "takes care of providing the research staff for me. I don't have to worry about that stuff." So ESPN's constructed a kind of infrastructure around him. What's interesting to me is -- of all the Draftniks in New York and the country -- how ESPN came to invest in Kiper. I mean I know there's an official story. But I wondered what the "unofficial" story was? For the answer, I turned to Bill Chachkes.

Bill explained that Kiper was hired by ESPN in the 80s, and essentially emerged as the best candidate of three NFL Draft experts: Dave "TE" Thomas ("TE" because he played tight end in college), the late and legendary Joel Buschbaum, and Kiper. Of the three, Kiper was the most "telegenic" as Chachkes put it. Buschbaum could have had the job, but the kind of personality required for TV wasn't his. Thomas -- again according to Chachkes -- was also well known, but not the most popular person. From ESPN's point of view, Kiper was the best investment.

But my intepretation of Chachkes explanstion is this is a New York Story. All three "Draftniks" -- Kiper, Thomas, and Buschbaum -- are New Yorkers. ESPN's origins are in New York, and their current headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut are essentially just a freeway drive from Manhattan. Moreover, the NFL's headquarters are in New York. And one must consider that the Internet was in no way a central part of our lives as it is today. Now, one can live in San Francisco and still work for a New York based firm. Not then. So, rather than reach for an expert in another part of the country, the local supply proved to be just fine. And Kiper was picked from that group.



NFL.Com's Gil Brandt

The Famous Gil Brandt

Another Draft expert here is NFL.Com's Gil Brandt. Yes, famous. As personel director for the Dallas Cowboys during the "America's Team" years, Gil created much of the scouting process and evaluation techniques that are used by pro teams today. He's the first to insert computers and psychological evaluations into the overall activities of gathering information about potential draft choices. Thus, it's no surprise that the first thing Brandt showed me after exchanging greetings was a matrix comparing Colts Defensive End Dwight Freeney with Georgia and now Cincinnati Bengals DE David Pollack, where height, weight, span, 40-times, "cone-times" and other physical measures were listed. The two players were remarkably similar, except in the cone drill, where Freeney was better by about 3-tenths of second. That can be the difference between a defensive end tacking a running back or missing the tackle.

Another Falling QB: Adrian McPherson

Today's falling QB story in these halls is that of Adrian McPherson. Like Rodgers, he was projected as one of the top quarterbacks in this draft. And like Rodgers, he's falling far below the place -- in this case the second round -- where many thought he would be drafted.

McPherson's now-well-told-gambling problem has undoubtedly jinxed his chanced of being drafted in the top four rounds -- as I write this, we're three-fourths of the way through the Fourth Round of the Draft -- but in many people believe he's by far the best QB still available. A poll of ESPN website visitors revealed that 72 percent saw McPherson as the best passer still available. But down he goes, as teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers pass him for linebackers like Brady Poppinga out of Brigham Young and Virginia running back Alvin Pearman. In fact, he's dropped all the way to the Fifth Round so far, and the Niners passed on him with the first pick in this round, taking Ronald Fields, a defensive tackle from Mississippi State.

And he's still falling. The Niners, Chiefs, Bears, and Bucs have picked someone else. So considering that he was projected as a Second Round pick, McPherson's officially freefalling. Just how far down he will go is anyone's guess, especially since Dan Orlowski was just taken as the 145th pick by Detroit. Then, just as I let the ink dry on that last sentence, New Orleans drafted him with the 152nd pick. A steal in the view of some.

And here's another quarterback who's stock has fallen. I'll give you a hint: he was the NCAA's 2004 passing leader. Give up? It's Hawaii's Timmy Chang. This Run-and-Shoot quarterback is still undrafted. Why? The reasons vary from arm strength to height. However, he was a four-year starter for the Rainbow Warriors and rewrote NCAA, WAC, and school records. But with all of that, Chang has company: Oklahoma Sooners Quarterback Jason White.

White, the Heisman Trophy Winner of two years ago, wasn't even a mention among the top quarterbacks in this draft. He, like Chang and a set of other notables is on his way toward Free Agency.

In the case of Chang and White -- unlike McPherson -- poor Indianapolis Combine and post-season College All Star Game performances were the reasons given for their fall. Speaking of Chang, DJ Doyer of Draft.Com reported that he didn't play very well in the Senior Bowl because he was slow to pick up the standard pro offense that was used.

Chang stared in a "Run-and-Shoot" system employed by the Rainbow Warriors.

But what, then, was the reason for White's fall? Some player development observers have noted that White's success was more a function of the Sooners overall talent than White's individual skill. So, stripped of his protective skeleton of great players and coaching staff, he was left to swim in the waters of the NFL combine and didn't. He sank...

The 2005 NFL Draft -- Part 5

Brianna Keilar: A Formula for Success

MTV-U's Brianna Keilar

In the room, I got a plate and sat down right in front of a television and not far from a young woman who was really all by herself, but near the room's door; by contrast people were tables far away from the door in groups. Between bites of food and television glances, we started a conversation.

Brianna Keilar's a 2001 Cal-Berkeley grad and a television personality who some of you may recognize if you're students. She's regularly seen on MTV-U and is a New York Correspondent for CBS News. At 24 years old, she's off to a great start on a promising career that could see her as a national news anchor, a dream she realizes requires years of hard work.

(Brianna's now an anchor / reporter on CNN!)

Brianna Keilar Gets More Airtime | Brianna Keilar and Kyra Phillips | Brianna Keilar On CNN Saturday | Brianna Keilar Now CNN Anchor | Brianna Keilar At 2005 NFL Draft | Hybrid Cars

But what Brianna understands, and what we talked about for a time, are the importance of relationships. In her case, she got her start as an intern at Oakland-based KTVU in 2001 and was helped by (now former) station executive Kenny Wardell, who was also of great assistance to me in opening KTVU's library for my video crew to use as part of their work on our Super Bowl Bid. So, yes, we had a small world conversation.

Brianna credits Wardell and sports anchor Joe Fonzy for being good friends and teachers. But what she does well is establishing and maintaining relationships and seizing opportunities when they emerge. That's how she came to be a New Yorker enjoying the professional and personal advantages of being in the media industry in a media capital.

Still, with all of the great stories she has, there is the occasional mishap: "I'm here (in the room) because my photog's battery died right in the middle of my interview with (Miami Cornerback and new Cardinals's First Round pick) Antrel Rolle!" But after our conversation, she was back out in the main room, mic in hand with the "photog's" camera in working order.

Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers was still undrafted. Arizona, Washington, Detroit, Dallas, San Diego, New Orleans, Carolina, Kansas City, Houston, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and St. Louis all passed on him, and many people around me felt he was in freefall and one person even speculated that he may not even make the first round at all. So, I took a trip to "Draft Fan Central."

The NFL Draft Fan Central

The league established this new part of the Draft not only to give fans something to do during a long day, but to serve as a kind of "catch spill" in case the fan crowd grew beyond the main ballroom's capacity to handle it. I was impressed with the setup. There were a number of things to do: America Online's webcast was presented there, one could challenge a friend at one of EA Sports' Madden NFL game centers placed in various areas, or one could pretend to be an NFL football announcer, or get New York Jets' Linebacker Jonathan Vilma's autograph.



The Ultimate Draft Critics


Talking with Draft Fans

If NFL player autograph's were not one's interest -- I've never wanted one, personally -- one could just hang with their friends, as a group of locals were doing when I walked over to ask them about their thoughts on the First Round to that point. All of them had an opinion of Matt Jones, the 6 foot 6 inch, 4.3 40-yard dash quarterback-about-to-be-turned-tight end who was the 21st pick in the First Round by Jacksonville. "He was a quarterback," said John (yes, just John), "wasn't good enough to be a quarterback. I would not take him this high. I mean he's an athlete, but not a football player."

As we finished talking, it was announced that Baltimore selected Oklahoma wide receiver Mark Clayton. John's group erupted with cheers.

Cal's Aaron Rodgers Finds a Home...Finally!

My conversation complete, I returned to my seat in the main room just as Oakland, which had just acquired Seattle's 23rd pick in the First Round, was on the clock. I really thought the Raiders were going to pick Rodgers, but they didn't, selecting Nebraska Cornerback Fabian Washington instead. The crowd was shocked. "By trading that pick to Oakland, Seattle did the Packers a huge favor," observed Bill Chachkes. What followed was a kind of spiritually surreal scene as it seemed that everyone in the room knew -- not expected, but knew -- that the Green Bay Packers were going to choose to draft Aaron Rodgers. You could hear people whispering his name before the card was sent to the head table.

When Commissioner Tagliabue stepped forward to announce just that, the room erupted with applause. Some fans in the stands gave a standing ovation, and almost everyone in the press area clapped. The room itself breathed a sign of relief.

As soon as Rodgers emerged from the Green Room and onto the main stage, I got my pad and headed for the Interview Room. I knew it would be packed, so I wanted a choice seat. I got one. The Cal signal caller's ordeal was the talk of the room, so everyone wondered how he was handling this. After all, he was suppose to be the Number One pick.

There were various reasons given for his drop to the 25th pick. Scott Parker said that the 49ers had Rodgers rated higher than other teams and so when the 49ers didn't select him, he fell to the Packers, who needed him. Chachkes, who's NL Scouting organization charts players bound for the NFL Draft, said that Rodgers private workouts were not that good. I don't agree with him about that, but the reason may rest in his personality. Rodgers is a confident young man, and it may be that his approach could have been off-putting to the 49ers. Rodgers is a take-charge kind of person, and some people don't know what to do with an approach that plays better in New York than in,..well, San Francisco.

Take his interview, which can be seen in full with a click here. Asked if he realized he was now the Number Two quarterback taken, Rodgers replied "I still think I'm the best quarterback in this draft." And one of the reporters cracked "I agree." Rodgers believes he's good, and in Bret Fare, he's about to work behind perhaps the most confident quarterback in the NFL.



Rodgers At The Podium

Aaron Rodgers: A Happy Man's Family

I must report that as Rodgers came into the Interview Room, it filled to standing room only. Rodgers family and friends -- all wearing Packers caps, came into the room about 30 strong. Even NFL officials like PR Director Greg Aiello came in to take a listen. It was an experience. Everyone was happy for him, but none more than his family.

After his interview, I talked to members of Aaron Rodger's family about their experience with the newly chosen Packers Quarterback as he went from being the media's consensus pick by the San Francisco 49ers just three weeks ago, to a literal free fall from the Number One Pick to the 25th Pick in the First Round. His cousin, who talked on condition of anonymity, remarked that she "Almost lost it" after Arizona, which had the 8th Pick in the First Round, didn't select Rodgers.



Some of Rodgers' Clan

A Happy Family

The family is very happy that Rodgers became a Packer, but not a little displeased that he was not selected by the 49ers. Either fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the 49ers and Packers don't play each other this season. But because both teams are in the NFC, they will play each other often over the next 10 years. So, today the seeds were planted for the growth of a new NFL quarterback rivalry.

Before I close the Rodgers matter, I have to report a conversation I had with his cousin. We talked about why he was leaving Cal, and I asked if he was having a good time at Berkeley. "Well, Aaron doesn't really like Berkeley," she said. "I think he was ready to go." That's too bad. Aaron came from a junior college in 2003 and didn't have the chance to enjoy being Cal's BMOC, unlike his nemesis, USC signal caller Matt Leinhart who has spent all of his college years at USC and elected to remain in LA rather than join Rodgers in the Draft. Consider that just last November, Rodgers was being mobbed as he was waving a Rose after Cal clobbered Stanford in the 2004 Big Game. Now he's gone.

After the Rodgers clan departed, I went back to my seat to take a break. The first round ended at 6 PM, and lasted almost six hours. The Second Round was less eventful by far until the Jets fans made themselves known..

The 2005 NFL Draft Part 4

Back to the Scene

After the Smith selection the expectation was that Rodgers might be drafted by the Miami Dolphins but they selected Auburn's Running Back Ronnie Brown. Cleveland took Michigan's standout wide receiver Braylon Edwards to join Miami Tight End Kellen Winslow Jr., in what should become a dangerous receiving corp (if Winslow stays healthy and off motorcycles). Then, Chicago brought in Texas Running Back Cedric Bentson, which was expected. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach John Gruden traveled to Berkeley to look at Rodgers in passing drills, and raved about him in the press, so many expected that they would take him. Instead, the Bucs grabbed ball carrier Carnell "Cadillac" Williams from Auburn. So, Rodgers continued to fall. SF 49ers Alex Smith



Introducing Alex Smith

I was seated in the Interview Room, as this was happening. The first interviewee was Alex Smith, preceded by his large contingent of family members and friends. Finally, Smith entered the room to an ovation and camera clicks. When asked what 49ers Coach Mike Nolan said to him, Smith reported that the new coach had "made his decision a long time ago." Auburn and Miami's Ronnie Brown.



Auburn's Ronnie Brown Speaks

After the Smith interview, I stayed in the Interview Room to hear the words of Miami's new ball carrier, Ronnie Brown. He's got a lot of pressure on him, as the Dolphins, still reeling from Ricky Williams' discovery that he loves weed more than pigskin, need a back with his talent. Asked if he was concerned about the possibility of Williams' returning to the Dolphins, he remarked "Not at all. I'm going to go down there with an open mind as far myself going in and establishing a position on the team." The full ASAPSports Ronnie Brown interview can be seen with a click here.

Sports Agent Scott Parker's New Firm

After Brown's interview, I walked back to the main area and then to get some water, when I ran into an old friend, Scott Parker. Scott was well-known sports agent Leigh Steinberg's right hand for several years, and eventually became the head of what was then Steinberg, Moorad and Dunn's Berkeley office after his practice expanded to Newport Beach. As the name changed from that to Steinberg and Moorad, Scott's role increased, and he even moved the office from Berkeley to San Francisco (where he lived). After the much-reported court battle between Leigh and David Dunn , Leigh established Steinberg Enterprises in Newport Beach.

(As a note and as of this writing on April 24th, the case is going back to court. The appeals court judge just threw out Steinberg's $45 million jury award on a technicality, according to Pro Sports Group.)

In 1999, when I approached Leigh to ask for his help in our effort to bring the Super Bowl to Oakland, he specifically instructed me to contact Scott. Parker was one of the first board members of the Oakland Alameda County Sports Commission and a steady player and a tremendous person. Since then, we've kept in touch, but it seems we run into each other at the weirdest places. The last time I saw Scott was at Leigh's Super Bowl party in Houston in 2004.

When Scott recognized me, he chirped "Man, I run into you everywhere. The Bus Stop (a tavern on Union Street in San Francisco), now here. How's it going?" Scott was carrying his ever present large briefcase of material walking about 20 feet behind Cedric Bentson, his client who was just selected at the First Round Pick of the Chicago Bears, and the Fourth Pick in the draft. A nice coup for his new company Legacy Sports Group. "Yeah,"he reported," I just negotiated to buy what was left of Leigh's old business, and now we're working."

Working indeed. The signing bonus for players selected in Bentson's position is commonly between $5 million and $10 million. So, the total payoff from a contract of about $40 million over six years should be between $1.2 million and $2 million for Scott's firm. That's not Scott's hypothesis, it's mine. Hairsplitting aside, it's a nice start. Scott rushed off to keep up with his client, who was on his way to a breifing with NFL officials. The Raiders' Woodson In the Spotlight.



Charles Woodson

Just after my conversation with Scott, I walked into the corridor next to the main ballroom and right into the bright light of a camera owned by San Francisco's KPIX Channel Five. Their sports anchor Dennis O'Donnell was in the middle of an interview with the dapper Oakland Raiders Quarterback Charles Woodson. I didn't wait for them to finish the interview, because I knew the Raiders wouldn't succeed in trading him and I knew what Charles was really in New York for already: two large star-studded parties, one held at the ESPN Zone the previous night that I was told were "off the hook" to use hip-hop lingo; that night I skipped both for dinner at the 21 Club.

Michigan and The Browns' Braylon Edwards.



Braylon Edwards

Not far away from Woodson was the Brown's new receiver Braylon Edwards, himself in the middle of another TV interview. Of all the players Edwards is the one who really seems to enjoy the spotlight. Edwards would be a great fit for some sports TV show in the future. Maybe he'll get one of his own in Cleveland. (The full Braylon Edwards interview can be seen with a click here.)

ESPN's Darren Rovell: One of the Best



ESPN's Darren Rovell

So, I took just a few steps away and literally ran into another good friend: ESPN's Darren Rovell. Darren's the best sports business journalist on television, and does as good a job at it as he does maintaining a healthy supply of gel in his hair. I had to tease him about it.

Darren was about the business of "shadowing" Todd France, the sports agent who runs France Athlete Management Enterprises in Atlanta, and who has Auburn's and now Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown and Auburn's and now Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers, and the Card's pick Andrel Rolle as his clients. I wonder if Darren knows that in late 2003 France was accused of stealing 16 clients including Priest Holmes? It will be interesting to see what Darren comes up with, the question is will his editors at ESPN use it? I feel ESPN doesn't really understand how to cover the sports business, and so Darren's not as much a part of their TV presentation as he should be.

As Rovell was following France, a TV crew was with another First Round pick, the Bears' Cedric Bentson (The full ASAPSports Cedric Bentson interview can be seen with a click here.) , and not far away was Parker, watching the proceedings. I went to grab a bite to eat in the media lunch room, where I could also check on the progress of the draft and Aaron Rodgers, in particular... more..

Niners On The Clock

The draft officially got underway with the announcement that the San Francisco 49ers had the first pick in the draft and were on the clock. "Yes, as you can see by the picture, the clock is just like the ones you see at every football game.

Finally, after waiting and joking with Chachkes and the group of guys I call the "Back of the Pack Club," Commissioner Tagliabue stepped forward to say "And with the First Pick in the NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select Utah Quarterback Alex Smith." Some cheers and a few hoots of surprise went up; mine was one of the hoots and this was true for the Back of the Pack Club. Why?

Scouts,Inc., perhaps the most respected player evaluation organization in pro football, had Rodgers ranked ahead of Smith. As recently as three weeks ago, Rodgers was the consensus lock to be the pick of the 49ers.

And from a marketing standpoint, it just plain made sense. If the 49ers had picked Cal's Rodgers he would have been the first quarterback in NFL history to be the Number One pick in the First Round by the team that's in the same metropolitan area as the college he went to. You know what that means? Instant ticket sales as "Old Blues" (Cal Alumns) and the entire population of Chico, CA -- where Rodgers is from -- come out of the woodwork to see their guy play for the Niners.

A 49ers Digression

But this isn't the first time the 49ers have picked an outsider over a local. They did it in 1997, selecting Virgina's Jim Drunkenmiller over local Cal Quarterback Pat Barnes, even though then-49ers coach Steve Marriuci coached Barnes at Cal in 1996. That was a real head-scratcher to me. It was like admitting that you really didn't do well with your prized student after all -- in fact Barnes set several Cal records under Marriuci and with essentially the same offense the 49ers used, nomenclature and all.

Someone said Drunkenmiller , like Smith, had a stronger arm, yet he failed in his role as 'the next Montana / Young SF QB.' As Dennis Miller would say, "I don't want to go on a rant here,.." but arm strength is only important if you're going to overthrow a government -- and even then, I'm not so sure it means much. If you're comparing the top 20 quarterbacks to be drafted, their arm strength is not going to be so different that it's worth fighting about. Besides, you don't want someone who's too strong, anyway. They made not be coachable when teaching the art of the short pass is in order. Plus, and to make matters worse, there are conflicting views on Rodgers' and Smith's arm strength, so you know it's not a trustworthy claim.

For example, the same comment about "weak arm strength" was made about Rodgers versus Smith during the Draft -- issued by ESPN in one of the worst examples of anti-intellectualism I've ever seen on their website. By contrast, Scouts,Inc. made the opposite claim: that it was Smith and not Rodgers who suffered from a weak arm, because he "never had to throw deep" in the Utah system. So, which is it? You know what? There should only be one view on this subject, not conflicting ones. Yet, the simple fact that there are shows you just how far talent evaluation hasn't come. The industry's got to get it's act together.

Look, I'm biased. I've seen Rodgers play. A lot. I've seen Smith play. A little. I went to Cal, and since Sports Illustrated Senior Writer and friend Mike Silver isn't here, I can say I'm the most feverent Cal supporter in the room. I'm pro-Rodgers, but he gives you reasons to defend him, like an NCAA-record 26 straight completions in 2004. And he did this at Cal, in the 49ers backyard - the Bay Area.

Let's see. We've got an organization concerned about it's fiscal health, right? What better decision to make to sell more tickets than to hire the local hero? You tell me? I like the 49ers, I like the staff and the braintrust. I especially like John York and Denise DeBartolo York (because they were so open and helpful to me when I was working on the Super Bowl: Oakland Bid from 1999 to 2001). I like Alex Smith ( His ASAPSports interview can be read with a click here). His family's really nice. But I don't think he's the best fit for the 49ers.

The Niners should have signed Aaron Rodgers before the draft and saved us from all this drama, signaling the birth of a new, aggressive management style in the process, and causing a spike in ticket sales. But, as you will learn, Rodgers ended up in a better place... more..

How a Draftee's Name Gets Called

While I was next to the stage, I took time to record the process by which a name gets called to be the "whatever round" pick of a team. It works like this: First, the team -- let's say the San Francisco 49ers -- has 15 minutes (or a quarter in football lingo) to decide who they're going to select.

Two giant football-style clocks count down the seconds. If a team fails to make a pick during that time span, they must pass and the next organization in draft order has 15 minutes to make a selection. This is called being "On the clock."



It's Starts With The Team Table

Second, the team's representatives, including (depending on the team) the owner, general manager, head coach, and player personnel staff, are not in New York at the Draft, they're at the team's headquarters. It's from here that they call in their selection to their representative at the team table. Washington Redskins team representatives are in the foreground in the first picture shown on this page.



...Then The Name Is...

Third, the team's representative -- which range from a friend of the organization to a young employee -- write the name of the choice on a card. NFL and CSC events employees pick up that card and carry it to the NFL's main operations table. (NFL SVP Frank Supovitz is the leftmost person above.)

Fourth, from that table and to its left, the card is passed over to a bank of NFL staffers that enter it into a computer system to be recorded.

Finally, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is given the name of the draftee. He steps out of his room backstage and onto the main stage to read the selection to the ballroom and TV audience. The Commissioner does this work only for the First Round, he then gives way to NFL Director of Operations Gene Washington for subsequent rounds on Saturday, and then other NFL officials for the final rounds on Sunday. Then, there's the event that comes with the selection of "Mr. Irrelevant." But we'll get to that later.

The San Francisco 49ers are on the clock.

The First Round Surprise -- At least to me and the "Back of the Pack Club"

The Worker: Jay Glazer

Not far away from Sugar and Firestone, was Fox Sports Radio Personality Jay Glazer, shown with me in the third picture above. I'm really proud to say I met Jay at my first NFL Owners Meeting, the Fall 1999 gathering in Chicago at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, where I was to meet with the Super Bowl Policy Committee. We met at Knuckles Sports Bar, where Jay gave me a candid view of the NFL, the Oakland Raiders, NFL politics, and the uphill battle I faced in working to bring a Super Bowl to Oakland. At that time, Jay was a little known sports reporter for CBS, but a very hard worker. Glazer was at every NFL meeting, and seemed to have his cell phone on and either at his ear or at the ready. In fact, if you look at his right ear, you'll noticed Jay's plugged in.

Now, with Fox Sports, Jay's hard work has really paid off. He's not only doing a radio show for Fox, but has been an occasional guest on the TV show "The Best Damn Sports Show, Period." Jay's a living example of the view that relationships and hard work do pay off.

Not far from Jay, as they were just conversing at the time, was another legend, Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman. Placed prominently in the front row of Press Row A, "Dr. Z" as he's called is a walking NFL Draft History Encyclopedia, and so well-repected that other journalists, like San Francisco Chronicle NFL Writer Ira Miller had their notepads at the ready, crowded around his seat like Jedi Knights taking lessons from Master Yoda.

At that point, my objective was to be in the right position to take pictures of the first round pick -- I thought it was going to be Cal's Aaron Rodgers -- as he approached the podium. So, I walked through the team table areas to position myself next to the other photographers near the podium and stage and wait.

A few moments later, the top six draftees invited to the NFL Draft were introduced. I took a photo of Auburn's Ronnie Brown and Cedric Bentson of Texas, and then waited for the quarterbacks to step forward.

I maintained what I later realized was a very luxurious place for some time before Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers emerged from the behind-the-curtain Green Room (where the draftees sit before they're called to the stage), taking pictures until an CSC events representative -- who remembered me from my trip to the 2000 Super Bowl in Atlanta -- very politely informed me that my badge didn't allow me to stand in the "TV Photo" zone of the room, which was right next to the stage (remember I was still a little confused with respect to where I should be). So, I moved back to a comfortable place next to the Fox Sports Radio table, took more photos, then returned to my seat in an effort to avoid the growing crowd near the main stage. I figured the Niners were going to draft Rodgers anyway, and it occurred to me that if I really wanted a good picture of him, I could get it in the Interview Room...

The 2005 NFL Draft - Part 2

"How do I find my seat?" I asked. She was only too helpful and showed me a map of the room, where areas were blocked out by name. "Come with me, I'll show you." And so she walked me over to my row, which was the next to last one near the rear of the Press Row. The way the room is designed, it was a great place to be. I'll explain why, later.

My table afforded a great view of the proceedings, but being so early I felt a little lonely. All that changed as a seat one abreast away from me was occupied by a writer for a local New York sports magazine, and the seat immediately next to me was filled by a man with an English accent who kept an ear piece connected to a kind of cell phone in his left ear the entire first day of the draft. He was so silent, and I was such the busy social media butterfly, that I never bothered to ask him what he was doing. Bill Chachkes (foreground) and The Draft Experts.



The Back of the Pack Club

The number of silent neighbors rapidly dropped to a minority level with the arrival of Bill Chachkes and John Murphy of NLScounting.com, and`Mike Adkins, Luke Irwin, DJ Boyer, and Jesse Ballard of www.Draft.com and www.Draftstudio.com, all in the first photo on this page. Of all, Chachkes -- in the foreground above -- was the most talkative. Bill's a 29-year NFL Draft veteran, or what some people refer to as a "Draftnik." (To read my interview with Chachkes, click here.)

Bill quickly introduced himself and we hit it off. What started the series of conversations was his comment to me that I "can't be all bad, you're using a Mac. I've got the one that came before yours." So, Bill briefly told me about NL Scouting and what they do in the area of player talent evaluation. But our conversation quickly turned to observations about members of the growing crowd of people. Among them was a guy sporting a Fedora, a rather loud hounds tooth jacket, a very large cigar, and a very expressive personality.

"Say," I asked Bill, "Isn't that (HBO Boxing Analyst) Bert Sugar over there with the cig?" "Yeah," cracked Bill, "He owes me two cigars from a dinner I took him to." Chachkes, ever the cigar aficionado, then promised to bring me one of his favorite cigars from his humidor. "I should go over and get my two cigars from Bert," he said. I wondered aloud if Sugar would give me one -- not that I'm a regular smoker -- far from it. "Go over and ask him," directed Chachkes. Bert Sugar, Me, and Roy Firestone


Fun With Bert and Roy

So, I walked over to a place next to the left side of the team table area, and managed to smoothly insert myself into a conversation with Sugar and HBO, ESPN, and -- that's right, as he was in the sports business picture Jerry McQuire -- movie star Roy Firestone (we're all in the first picture on this page; I'm the guy in the middle). Bert was just about to tell a joke I can't repeat for this article. After he told it, we all got a good laugh and I asked Sugar for a cigar. "For you, of course!" He said. A reward for listening to a joke well-told. It was all in fun.

Firestone was in good sprits. He was at the Draft working on behalf of America Online, hosting an online program. Roy has a new show called "Face to Face with Roy Firestone," with sports guests like NBA Coach Hubie Brown and Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis. But Roy says that they'll have musicians and artists on the show, too. As we talked about the program, Roy agreed with my description of the show as kind of like "Terri Gross' Fresh Air, but for television." He has a website at www.royfirestone.com

The ballroom is stuffed with media legends. In addition to Firestone, the ESPN Draft Day Team of Chris Berman, Chris Mortensen, and Mel Kiper are doing their show from a podium stage just 50 feet to the right of me.

Finding My Seat

I must admit to not a wee bit of confusion after I came into the room. I didn't know where to go, even though my badge read "Press Box Area A and Interview Room." See, the whole experience was such a shock to my visual system, that I didn't see the signs marked "Press Box Area A." Plus, even though people were still not seated, they were filing in, and NFL and CSC Events personnel, Javitz reps, ESPN people, celebrities, and well -- you name it -- were walking in, out, and round the room.

As a result, I felt kind of like Han Solo guiding the Millennium Falcon through an asteroid field: I didn't know where people were coming from next, or where I was supposed to go. So I walked further and deeper into the room, past ushers and light stands and bleacher seats, until I came to the team table area. So, even more confused, I asked a bespectacled brunette woman -- who had an "NFL: Draft" clipboard and the good sense to wear earth tone colors similar to mine -- for assistance.

Onward to The Scene

10 pounds heavier from the books, my badge allowed me to walk down the escalator and past an army of security people and along a long green walkway to the large double doors leading to the ballroom.

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Walking into the ballroom was a sensory experience, not unlike that of a boxing match. One is first struck by powerful beams of light from above, made all the more intense by the lack of lights to fully illuminate the room itself. The spot lights point to various parts of the room: the NFL Draft podium and stage, the team table area, and the ESPN Sports television staging area. Then there are even more"fill" lights for the stage itself. It's immediately clear, even to the first-time draft attendee, that this is a made for TV event. You would be forgiven if you thought you walked into the staging of a heavy weight professional fight.

Thanks to Frank Supovitz, SVP of Special Events for the NFL, Greg Aiello, Vice President of Public Relations of the National Football League, and Leslie Hammond, VP of Media Relations for the NFL, I was able to cover the 2005 NFL Draft. Here's my account - Zennie Abraham, Chairman and CEO, Sports Business Simulations.

The 70th National Football League Selection Committee meeting held at Jacob J. Javitz Convention Center is an American slice-of-life, and one example of why the NFL is the most successful sports organization in the World.

My objective in coming to my first draft was to give SBS visitors a"behind-the-scenes" view of the event. When I was preparing for my trip to New York and the Draft, I could not find any account of what it was like to attend this meeting online. Oh, sure, there are sentences here and there, but nothing that gives one the feel of what it's like to be here. This article should change that. I've always enjoyed Vanity Fair Columnist Dominic Dunne's work (even though I don't always agree with him), so I thought I'd play him at the NFL Draft. NFL Draft Fans at Javitz Entrance.



Javitz Arrival

I arrived at the Javitz Convention Center at 10:15 Saturday morning and stepped out of my cab to a throng of football fans waiting to get in. No, they didn't have to pay; the league provided ticket passes on a first-come, first-served basis.

Confused about the entry point for the media, I asked a couple of security people who then guided me inside. Once there, I walked over to the media check-in table, where one of the NFL's representatives gave me a large folder of materials: two large binders containing bios on each college football player being considered by the 32 teams of the NFL, along with two equally large, yet stapled, books containing news clips on each player. I also received a pass that permitted access to various areas on the main floor of the ballroom housing the NFL Draft, and the Interview Room adjacent to it.