Whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was outside in Draft Town at Chicago’s Grant Park or "commencing the start of the draft, or announcing the 20th pick of the draft, the only wind" he felt "were the boos that greeted each of his podium appearances by fans." It "didn't help that he botched the pronunciation" of QB Marcus Mariota's name (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 5/1). The boos "may not have been as loud and lusty as they are in NYC, but Chicagoans made up for it with commitment." They were "booing as every single pick was announced" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 4/30).
Browns pick DT Danny Shelton provided one of the highlights from the night with his exuberance on being drafted (THE DAILY).
Draft Town opened Thursday afternoon and fans "came in droves." Within minutes, Grant Park "was filled with thousands of football fans" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/1). ESPN CHICAGO's Jon Greenberg in describing Draft Town wrote to "imagine if an NFL commercial threw up on Grant Park." Greenberg: "Not that it was a bad thing, really. It was just very NFL" (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 4/30).
