The NFL Draft will begin tonight in Chicago, marking the first time since '65 it will not take place in N.Y., and if all things go well this weekend, the event "will never be the same -- and Chicago could remain its home," according to Patrick Finley of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel persuaded NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league "to choose Chicago over the other finalist," L.A., and the "pitch went like this: Chicago is close to the NFL's major markets ... and could provide an experience indoors and outdoors, ticketed and for free." Emanuel "had been hounding Goodell" since '12, and when a Radio City Music Hall scheduling conflict forced the NFL to look outside N.Y. for the Draft, Emanuel, his team and Bears Chair George McCaskey "put on a full-court press." ESPN Senior Coordinating Producer Seth Markman in the fall visited the Auditorium Theatre and said that he "couldn’t see how it would work." But he has become "invigorated by [the] NFL's indoor/outdoor plan." Markman: "It’s going to feel like you’re building up to something kinda special. And I’m not sure it’s always felt like that in the past, as much as I personally like New York.” The league has until Sept. 30 to "decide whether to bring the draft back" in '16, and if the NFL says yes, Chicago has "committed already." Meshing Grant Park with the downtown theater could "make Chicago irreplaceable, if the league decides to run with the new format" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/25).
MY KIND OF TOWN: In N.Y., Strauss & Belson wrote it was the "hard-charging Emanuel" who lured the Draft to Chicago. Buckingham Fountain will "light up in colors to match whichever team is picking, while each team operates its own tent for its fans and the league hosts football clinics for local children and football-themed panel discussions for their parents." Meanwhile, Emanuel has "promised that no taxpayer money will be used" to stage the Draft. Several hotels will "provide discounted rooms to the NFL; the city will close streets; and Choose Chicago will need to raise" an estimated $3-4M to cover costs. The city also has "done its best to scrub the area of non-NFL-sanctioned advertisements" at the league's request (N.Y. TIMES, 4/29). Emanuel said, "This was a unique opportunity for us to host a major sporting event and to showcase the visibility of the city as a world-class city. You can't buy this type of advertising for the city around the globe, around the country." USA TODAY's Nancy Armour noted while all activities "are free, the NFL is cashing in." A "record 34 sponsors -- 10 more than last year -- have a piece" of the Draft (USA TODAY, 4/29).
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: In Milwaukee, Tyler Dunne noted the NFL "wants Chicago to have a Super Bowl-like buzz" for fans, and the league's "Draft Town" will "overtake" the city this weekend. The 900,000-square-foot "paradise for football fans" will be free to the public, with a "spot to get your photo taken with the Lombardi Trophy," as well as an autograph stage. NFL Senior VP/Events Peter O'Reilly said big screens will show the Draft "everywhere you turn." Also, the "NFL Experience" will allow fans to "run the 40-yard dash alongside an LED screen of an NFL player doing the event." O'Reilly said that the league in the past "was forced to turn away fans who were lined up at the door for tickets the night before." Draft Town opens at 4:00pm CT today and tomorrow and 10:00am Saturday, "spanning from" Michigan Avenue and the theater to Lake Michigan -- over Buckingham Fountain (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/29). CBS Sports’ Evan Washburn said fans would be "shocked at what the Draft in Chicago is like, especially if you compared it to what New York has brought us for the last 50 years." He said Draft Town is "like a Fanfest on steroids." Washburn: "Think Super Bowls, think March Madness. It’s all about the fans and making sure they have a blast over the course of three days." He added, "This is a Draft unlike any we’ve seen before, and the best description I’ve heard to this point is that for an event that doesn’t actually have a football game, it’s a football fan’s fantasy” (“That Other Pregame Show,” CBS Sports Network, 4/29).
ALL SQUARED UP: ESPN CHICAGO's Kyle Brasseur noted after the selections are announced, the picks in attendance "will be ushered across the street" into Draft Town. Specifically, they will be "paraded into 'Selection Square,' a ticketed area where they will be interviewed in front of the crowd by ESPN and the NFL Network." The final four rounds on Saturday "will take place entirely" in Selection Square, and tickets are "required for that area on all three days." Aside from Selection Square, entry into Draft Town "will be free of charge for fans and open to the general public during all three days." The festival will "conclude Saturday night with a free concert headlined" by singer Phillip Phillips (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 4/28).
JUST A COINCIDENCE? THE MMQB's Peter King wrote he has "heard from several agents that their clients want the draft" in N.Y. instead of Chicago. It is "perhaps a coincidence that the potential top three picks" -- Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and Amari Cooper -- "all chose to skip the trip to Chicago." However, it also could be the "start of a trend." Players "should be free to make their own decisions about attending or not attending, but it's been a long time since three of the top picks in the draft skipped it." King: "So that bears watching." However, King reported Chicago would "have to be a significant failure for the league to revert reflexively" to N.Y. next year (MMQB.SI.com, 4/27). In Ft. Worth, Charean Williams writes the Draft "might turn out to be more about who's not here." Goodell's "ceremonial hug might have to wait a while." But he "disputed that the absences ... had anything to do with the draft being held" outside N.Y. Goodell: "That's something that happens every year. We have players that decide to stay with their families. We understand that. It's an important day for them. We encourage them to do what they think is best" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 4/30).
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH: In Denver, Troy Renck notes the Broncos "want in" on hosting the Draft, "expressing interest in staging the event in the future." Broncos President & COO Joe Ellis: "We have let the commissioner's office know that we want it and are eager to host it in Denver. It has become a signature event in sports and the intrigue and the hype leading up to the draft week has made it so. We certainly believe after talking with Visit Denver [President] Richard Scharf that Denver would be a worthy choice to host NFL draft week." Renck notes Ellis "will travel to Chicago to observe the draft and study the particulars involved." Denver also has "lobbied to host a Super Bowl," but as a cold-weather city, the Draft "exists as a more realistic target to commit resources" (DENVER POST, 4/30).
