NFL Draft Couldn't Arrive Soon Enough
INDIANAPOLIS — In a world seemingly gone mad without sports, finally we get something real.
This thought has never crossed the mind before: We desperately needed the NFL draft.
Although it’s not sticking to the script by going virtual, it’s important, perhaps more so than ever before.
The annual selection process in previous years could be a tedious test of patience as we sat through three days of picks. We were excited in that first round, to see what college stars went where, analyzing how they will fit, wondering here in Indy what the Indianapolis Colts would do on the clock.
By the second day, in the third round or so, many of us would still be watching but with more of a casual interest. Many of these players we didn’t know, so there’s little clue if they would make it in the NFL.
By the last day, even for media camped out at the Colts complex, those final four rounds just leave a tired head dizzy. You play with your cell phone, plan for what stories and videos will be slotted at some particular time, look at that phone again and keep constant tabs on social media.
But to be honest, it’s boring.
Not this year. Not now.
The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged our world, cost thousands of lives, and most of us are forced to live in what has become a world of fear.
The lack of sports doesn’t really enter into it, when considering the magnitude of the moment.
But sports play a vital role in our culture. They always have and always will. We need the excitement and anticipation of sport, even without the games.
What’s missing from our lives is the fulfillment of screaming at the TV about what happened next. Or, for those tailgating in the parking lots outside of Lucas Oil Stadium and then cheering inside during games, it’s the time we spend together that is cherished.
In recent weeks, TV networks have had no choice but to replay old games. That’s been fun, especially when watching the Colts beat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI in 2007 in Miami. Checking out that infamous Colts’ victory over the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game that same postseason never gets old.
But watching the old games eventually becomes somewhat old. Because we know what’s going to happen. We’re just reliving the thrills of yesteryear.
We need new thrills today. And while seeing a young kid become the next NFL millionaire doesn’t seem to qualify to our high standards of the past, it’s all we have at the moment.
The Colts don’t pick until the second round unless GM Chris Ballard trades up. Don’t expect that to happen. He’s looking to add more selections to his seven picks in rounds two through six.
But after all the work he’s done to rebuild the franchise in the offseason, this is an important next step. The Colts need to address certain positions, most notably wide receiver. How exciting will it be to see who joins T.Y. Hilton, Parris Campbell and Zach Pascal? Not just one receiver, but hopefully a couple.
A defense that has added a cornerstone in All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner might also get some help, which leaves to imagination many of us pondering just how improved this unit can be in 2020.
Like anything else, the draft is a roll of the dice and we don’t typically know how many of these guys are hits as opposed to misses for a couple of years. But there again, that’s what makes it exciting. We watch. We wonder. We wait.
If nothing else, starting with the NFL draft’s opening round on Thursday, sports-starved fans everywhere can enjoy the anticipation and unexpected aspect of what this sport can offer.
We worry about if the NFL season will start on time, how soon fans will be safe to return to stadiums, if the schedule will need to be shortened. Some even fear the season is in jeopardy.
But for the next three days, we can focus strictly on the NFL draft, how it plays out and who is going where.
And, beyond words, we should be grateful for the distraction.
