It’s Thursday, April 28th, 2016. Draft Day.
For the past two and a half months, football fans have discussed the top prospects that declared for the 2016 NFL Draft. Fans have exhausted numerous arguments on every player associated via rumor with their teams.
Media analysts have published enough mock drafts to choke a black hole, and they’re coming out with their “final” versions.
The NFL is basking in the glow of the only thing that’s happening related to football right now; the Draft. (Be quiet, Arena Football, I know your regular season just started, I meant real football.)
Unproven, underage, undersized, and sometimes unethical draft prospects have been national news stories for a month or more. They’re advertised as though they come in a package with a rebate for 10 free wins.
These players are paraded about as the next generation of Pro Bowlers, and Super Bowl Champions and Hall of Famers. Does (California, QB) Jared Goff have any right to be mentioned among the likes of, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Jim Kelly, Joe Ferguson, or John Elway? No. Except of course to mention the fact that a lot of great QBs have first names that start with the letter ‘J’.
Until they make the rosters, and get past Training Camp, until they start a game and handle the pressure, until they contribute to a winning team meaningfully, until they make the clutch play to deliver the Super Bowl to their adoring fans, until they’ve payed their dues, they’re nothing but status quo football players.
Lauded as the Future Super Bowl Champions, these rookies bring a metaphor to my mind: Having your album release party before knowing how to play music.
The draft prospects that are being discussed as Hall of Famers have only proved one thing. They can play collegiate level football fairly well. This is the NFL, boys.
Now excuse me while I watch 4 hours of pre-draft coverage, and bite my fingernails down to the cuticles.
Boy, I hope the Bills take–