Grip on Sports: The NFL draft isn’t what anyone would call high drama and it doesn’t have to be must-see TV
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Maybe my blood doesn’t run red enough. Maybe I’m not really an American. Whatever the reason, I just don’t get the fascination with the NFL’s draft. Read on.
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• Oh, I understand the importance. Teams that draft well, win. Teams that don’t, don’t. Simple. So days like yesterday are important to your local NFL franchise.
And to the players taken. All you have to do is watch the Seahawks’ choice, Rashaad Penny, break down in tears while receiving the news he’s going to Seattle – or because he has to run behind that offensive line – to understand that.
Those parts I appreciate.
But this idea you need to sit and watch hour after hour of talking heads bloviate over every possibility, examining every piece of minutia about every player, praising or criticizing the same statistics, using whatever serves their purpose, that I don’t get.
Take the story of Goofus and Gallant from last evening.
Goofus sat in front of his TV set for three hours last night, switching from the NFL Network to ESPN and back again. He agreed with Mel Kiper half the time, disagreed the other half. He drank at least four Miller Lites. And he was excited when the Hawks drafted Penny, yelling so loud all 11 cats ran from his living room.
Gallant skipped the draft on TV. He mowed the lawn, barbecued steaks, played catch with his daughter. He had two craft beers with dinner and played Catan with the family afterward. He won. When his phone dinged with the news the Hawks had drafted Penny, he cursed under his breath a bit and went back to reading “A Tale of Two Cities” for the ninth time.
Who has the fuller life? And did either’s actions affect the draft one iota?
Over the course of the next six months both Goofus and Gallant will be inundated with news about the Seahawks’ draft picks. They will be able to parse them with their friends, to complain or praise them. Such actions will be available to both, whether they were tethered to their TV last night (and tonight and Saturday) or not.
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WSU: Post-spring practice depth charts have a tendency to change, but Theo Lawson takes a stab at getting the Cougars’ down as close as possible. But, as the British say, there is many a slip between cup and lip. Or something like that. … The tennis team won its quarterfinal match at the Pac-12 championships. …Elsewhere in the conference, there were a few players taken in the first round from the Pac-12, including Washington’s defensive lineman, Vita Vea. … UCLA’s Josh Rosen was considered outspoken before the draft and he did nothing to change that opinion. … There are many ways to look at the draft. … Oregon may have the same guy kick and punt. … Oregon State is looking for the right guy at quarterback. … In basketball, Arizona State added a big recruit and Arizona hopes to add one as well. … Finally, the Todd McNair trial continued.
Gonzaga: The Zags’ Daniel Bies has some good genes and the ability to persevere on the mound. Justin Reed tells us how he’s done the latter and what has resulted.
EWU: Eastern will open the football season by hosting Division II Central Washington. Jim Allen has the story behind the Eagles’ 11th game. … Larry Weir’s Press Box pod for the day includes a couple important Eagles.
Idaho: The Vandals’ inside guys on the defensive line are doing more than anchoring the line of scrimmage. How much more? Peter Harriman has the story.
Chiefs: Everett leads the WHL Western Conference finals 3-1 after winning in Tri-Cities, 3-1.
Preps: Just about every spring sport was highlighted yesterday and we have roundups from golf, soccer, baseball, softball, track and tennis. We can also pass along Greg Lee’s track and field notebook.
Mariners: The M’s are quietly having a decent road trip, riding Kyle Seager’s two-out run-scoring eighth-inning double to a 5-4 win in Cleveland. … Ryon Healy was back in the lineup at first base. … Edwin Diaz has been the best reliever in baseball thus far.
Seahawks: Was anyone surprised the Hawks traded down in the first round? That seemed to be a given seeing they needed more picks in the later rounds. But keeping the resulting first-round pick and using it on the San Diego State running back was somewhat shocking. And whether it was a bigger surprise that they used it at all or that they used it on Penny is hard to discern. … The draft continues tonight.
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• Headed to the airport this morning. Going out of town for the weekend – and missing the nicest day of the year so far. No worries. Where I’m heading it will be, well, it will be raining, just like the weekend here. Until later …