NFL Draft: 5 cities who should host
By Will Osgood
Looking at five cities who should host the NFL draft in future years.
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For the first time since 1968 the NFL Draft will be held in a city other than New York City–this year in “The Second City”, Chicago.
While the NFL has left the door open for a return to New York City for the 2016 NFL Draft, there’s also the possibility that the annual selection meeting could be placed on a rotation similar to the way the NFL awards Super Bowls to a rather varied group of cities.
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If such thing happens, who are the top-five cities to host the NFL Draft, using a somewhat loose criteria (to follow)?
Nashville
One of the things that stands out as a potential NFL Draft destination is possessing the necessary venue. No the draft won’t be held in a honky tonk bar on the main strip of Music City.
But there’s plenty else to do in Nashville besides just the honky tonk bar for fans (also important for potentially hosting the NFL’s second biggest event of the year).
And there are more than enough venues which would be capable of holding the draft. Nashville has concert halls all over the city, and if it wanted to make the event huge, it could even use Bridgestone Arena–home of the Nashville Predators and host of many of the city’s biggest concerts (though the possibility of the Predators hosting a playoff game could get in the way and make for a logistical nightmare for both the NFL and NHL).
Plus Nashville is more or less a southern city and home to rather rabid football fans.
Nashville more or less deserves an event such as this. It’s time to make it happen.
New Orleans
Is there another city better at hosting big events than New Orleans? Sure, I’m biased, but no there’s not!
New Orleans has the French Quarter, which is more than used to hosting auxiliary events and transforming into something like what Chicago is doing this week in remaking the down town area “Draft Town”.
Mere blocks from the heart of the Quarter rests Saenger Theater, a beautiful early 1900s throwback theater (just recently reopened after it was destroyed as a result of Hurricane Katrina), which may not have the amount of seats the NFL is looking for to house the event, but it certainly would give the draft an old-time feel, something which might be good for the event for a year.
The craziness of New Orleans might not be welcome, though, for the NFL with a bunch of 20-23-year-old kids about to see their dreams realized (then again ask Shane Ray if a prospect needs to be in a land of temptation the week of the draft to have it all come crashing down).
Not to mention, the Crescent City has hosted more than a handful of Super Bowls, 10 to be exact.
Los Angeles
Before deciding on Chicago as the host city for this year’s event, Los Angeles was considered a potential destination despite the city not currently having its own NFL franchise.
Either the Kodak Theatre or Dolby Theatre would have housed the event had Los Angeles gained the 2015 bid. The main requirements the NFL was looking for was availability for two separate weekends (this past one as well as this one upcoming), adequate hotel space (no problem in LA) and the ability to host outdoor events.
All the cities mentioned thus far could do that. Los Angeles might be able to best do the last one, with its certainty of great weather and open space in a still developing city (compared to other large cities).
And there’s a good chance that this time next year, the NFL will have given at least one NFL franchise to the second largest city in the United States, that has somehow gone 20-plus years without an NFL franchise. That’s a coupe as well.
Indianapolis
Indianapolis, of course, already hosts the pre-draft NFL Combine. But there have been talks in the past of possibly moving that event to another locale. Or the NFL could just deem that Indianapolis become the unofficial, official headquarters of all things draft-related.
Indianapolis has done well in hosting the Combine and multiple Final Fours. There is more than enough hotel space and there is seemingly enough room to host outdoor events.
And being a metropolitan city, it has a venue to host the event.
Plus, it’s an underrated city. It’s a delightful place that a person cannot leave impressed by the combination of a somewhat southern-like hospitality, midwestern work ethic obvious in all things Indianapolis and the overall charm of a place straddling the boundaries of being metropolitan and farm town (driving to the airport one cannot miss the farms).
Las Vegas
Can you imagine? No other league–not even Major League Baseball with its storied history of gambling issues–is more conscious of gambling.
But if looking for the main requirements–again: hotel space (check), ability to host outdoor events (check) and ability to host on a few different weekends (Las Vegas could host this event any time the NFL wants it there)–Vegas is the perfect fit.
It probably won’t ever happen. And there are good reasons. Vegas is unlikely to ever have its own NFL franchise. The league generally doesn’t like to partner with non-NFL cities.
And the whole gambling and “Whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” thing might keep them away. But is there really a better location?
There are equal cities, but better? Probably not.
It would be fun. Heck, who wouldn’t enjoy watching Roger Goodell squirm in Vegas as you can see his skin quiver at the thought of being in such an unholy place?
Can we make this happen? Please!