I have been a bit under the weather this week and as a result I have had a chance to lay in bed and watch daytime TV.  Not that everyday drama laden stuff you get from the soaps, but the drama laden everyday stuff you get from watching boys get paid lots of money to play a sport they love.  Of course, I am talking about the NFL and the upcoming NFL draft.  I can remember as a boy running to the paper to see a list of who the Broncos (I admit I am a hometown sports fan) drafted in the NFL draft.  That was back when I followed what was happening in college with all of my favorite players as well.  Perhaps I’m dating myself but I remembered wanting to grow up to play like one of my favorites, John Cappelletti (Google it).

The NFL Draft now has taken on a whole new meaning for kids (yes I include myself in that category to this day) as they watch their favorites from college make it to the next level and they get to see who is the latest addition to their favorite professional team in real time.  We get to see all the cool stuff like war rooms, owners on the phone, players at home or in studio, highlights and all the other stuff that makes this a media frenzy, all live and in person from our own armchairs.  This spectacle needs to be held somewhere and in fact its not much different than putting on a large trade show or convention.

This year’s event is being broadcast live from New York City from the Radio City Music Hall.  What I think is super cool however is that the Radio City Music Hall has its own blog called The Monitor.  You should definitely check it out for New York City latest in what is happening.  The blog also covers other event locations like Madison Square Gardens.

The RCMH is hosting the event for the third year now and if you are lucky, its free:

NFL Draft Fan Central will be open to all fans on Saturday, April 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on 51st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. NFL Draft Fan Central is a free event and will feature interactive football activities, Giants and Jets player autograph signings and live coverage of the 2008 NFL Draft on the NFL Network big screen.

Held in New York City since 1965, the NFL Draft will be televised nationally by NFL Network and ESPN. This is the third consecutive year that the Draft will be held at Radio City Music Hall.

You can bet that this is not the same as a trade show or convention we talk about here much of the time, but many of the same types of vendors and suppliers we feature here will be providing services there.  How can RCMH afford such extravagance?  Are you kidding?  The Dolphins just spent $30M on a kid out of college that has not showed up for a day of work yet.  I’ll let you decide who gets the check.

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