Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Great stuff:

-Future Draft Guru Dave Te’Thomas interviewed in the fan section

-Mike Francesa attempting to speak English in maybe his first national TV appearance

-Very knowledgeable fans treated with respect and not expected to act like simps screaming WOO WOO WOO

-Surprised that the coverage went with needs based drafting over BPA. Needs based is the strategy of the desperate imo.

-Howard Cosell crapping on the draft but shilling for Al Davis

-Paul Zimmerman responding back to Cosell

-no choir of angels in the background as LT is taken by the Giants and Lott by the 49ers. Just matter of fact reporting.

-Little to none player interviews

-team draft histories reviewed for better or worse

-Rozelle not acting like a fool as Goodell does now

Absolute breath of fresh air.


https://youtu.be/f3TKkP0_lz8?si=EgaviBJahqq_57Ct

No sick/dying kids announcing the picks? How refreshing.

ESPN was awesome from 1979-2000, then got too big for their britches ... haha

Ronnie Lott was the best player from that draft ...

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Thu Oct 09, 2025 6:14 pm ESPN was awesome from 1979-2000, then got too big for their britches ... haha

I’d argue ESPN was still pretty good at what it did through 2008 or so (tangent, and different sport, but the presentation of their MLB highlights peaked in 2002 as far as I’m concerned, and there are still some highlight cues they used for MLB on SportsCenter in 02 that I wish I could find).

Then in 08 they expanded SportsCenter to be on 24/7 consistently on at least one of their channels, and then First Take took off and they repeatedly cloned it to fill airtime.

Also, while it existed through the end of 2021, the last original programming produced for ESPN Classic aired in early 2007. That channel had some documentaries I’ve enjoyed coming across and have seen snippets from in quite a few YouTube videos over the past several years.

As for the NFL draft, the focus became a bit more about the spectacle of it by the 90’s I’d say.

The one draft in the earlier years of it being televised that sounds like it was a long broadcast was the 1984 draft

(watered down talent pool by the USFL, and not that it’d be televised past round one, but an NFL Films Caught in the Draft for 1984 implied that they went through 12 rounds in one night)

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Thu Oct 09, 2025 6:14 pm ESPN was awesome from 1979-2000, then got too big for their britches ... haha

I’m sure the NFL had more and more of a say on how the Draft was covered. Until you have the mess you have today.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Thu Oct 09, 2025 6:27 pm Ronnie Lott was the best player from that draft ...

What a cheap shot way to get a reply

Oh come on now. LT

When they started televising the draft in 1980, ESPN shouldn't have done a constant live show. They should have showed NFL Films presentations during that time instead (Super Bowl Highlights, NFL Yearbooks, etc...) with a tracker at the bottom of the screen announcing each pick. Then, when Round 1 was over, go to the site and do a show about that for 30 minutes to an hour.

I didnt stutter ... Lott had more impact than LT ... you can research all you want. I watched both play and while LT was a great pass rusher who could make plays everywhere, Lott did everything and could have been a great linebacker if the coaches put him there. He is the greatest defensive player in NFL history.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Thu Oct 09, 2025 8:23 pm I didnt stutter ... Lott had more impact than LT ... you can research all you want. I watched both play and while LT was a great pass rusher who could make plays everywhere, Lott did everything and could have been a great linebacker if the coaches put him there. He is the greatest defensive player in NFL history.

Uh, Lott was good, but he was overrated because of the SF on his helmet just like a lot of his teammates were. I actually believe that Reggie White may be the best defensive player in NFL history. GB would have been playoff pretenders in the 90's without him.