Advertisement

NFL draft in Chicago has indoor-outdoor theme, come rain or shine!

NFL draft in Chicago has indoor-outdoor theme, come rain or shine!

We must admit we've been a bit skeptical of the NFL's plans to hold the draft at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago given that it's smaller than the venue — Radio City Music Hall — that the league just left and claimed was too small.

As more details come out about the Chicago 2015 NFL draft plans, the more our eyebrow raises. This will be the first NFL draft outside New York City in 50 years, and there are plenty of changes afoot. And sadly, we're not sure we can get on board with a few of them just yet.

[All Draft News, All The Time: Follow Shutdown Draft 365 on Tumblr]

NFL senior vice president of events Peter O'Reilly told ESPN.com that there will be an indoor-outdoor element to the draft, with both ESPN and NFL Network having sets inside the venue and outside at Grant Park about a quarter of a mile away.

But get this: All 32 teams will have draft tables with team representatives outside as well as inside. Uh, what?

First things first ... it might not be warm on the weekend of April 30. Or dry. The record for snowfall in Chicago for a day in the month of April is one inch. The day I proposed to my wife at Grant Park — April 16, 2012 — it was rainy and about 50 degrees outside. The average daily rainfall for the month of April in Chicago is 0.67 inches per day. You know, May flowers and all that ...

It's clear that the NFL's directive is to make the draft a more fan-friendly and fan-engaged event, and that's fine. But the logistics seem a bit wild. It's also evident that the NFL isn't scared of weather as a deterrent for one of its events, with Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium a great example of that. The game was dry that day, but snow pummeled the New York area about four hours after game's end that day.

Another phase of the draft events will be what the NFL is calling "Draft-Town," where fans run 40-yard dashes against various players, get autographs and huddle with fans from their team fan bases at any of the 32 small chalets, one for each NFL team.

"We'll have screens inside those areas that reflect what is going on specifically with that team, including the social media conversation," O'Reilly said. "Not only will a legend from each team give the pick, as they typically do in the second round, but they'll also make an appearance at the team chalet."

Also, Chicago's famous Buckingham Fountain, which is in Grant Park, will be illuminated with the colors of the team that is on the clock during the first two nights nights of the draft, on April 30 and May 1. That's a lot of lighting changes; personally, I am rooting for a lot of trades and quick-trigger picks, just to see how fast the crew can adjust, but that's just me.

The theatre inside has a capacity of 3,875, of which there will be roughly 3,000 seats for fans, plus an additional 1,000 seats or so outside the venue in what is being called "Selection Square." The league has said tickets will be free but hasn't yet announced how or when they'll be distributed. O'Reilly said that any draft pick who is in attendance will make his way outside eventually and conduct interviews in Grant Park for the assembled crowd.

Sounds like a fascinating plan. One that is sure to go off without a hitch.

- - - - - - -

Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!