Say what you want about the NFL, but they sure do know how to turn chicken sh*t into chicken salad. After all, only the NFL could turn the repetitive calling out of names (known affectionately as the NFL Draft) into a prime time, three day event.
Thanks to the NFL Network, the annual Scouting Combine in Indianapolis has also become a ratings magnet. The week long coverage given to the event on the league's network has turned the Combine into a must-see event.
The Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly writes that despite what some believe, teams really do get a lot out of the workouts that each potential draft pick goes through at the Combine:
The NFL combine workouts, which will run through Tuesday, has become an event, one that’s drawn 5.24 million total viewers last year. But most people on the outside who watch it ask: "What does that have to do with football?"
I’m told plenty. It’s the best way for these teams looking to restock their roster with younger, cheaper talent to compare apples with apples, and oranges with oranges.
Just like we all do at the grocery store NFL teams want to pick the fruit that’s pretty, looks juicy, and has some staying power. The tests – like the bench press, 40-yard dash, L drills, shuttle run, and position drills – allow them to see where the prospects stack up athletically at each position, comparing offensive guards with offensive guards and so on.
With the workouts at the Combine kicking into high gear this weekend, here's what I want to know. Do you think the Scouting Combine is over-hyped? It may be valuable to NFL scouts. But do you feel it's the must-watch television event the league tries to make it out to be?
Let us know below...