Is The 2010 NFL Draft Schedule Better for Business Than for the Fans?

As many fans have noticed, the National Football League has made several changes in the past few years in an effort to add to its already massive fan base.

The NFL is trying to expand into the global market by holding regular season games outside of the United States. Following the dissolution of NFL Europa, games have been regularly held in London and the NFL is trying to pull in loyal CFL fans by hosting Buffalo Bills home games in Toronto.  

All of this is currently being done on a trial basis, but it is no secret that the NFL is making a tremendous effort to expand. More fans equal higher attendance, ratings, and advertising rates. All of which lead to more money.

The NFL has also made changes to its schedule in an effort to bring in more fans from the current market. The Pro Bowl was moved to the week before the Super Bowl, much to the chagrin of many fans who were upset that players competing in the Super Bowl would not be participating.

The Pro Bowl was moved from Hawaii to Miami also causing a stir from players who didn't view a trip to Florida as rewarding as a trip to Hawaii. However, the event was a success for the NFL. The game ratings were up 40 percent from last year and were the highest in a decade.

Now, in an effort to bring in more viewers, this year's NFL draft has been put in prime time and turned into a three-day event.

Instead of the Saturday/Sunday format of years past, the draft will begin at 7:30 PM Thursday evening with the first round. Rounds two and three will be held Friday evening and rounds four through seven will be held during the day Saturday.

Moving the draft into prime time should increase the viewership of the event, attracting casual fans who will be likely to watch. It should also increase the amount of revenue gained from advertising.

But, where does this leave the millions of current die-hard NFL fans?

Fans of the National Football League are passionate about their sport, often arranging their professional and personal lives around Sunday afternoons and Monday nights. For them, the NFL is more than watching a game, it is a weekly ritual of friends, food and drinks, barbecues and tailgating.

For the fan, the season is far too short, ending with the fans of one team elated for the entire year, and the rest full of hope for the next season.

The time between the Super Bowl and September is empty for the die hard NFL fan. With no football to watch and a sense that every team has a chance next year, free agency and the NFL draft have become huge events in the football world.

There are many people out there who may have trouble remembering what they did at work the day before, but could rattle off the NFL Combine schedule or give you the projected draft position of a stud pass rushing defensive end.

The draft has become an integral part of the NFL universe, almost the Super Bowl of the offseason, and is a day set aside by many fans to devote to football.

Draft parties have become common, and sports bars are packed with jersey-wearing fans who spend the entire afternoon gorging themselves on wings and beer and watching the draft unfold.

The first day of the draft is a day full of excitement as fans watch their teams make decisions which can drastically alter the team's future. It is a day full of emotion as young men take their first steps towards their dream of playing in the NFL. It is a day when, once again, it's great to be a football fan.

All of this may be changing, however, as the schedule of the draft changes in an effort to create a bigger television event.

For one, it is likely that there will be far fewer draft parties as many individuals work weeknights or will have to work early Friday morning. Also, many sports bars host a different crowd on Thursday and Friday nights, so many fans may elect to stay home as opposed to trying to decipher draft dialogue over karaoke night.

The only full day devoted to the draft will be Saturday, and let's be honest, the latter rounds of the draft do not always make for riveting television.

The new schedule may be perfect for introducing casual fans to the wonders of the NFL draft, but it may result in a disappointment for many current fans. The draft day party could become a thing of the past, and for die-hard NFL fans, the draft may just lose some of its magic.