The NFL Combine: The Fascination with Watching Practice

It is 9 AM on a cold Saturday morning the blinds drawn, door locked, and my rear is firmly planted in front of the computer.

I quickly access one of my favorite Internet sites and there they are. Outfitted in tight revealing clothing exposing every muscle leaving almost nothing to the imagination.
 
Young and strapping performers who hail from the sandy beaches of California to the Florida swamps would be providing hours of guilt-free entertainment. Well, mostly guilt.
Yep, I and millions of Americans did not tune into the Olympic coverage.

We participated in the peep show known as the annual NFL Scouting Combine. It was sports pornography at its best or worst depending on how you feel about the four-day event broadcast on NFL Network and streamed live on NFL.com.

An addiction yet to be formally diagnosed by a clinical physician. 

I felt a little awkward watching scantily clad 300-pound future pros run, jump, and attempt to swivel their way into a professional football contract. Under Armour spared no expense in providing the official workout gear for hundreds of former college stars in attendance.

Hearing football analyst Mike Mayock say, "The room they do it in is fun," as he described a makeshift weight room where athletes would test their brute strength and endurance on the bench press.

Drooling over headlines that read "Tate post fastest time among second receivers," "Price showcases million-dollar ability, smile," and "Soccer background suits Suh just fine" just can't be normal behavior even for rational sports fans.

Who watches intently as wide receivers, running backs and defensive lineman take on the vertical jump, shuttle run and three-cone drill?

To take a few lines from Allen Iverson, we are talking about practice. Not playing a game, but practice.

Why?

Would we sit on the couch several hours a day and watch baseball players field grounders or basketball players shoot free throws?

Well, the NFL Combine is as American as apple pie, Chevrolet and YouTube. It gives football fans all over the country a reason to be hopeful about the upcoming season. To be optimistic that a can't miss prospect or a diamond in the rough could be the key to multiple Super Bowl runs.

That is why we gaze at Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Ndamukong Suh the way we do Jenna Jameson and other adult film stars. We hope to get the pay off in the end.

 
Even if we do feel a little dirty during the journey.