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Is it worth going to the NFL Draft? (1 Viewer)

Lehigh98

Footballguy
Has anyone been to NFL draft in the last few years and was it worth the trip?  I see the free "NFL Draft Experience":

The NFL Draft Experience will be located behind the High Roller at the LINQ Promenade and features immersive exhibits, sponsor activations, and exclusive merchandise at the NFL Shop presented by Visa. Some of this year's NFL Draft Experience attractions include:

FedEx Air Challenge

Play 60 Zone

Bud Light Draft Tavern

Invisalign Photo Frames

Super Bowl Rings

Raiders Vince Lombardi Trophies from Super Bowls XI, XV, and XVIII

Fans will also be able to view the Draft Theater where prospects will take the stage to celebrate being selected to their new team. General fan viewing will be on a first-come first-served basis and is standing room only. The Draft will also be broadcast on multiple screens throughout the event site.


But was wondering if you were interested in actually "watching" the draft how you could get seats.  Seems like you have to buy the experience through the "On Location" site and prices seem pretty steep:

2022 NFL Draft Red Carpet Package

1st Round Red-Carpet Access (Thursday)

Official 2022 NFL Draft Ticket (Friday + Saturday)

In-Draft Hospitality (Friday + Saturday)

Access To Draft Concert (Friday + Saturday)

NFL Draft Gift

Starting at $2500.00 /pp

2022 NFL Draft Rounds 4-7 Experience

Official 2022 NFL Draft Ticket

In-Draft Hospitality

Post Draft Concert

NFL Draft Gift

Starting at $750.00 /pp


Personally, I need to be in Vegas for a conference starting on Sunday and I was thinking of flying in early to catch the last day on Saturday and rounds 4-7.  Not sure if the free draft experience attraction is worth going to and really not sure if it's worth spending $750 for a seat when they're just quickly running through rounds 4-7.

Who's been to the draft?  What was your experience like? TIA!

 
Last couple looked super fun. Next year would be a lot cheaper than Las Vegas.  Las Vegas will probably be insane though. 
 

ETA: “worth it”? Probably, if you’re into football. Lots of once in a lifetime experiences to be had and all that. I’d like to do it at some point. 

 
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I did New York City in 2004. Totally worth the experience and would do again

day 2 (or day 3 today) was great. Hardly anyone there and got to sit and chat with the ESPN crew. Was fabulous time

there was 6 of us from Canada. Nitanny Lion showed us a great time afterwards also. We bet on each pick and were very raucous for a different reason. Once the Jets and Giants had gone, the place really cleared out. 

 
I can think of many better things to do with $2,500.

Like... everything else ever.

 
I would assume it's probably something you do once so you can say you did it.  It probably isn't all it's cracked up to be but an experience worth having.  For $2500 it makes it tougher.  

I would probably think it would be similar to my NHL All Star weekend experience.  I went when it was in Los Angeles.  It was worth doing but I don't need to every do it again.  

 
I would assume it's probably something you do once so you can say you did it.  It probably isn't all it's cracked up to be but an experience worth having.  For $2500 it makes it tougher.  

I would probably think it would be similar to my NHL All Star weekend experience.  I went when it was in Los Angeles.  It was worth doing but I don't need to every do it again.  
Did you have to pay? How much was it?

 
I watch all of day one every year but i look forward to the commentary about players i don't know that well. Day two i know a bunch of early second rounders and most of the offensive skill positions for fantasy.  I don't particularly enjoy watching the 4th to 7th rounds on television. 

I can't see spending 2500 bucks to not enjoy Vegas, and not hear any of the commentary during the draft, and I definitely would not enjoy feeling obligated to stay to get my money's worth on day 3. 

I've seen it on tv and it looks like you sit in crowded uncomfortable seating with a bunch of fans who only care about their team's pick and being on TV. 

But... your team has a couple first round picks and has been really active with trades recently.   So if it's something you think you'd enjoy, this could be a great year to go.  You might be able to get autographs from your new rookies, so if you do go, bring a Sharpie and good quality photos of all the top guys.  

 
I've been many times.  I'm always really excited to go and then an hour in I think about how dumb this all is.  Then I go the next year.

 
Yes.  I had season seats for the Kings at the time so I was given the option to buy tickets for the weekend for my usual seats.  It was about $350 a ticket for the weekend.  
See? To me even that seems high but if I was into the NHL even a little I would do that. But 2,500$$? That's like 10 San Diego Comic Con Badges(if you could get them)! :nerd:

 
I watch probably the first 15 picks before getting bored and switch to following on rotoworld.  Getting to boo Goodell in person sounds like a great time but not 2500 dollars worth of a great time.  Could rent a hotel suite for the night and some "entertainment" around here and pay much less.

 
I watch probably the first 15 picks before getting bored and switch to following on rotoworld.  Getting to boo Goodell in person sounds like a great time but not 2500 dollars worth of a great time.  Could rent a hotel suite for the night and some "entertainment" around here and pay much less.
For $2500 I’d want to be able to throw rotten fruit & vegetables at him. And I would expect them to provide the fruit & vegetables at that price.  

 
I went to Nashville and Cleveland.  Nashville was awesome - we were there on a golf trip and found a great new bar to hang out it on a side street a couple blocks out.  We were close to Broadway but it was way too packed for our taste - probably 8 blocks deep was shoulder-to-shoulder and another 4-5 blocks was pretty heavy.  Absolutely massive layout and tons to do with some incredible food options.

Cleveland was awful.  Mostly because Cleveland.  Weather was cold and wet, the kind I won't even golf in let alone attend an outdoor event in.  Pretty small area cordoned off and you had to sign up on the app for "sessions" to enter the area around the stadium - 6 hour blocks twice a day IIRC.  Band area was muddy, the food areas was a wreck.

Now a lot of Cleveland was due to COVID - you could tell they treated it like Thanksgiving at your weird uncle's house - they don't want to be inhospitable so you're "welcome" to come, but you can't stay long and you can't touch any of the cool stuff.  I think if it weren't in the pandemic days and it was all wider open (and not #### weather) it would have been a lot more enjoyable.

I'd do Vegas in a flash but the logistics aren't working out this year.  I wouldn't spend any of that cash on it, but no surprise the NFL is monetizing every penny they can, US consumers are idiots and pay it so why wouldn't they?

 
For $2500 I’d want to be able to throw rotten fruit & vegetables at him. And I would expect them to provide the fruit & vegetables at that price.  
Providing the ammo would be the least they could do.

Not to mention that I could blow 2500 in Vegas and have a much better time.

 
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Went twice when it was at Radio City-mid 2000's.Half the fun was waiting in line half the night for tickets.

The people there were serious fans, knew all the info on players. We're talking college, year drafted, stats....

I can't imagine paying for it.  For lack of a better word it looks like it's now  a "corporate" event. IE lets grab

a lot of money from people going to a one time experience. I like that they still continue to boo R Goodell.

The craziest moment was the two Dolphin fans in front of me trying not to cry when Ted Ginn was drafted.

It took them a few minutes to gain their composure before they got up and left. I thought the building was

going to fall apart from the noise when that pick was announced. Jets and Giant fans were going nuts.

I'm sure moving it from city to city gets bigger crowds as people will go just because it's there and it's all new.

 
I don't get it, at all.  And paying for it, at that price, nuts!  To hear a name called out?  What is so exciting about that in-person when it's on TV?

To listen to a ton of drunks scream or ##### and moan? To stand or sit shoulder-to-shoulder with grown men in jerseys or costumes until they get up and slobber over a pick or two every few hours?

I have never heard one person say I was there when say, Jameis Winston got drafted, I'll never forget it.  Or anybody.  Never once.

A Superbowl or Bowl game, sure, that can end up a lifetime memory.  A DRAFT?  OMG, did you see how hard Roger Goodell hugged that DB from LSU in a purple and pink designer suit?  So cool, it lasted .5 seconds longer than the lineman from Michigan.   Unforgettable! 

 
There is a completely different experience surrounding it that might be fun to partake it, but $2,500 to attend is insane IMO. 

I went in 2007 when the “cost” was waiting in line outside Radio City overnight. Thankfully the weather was good and it was a blast hanging out with a ton of other hardcore football fans talking football all night. The draft itself was fun to experience once, though sitting through the first round after being up all night in line the night before was a bit brutal. 2007 was the longest first round ever and lead to them making changes in the draft to make it move quicker. 

Day 2 was a lot of fun too in a different way because there were a lot fewer people and so there was more interaction with the talking heads and with the more hardcore football guys including some FBGs and staff (had breakfast with Dodds the one morning and still have my black eyed Joe hat I got that day). I still remember Jamarcus Russell going #1 overall, supreme anger when Patrick Willis went 1 pick in front of Buffalo, confusion when Buffalo took Marshawn Lynch, the drama of Brady Quinn sliding, and the absolute sick stomach when Randy Moss being traded to NE was announced.

It was a great one time experience when I was younger and the “price” was hanging out on a sidewalk in line all night with other football fans. I don’t think I’d do it now that I’m in my 40s and I definitely wouldn’t pay $2,500 for the experience of the draft.

 
There is a completely different experience surrounding it that might be fun to partake it, but $2,500 to attend is insane IMO. 

I went in 2007 when the “cost” was waiting in line outside Radio City overnight. Thankfully the weather was good and it was a blast hanging out with a ton of other hardcore football fans talking football all night. The draft itself was fun to experience once, though sitting through the first round after being up all night in line the night before was a bit brutal. 2007 was the longest first round ever and lead to them making changes in the draft to make it move quicker. 

Day 2 was a lot of fun too in a different way because there were a lot fewer people and so there was more interaction with the talking heads and with the more hardcore football guys including some FBGs and staff (had breakfast with Dodds the one morning and still have my black eyed Joe hat I got that day). I still remember Jamarcus Russell going #1 overall, supreme anger when Patrick Willis went 1 pick in front of Buffalo, confusion when Buffalo took Marshawn Lynch, the drama of Brady Quinn sliding, and the absolute sick stomach when Randy Moss being traded to NE was announced.

It was a great one time experience when I was younger and the “price” was hanging out on a sidewalk in line all night with other football fans. I don’t think I’d do it now that I’m in my 40s and I definitely wouldn’t pay $2,500 for the experience of the draft.
I was at that draft. i Think day one made a record as the longest one ever.

 
If I'm reading that right, if you line up to get in, as they've done forever, you don't get a seat? The only way to get a seat is to pay 2500? Geeeez....

 You can fly to Vegas, get a room, hit the dispensary, get baked and watch the draft on TV, as God intended, then go out and have dinner at STK where all the draft picks will be, for less than 2500. 

 
got a a free room for thursday and a cheap friday night at Harrah’s, my dad and I are going but only to the nfl draft experience stuff right there between the linq and caesar’s. 

 

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