NFL Draft Blossoms Into a Big-Time Production

Back in 1980, ESPN was busy trying to fill up its programming schedule with the likes of Australian Rules Football, table tennis tournaments and an interesting novelty offered by the NFL.

Pro football was holding its annual collegiate draft, a popular item for grid fans but not the kind of stuff that would cause commercial networks to bump an afternoon soap opera off the air.

ESPN, hungry for live programming, grabbed the chance to televise the draft. Not much fuss was made about it back then.

Next Tuesday, ESPN will televise the draft for the eighth straight year. The growth in interest in the draft and ESPN have mirrored one another.

“It’s a happening now. It’s major league stuff,” says Chris Berman, who will help anchor the coverage along with 10 commentators. “The interest has been fantastic. It’s gone from just the football nuts who wanted info on each pick to a point where the average fan tunes in to the show.”

ESPN starts coverage with the first pick--Vinnie Testaverde of Miami to Tampa Bay--at 8 a.m. EDT. It stays with the draft until 4 p.m. although there are some who maintain ESPN might as well devote its entire broadcast schedule to the day-long proceedings.

Where the production was a relatively minor one in 1980, the list of commentators has grown. Beano Cook, among others, has been added and Paul Maguire, who left the network for NBC, will also return for a sixth year. Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated, Howard Balzer of the Sporting News and Mel Kiper, author of the 1987 NFL Draft Report, will also participate and join ESPN regulars Berman, George Grande, Larry Burnett and Bob Ley.

“You wouldn’t believe the amount of work that is required in this thing,” adds Bob Ley, another ESPN draft day anchor. “You’re talking about an eight-hour live show. Not many network shows go on for that long. It’s like studying for a final exam, the work that must be done just to be prepared for this thing.”

Some of the suspense in the past has been built around the No. 1 pick. That won’t happen this year, but ESPN hopes to continue developing its audience through its production techniques. With 15 minutes between each first-round pick, there is ample time for either innovative television or dry stretches of boredom.

ESPN has its “Draft Board,” which includes a list of 50 top draftees. Statistics must be prepared along with film on the players. Because ESPN doesn’t know who will be picked when, it requires massive production preparation along with NFL Films.

“These people study NFL teams like no one else and we want to tap their unique expertise,” says Bill Fitts, ESPN’s production coordinator of the help the network gets from NFL Films. “They are expert fans and will enhance our telecast.”

In addition to the top 50 prospects, interviews and graphics have been compiled on more than 250 prospective draft picks, the equivalent of nearly nine rounds. ESPN will probably be off the air by the time the fourth round ends.

“This year’s highlights will be our best ever as we have made a concerted effort the last two college seasons to get better isolated shots of linemen,” Fitts said.

Why is there such interest in what amounts to an eight-hour football wheel of fortune?

“We aren’t kidding ourselves. We don’t think too many people stay the entire eight hours. But they are turning to us to see what happens in the early rounds or what happened with their favorite club,” Berman says. “I think the NFL draft is unique compared to the other drafts because of the great interest in pro football, plus the interest to see where college superstars are going.”

More frequent recaps are promised by ESPN to refresh viewers about the selections and to cater to the occasional watcher. In addition, ESPN will air a 30-minute review at 10:30 that night.

ESPN has a part of the NFL regular season game action this year for the first time and will take advantage of the eight-hour program to to promote its telecasts.

“In a way, it’s our biggest show in that we now have the rights to games,” Berman said. “But we’re not viewing this program any differently than any of the others we’re doing. We’re trying to produce a show that’s professional and is both interesting to the avid fan as well as the one who is just going to turn it on for a while to see how his team did.”