DETROIT – Years ago, the NFL held its draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York, a convenient, simple and neat location for the league, whose headquarters was a 10-minute walk along 49th Street.
It also was a rumor in midtown Manhattan amid NHL/NBA playoff games, Broadway shows and comedy clubs. The draft was a television event, not a fan event.
Now it’s both.
In 2015, the NFL made the genius decision to move the draft around the country. This weekend, Detroit became the eighth city to host after Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas and Kansas City.
Sun-splashed downtown Detroit is the hub of pro football this week.
At noon on Thursday, the NFL Experience opened for business. An event with no admission, fans participated in activities such as a trivia contest and the 40-yard dash, supported local restaurants at a food court tent (including individual strawberry cheesecakes!) and bought their favorite team’s hats and jerseys at an apparel shop.
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Detroit officials expect a $160 million economic impact and as many as 300,000 spectators over three days. Lions fans dominated the fan count, but nearly every team was represented.
At the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward, eight hours before the first round, Bills fans posed for pictures with a giant helmet. And they all had opinions on their team’s decision to trade receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans.
Phil Sulak has been a Bills fan for 35 years and crossed over from Windsor with his 17-year old son, Nicholas, to walk around the NFL Experience.
“I liked the Diggs trade,” said Phil Sulak, who like most Bills fans was wearing Josh Allen’s No. 17 jersey. “I wanted (Diggs) gone and kind of wanted (head coach Sean) McDermott gone at the end of year, too, for a change.”
Sulak said Diggs’ exit will help Allen.
“You have to let Josh pick and choose where he throws it and not force things in there to Diggs and dink and dunk it for 3, 4 yards just to say he had a catch – I didn’t want that (anymore),” Sulak said.
Nicholas Sulak was wearing a Seattle Seahawks No. 7 jersey.
“He’s seen Super Bowl (titles),” Phil said. “I haven’t. He’s smarter than I am.”
Jasmine Blake wore a Bills sweatshirt to support her favorite NFL team and a University of Texas baseball cap to support her alma mater.
Blake’s friend, Cher Majeske, lives in Detroit and invited her to attend.
“I have friends who have gone to the draft the last three years, so when (Majeske) told me it was happening in her hometown, I was like, ‘We’re making this happen,’” said Blake, who lives in Brooklyn.
Blake’s favorite Bills player?
“He just got traded,” said Blake, referring to Diggs. “I’m going to say Josh Allen now.”
On a sidewalk along the Detroit River, Bills fan Luca Seazzu, in a No. 17 jersey, was with two friends looking for the NFL Experience’s entrance. They drove to Detroit from Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Thursday morning.
Seazzu is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and said he became a Bills fan “four, five years ago.”
“My aunt lives in Buffalo, and New Mexico doesn’t have an NFL team,” he said.
Seazzu’s take on the Diggs trade?
“I think it was the right move,” he said. “The Bills are being smart. They’re taking a year to retool while Josh Allen is still in his prime. It hurts and (stinks) to see (veteran) guys (depart), but it was the right move for the organization.”
The right move for visitors trying to access downtown Detroit was arriving from Canada instead of the airport. Roads have been closed, requiring meandering detours for my Lyft driver early Wednesday morning.
“You’re getting a tour of downtown, aren’t you?” the driver joked as we drove by Ford Field (home of the Lions) … and Comerica Park (home of the Tigers) … and Little Caesars Arena (home of the Red Wings and Pistons) … and the Hollywood Casino (home of slot machines).
The downtown area was sleepy for most of Wednesday, but fans began streaming in by dinnertime. By Thursday morning, the bass thumping of the speakers set up for the NFL Experience could be heard from near the top of a 70-floor hotel.
Once through the gate, it was a visual experience. Fans of all ages. And fans of nearly every team. Notepad and pen in hand, I stood a few paces from the aforementioned giant Bills helmet to do a roll call. In just 10 minutes, I checked off every team but Baltimore, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
The throwback jerseys were out in force – Randall Cunningham’s Minnesota No. 7 (but not his Philadelphia No. 12), Barry Sanders (Detroit No. 20), Dick Butkus (Chicago No. 51), Tom Brady (New England No. 12), Calvin Johnson (Detroit No. 81), Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh No. 12), Lawrence Taylor (New York Giants No. 56) and Deion Sanders (Atlanta No. 21).
The sun was shining. The temperatures were cool (50s), but comfortable. And fans had football fever on April 25. The NFL leaves itself open for criticism on other fronts – chiefly playing 17 regular-season games and the occasional shoddy officiating – but it got this right. The on-the-road draft is here to stay and should be.