The NFL Draft agrees with Chicago. Judging by the thousands who showed up at Draft Town and the Auditorium Theatre on Thursday for Part 1 of the league’s offseason showcase, the Windy City is as thirsty for football as ever.
Here are RedEye’s six biggest takeaways from Chicago’s first shot at the draft since 1963.
Chicago is about to go goatee crazy. The Bears took wide receiver Kevin White out of West Virginia in the first round. In addition to his 109 catches, 1,447 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, his impressive facial hair could soon rival the Ditka ‘stache. OK, so it might take a while, but still.
“Robbie Gould is the man …” is probably what fans who tried the field goal-kicking station at Draft Town were thinking. And there were hundreds—the feature was one of the most popular attractions.
Roger Goodell needs a hug. Or maybe a stiff drink. The NFL commissioner was booed every time he took the podium Thursday. It didn’t help that he mispronounced Marcus Mariota’s name as “Mariado.” Maybe if he yelled “Detroit sucks,” like some fans yelled at Draft Town, he would have been met with a warmer reception.
No-shows are awkward. As expected, quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were the top two picks, and neither made it to Chicago. Dante Fowler of Florida, the third pick, tried to make up for it, but his welcome distraction highlighted by a white suit and gold, sparkly shoes lasted only so long.
The NFL probably is too powerful. Not many organizations can snap their fingers and shut down Michigan Avenue, but the NFL did it. Normally that kind of treatment is saved for when Chicago teams win titles.
Cleveland fans still believe. Throughout Draft Town in Grant Park, the Browns faithful were well-represented. Gotta give it up for a team that changes quarterbacks like some people change socks. Maybe Johnny Manziel is in for a breakout season?
Chris Sosa is RedEye’s sports editor. @redeyesportschi
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