Chargers to announces draft picks online before announced at the podium

[DeToxRox]

This is interesting. A nice treat to fans who don't want the suspense, but I am not sure how much it really will end up meaning.

Spoiler Alert At Chargers.com
Posted by Mike Florio on April 14, 2009, 10:47 p.m.

On one hand, we’re surprised that more teams haven’t already done this.

On the other hand,the strategy potentially has “epic fail” written all over it.

The Chargers plan to disclose each of their picks via Chargers.com before the picks are announced at the podium in New York — and thus before the pick is disclosed via ESPN or NFL Network.

We’re assuming that the Chargers have cleared the approach with the league office.

If they haven’t, this could get interesting.

What say you, PFT Planet? Should teams let the cat out of the bag via the Internet before the Commish or his designee make the walk to the microphone?

[Big Fo]

Chris Berman will be pissed that he can't be the first to ruin the suspense.

[Crim]

I hope the Vikings do this. Hilarity will commence to ensument forthwith.

[molson]

I remember Red Auerbach announcing the Celtics draft picks on Celtics' TV draft coverage a few minutes before David Stern would on TNT/ESPN. These days, I'm sure the NBA wouldn't let SportsChannel (the Celtics flagship TV network back then), to run a live draft show against theirs.

[JPhillips]

I'd release the pick three minutes early in Round One, but I'd also charge to get into the site. They won't make huge amounts of money, but I bet a lot of people would pay 9.99 to know the pick.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I'd release the pick three minutes early in Round One, but I'd also charge to get into the site. They won't make huge amounts of money, but I bet a lot of people would pay 9.99 to know the pick.

Do they refund all that money when the website can't handle the surge of traffic and nobody finds out the pick until it gets announced on ESPN?

[RainMaker]

I'm going to guess that this will be the last year this happens. NFL won't like having ESPN and their flagship network having to compete with websites for the first scoop on a pick. I still think it's only a matter of time before we see "And with the Hardess Roast Beef Sandwich First Pick of the Draft, the San Diego Charges Presented by Bank of America selects Nike's Andy Smith".

[ISiddiqui]

On Twitter?!

[Karlifornia]

So, I can know what's coming before it happens? Can't Norv just stick letting that happen on the field?

[Danny]

How about instead we just shorten the time to pick to 5 minutes for all rounds

[Passacaglia]

I bet the pick will show up online at most thirty seconds before it's announced on the tee-vee.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Danny

How about instead we just shorten the time to pick to 5 minutes for all rounds

Crazy talk! Crazy! Burn this man! He's a witch!

SI

[JediKooter]

Well, at least Bobby Bethard still isn't their GM. Because if he was, you would already know, 4 months ahead of time that he already traded the Chargers' 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounders for a 46 year old crippled QB.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

I bet the pick will show up online at most thirty seconds before it's announced on the tee-vee.

Working from the presumption that neither the team nor the league would allow this until the pick becomes "final," I assume they could theoretically announce this at that point. The question is, what is that point? The point when Goodell is handed the card? If so, then they've got that much time. Otherwise, this could become a nightmare if a team announced it online, then got a trade offer or the player got run over or had a stroke or something, then they wanted to change picks.

Now, how ESPN would react to this is another matter. But I assume if it's cleared, then teams could announce it as soon as the pick was unquestionably final in the eyes of the league.

[sterlingice]

Chris Berman: "And for the 30th pick in the 5th round, the Chargers website is reporting that this upcoming pick will be 'Mel Kiper' with a position of 'hair jockey'. The comments about him say 'ESPN stop reading our website and wait for the Commish to announce--' and by that I mean, here comes the Commissioner to the podium"

SI

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Working from the presumption that neither the team nor the league would allow this until the pick becomes "final," I assume they could theoretically announce this at that point. The question is, what is that point? The point when Goodell is handed the card? If so, then they've got that much time. Otherwise, this could become a nightmare if a team announced it online, then got a trade offer or the player got run over or had a stroke or something, then they wanted to change picks.

Now, how ESPN would react to this is another matter. But I assume if it's cleared, then teams could announce it as soon as the pick was unquestionably final in the eyes of the league.

ESPN has to fill how many hours of time? My guess is that they'll just be happy to have something to take up ten minutes or so to babble about.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Working from the presumption that neither the team nor the league would allow this until the pick becomes "final," I assume they could theoretically announce this at that point. The question is, what is that point? The point when Goodell is handed the card? If so, then they've got that much time. Otherwise, this could become a nightmare if a team announced it online, then got a trade offer or the player got run over or had a stroke or something, then they wanted to change picks.

Now, how ESPN would react to this is another matter. But I assume if it's cleared, then teams could announce it as soon as the pick was unquestionably final in the eyes of the league.

I always assumed that there was some kind of "NFL Draft Software", and everything is done electronically. It's hard to imagine that the major sports leagues are still using faxes, cards, etc, to do things like make draft picks, player trades, etc. That would be an interesting piece for some sports magazine.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by molson

I always assumed that there was some kind of "NFL Draft Software", and everything is done electronically. It's hard to imagine that the major sports leagues are still using faxes, cards, etc, to do things like make draft picks, player trades, etc. That would be an interesting piece for some sports magazine.

If so, you'd have to think it just started being implemented the last couple years -- it sounds like there was nothing like that in place when the Vikings missed their pick and the team after them (I think the Chiefs?) rushed to the table to get their pick in. Maybe after that, they put something in.

[Logan]

I'm pretty sure I heard recently that it's a fairly old-school process still. A team official delivers a card to an NFL official, who then calls back the team to confirm the pick. Once it's confirmed (and the confirmation process includes stuff like verifying that the player -- not sure if there is an ID number associated with each player -- is in fact draft-eligible) the pick is distributed to the rest of the league via conference call and then announced by the commish.

[Crim]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

If so, you'd have to think it just started being implemented the last couple years -- it sounds like there was nothing like that in place when the Vikings missed their pick and the team after them (I think the Chiefs?) rushed to the table to get their pick in. Maybe after that, they put something in.

Two teams jumped 'em, Pass. Funniest shit ever. Well, other than Kiper's hair every year.

[path12]

Originally Posted by Karlifornia

So, I can know what's coming before it happens? Can't Norv just stick letting that happen on the field?

Well played.