Covering the Coverage: A Look at How ESPN and NFL Network Covered the Draft

I get my sports info from other places. I mean they had Millen on during their draft show.

with your opinion of NFL network’s coverage. I have nothing to say about ESPN’s coverage because I didn’t bother watching it. I already knew that Berman is just an over-hyped color commentator and Kiper is just flat out annoying. As for Millen, what more can we Lions fans say about that douche without being overly repetitive. Eisen has always been smooth in front of the camera and the NFL network just flat out put a better team together. Based on what I just read about ESPN’s coverage, it seems that even the FOX pregame team would have done a better job. Anyway, all I have to say is that the NFL networks promotional tagline is dead on. If you want the NFL, go to the NFL.

The worst part about ESPN’s draft coverage was not Berman, or Kiper and McShay feuding. It was Steve Young being on the set. He would ramble on and on for what felt like an eternity, and never make a valid point or come to a conclusion. And he would start arguments just to talk over the other people on set. If ESPN would get rid of him, then it would be a much smoother broadcast with Berman, Jackson, Gruden, and Kiper. And then maybe have McShay and Schefter in studio for other analysis.

However, my biggest problem was the fact that they had cameras set up so that we could see who was on the phone and who was going to be picked next, in turn. I didn’t like that. I like the idea of seeing the players, sure, but the suspense when the commissioner gets up there and who’s name he is going to call is always a blast. Showing the players on the phone, and knowing who the teams were going to pick kind of rid the draft of the suspense that I craved.
Of course, no one had the cameras on the Jaguars pick, Alulua (sp) or anything, so we were all surprised, but you know.
Also, the dumb red carpet thing at the beginning. This is the draft, not the Oscars. Keep that shit out.
Just my opinions. As for ESPN coverage, yeah it sucked, but I don’t know any better because I didn’t have the Network. =\

I don’t have ESPN or NFL…

BUT, I was able to get live coverage from both. I too liked the NFL.com version of the draft. It seemed to switch from what people were seeing on the network, to the ‘.com’ crew. which was a nice break.

Overall, I just think that Bermann is getting old and tired… along with a “this is my show” attitude. In the situation you described, I can picture Rich Eisen simply saying “Let’s pan out and get a shot of the veterans” rather than attempting an angry finger motion.

The good news is, ESPN is feeling the pressure of CBS renewing the Tourney and NFL network blowing them away on coverage of the draft for sure… which should lead to better programing in the future.

Personally, I was pissed when ESPN took over MNF. I haven’t been impressed.

Lucky me, I felt fortunate to be able to see those first two picks last Thursday night on ESPN. Having spent fours days in the hospital from blood poisoning, I was being processed out for release and saw the start of the draft. Once home, not being The Bank of America, I was stuck with my " bundle " – cable and internet. I’m such a dinosauer. As the week end wore on and the hype died, I just followed THE P.O.D. for results. Just as fast and more detailed, thanks to our " cast of thousands ". Good job production staff, you all shined !

I’ve been saying the exact same thing, though not as detailed as you, for the last few years and this year I moved exclusively to NFL Network. The only times I checked in to ESPN, they were at commercial. I think you’re last paragrah about casual coverage vs indepth on nflnetwork sums it up. ESPN usually has a lot of fluff pieces about players lives, home towns, struggles…… While that’s great, I really don’t care. I want to know what they can do on the field….

Since I was getting faster draft picks by our brothers here who happened to be twittering anyhow. This was my first draft with the POD nation (my virginity is gone) and I had a ton of fun with all my brothers here. I kind of didn’t like when Steve Young was on the TV set for the reasons stated above, just kept rambling on and on and on, He remends me of another former 49’r that use to be on TV and was great as a coach, but absolutely was the worst guy on TV doing games and that was Bill Walsh, talk about snoozer. What ESPN needs to do is bring in the FOX pre-game team and let Howie/Terry/Strahan and Johson suit up in wrestling trunks and have at it. A celebrity death match during the draft,without the clay animations.That would bring up some ratings. I still love JAWS on ESPN and how come Sean Salsberry and the human PEZZ dispencer (Clayton) are not allowed on the draft coverage. Where has Sean Salz even disappeared to?

NFL Network is superior is so many ways, I’ll never go back to ESPN for the draft. In fact, since the NFL is really the only sport I follow religiously anymore, my TV rarely has a reason to go to ESPN. Great analysis, Sean… I agree wholeheartedly.

my biggest compliant was that they could not get the information right. on friday night on ESPN the trades were not either posted “We don’t know what the trade is but here is who they drafted” The best reason for POD is that the info is right. ESPN first reported that we traded our 2nd round 4th round and seventh round for minn’s 1st round. We got Mayhewed by minny. I saw the right trade later when I looked at POD.

My satellite provider doesn’t have NFL Network (I’d kill for it mind you…). So, I was stuck watching the first two days on ESPN. It was purely out of necessity, since I wasn’t all that impressed with the coverage. What annoyed me a lot as well was missing picks. For example, I missed the announcement of the Amari Spievey pick because they were talking to Pete Carroll. I’m all for interviews and stuff, but the whole reason we watch is to see the draft picks get announced. Missing it was disappointing.

Steve Young was almost as aggravating as Emmitt Smith, who is God awful to listen to. Jon Gruden, while funny, should be covering the draft from HBO or Showtime, since he obviously wasn’t meant for Live National TV.

It was particularly aggravating when we had to listen to them make erroneous predictions, like when the Eagles traded up, after that, it was 5-10 mins of Kiper declaring how good of a pick Earl Thomas is for them.

the guys on ESPN kept on interrupting each other constantly and trying to yell their points over each other, no one listening…..I couldn’t stand it. Gruden even grabbed Steve Young’s arm at one point to force him to quit talking so he could talk………like a bunch of little kids at a day care, pretty pathetic. I agree, NFL Network was the place to be. But they did the same thing w/ showing people on the phone before the picks were made too, so they both were guilty of that

Sometime during last season we switched from Comcast to AT&T Uverse. We havwe the middle package and their internet is not as good as Comcast but its still plenty good enough to game with. The real gem of the switch over other than the free DVR which rocks is the NFL Network being in the package. I have not watched ESPN for years because I found guys like Berman to be more interested showmanship than the sports they cover. ESPN just annoys the hell out of me.

The NFL Network is just a class act and wins hands down. It is clear how much better of a product you get when you specialize instead of trying to be a jack of all trades. I have a raging clue for Mike Mayock, he is one of the best draft nicks around along with some of the internet podcasters and draft sites.

If Comcast wants to compete with AT&T they better get some DVR action in their basic cable package, and they better get a decently priced sports fan package of channels. I get so many channels on AT&T for less money than Comcast cost it is not even funny and I get a lot more HD for the price range I am in than Comcast ever gave me too. I was a Comcast customer for years and think that they just got lazy and fat because they had no competition in our area. Sorry Comcast you rock for sponsoring the site but if anyone from your company reads this you need to take the criticism to heart and step your game up. As a consumer I have no loyalty to one company over another I just go with whatever one provides a better service based on the value of the price.

As for people that cannot get NFL Network just find an internet feed, it is about 30 seconds behind the actual TV coverage but it is well worth the delay to get better coverage.