Players Choose Yard Work, Fun Over NFL Draft

Colt Brennan has no respect for the NFL draft, and really shouldn't: he came out of Hawaii, where he did everything asked of him and set numerous NCAA passing records, and then found Mel Kiper calling him small, Ron Jaworski criticizing his delivery and calling him a "street ball" player, and Merrill Hoge challenging him to an arm wrestling match.* (To get an idea of how insane the commentariat is on ESPN, watch the clip linked above to see Cris Carter as the voice of reason on the set.)

Brennan has "lost a lot of respect" for the draft, according to this interview with Dan Steinberg, but at least he suggests going out and having fun instead of watching the draft. Kedric Golston doesn't even think the draft is worth missing lawn work, let alone something fun.

"No way," Golston said. "The only draft I ever watched was mine. It's so boring. I'll flip it on and off. I mean, four picks take an hour? That's just ridiculous. I've got two kids. I've got a yard to keep up."

Try telling the Jets fans lining up with 12 packs of Sparks outside Radio City Music Hall right now that sleeping on the sidewalk and screaming "J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!" isn't fun, Kedric. They'll deny it to the end, probably because sleeping drunk on the pavement waiting to boo your team's next prospect is precisely what a Jets fan defines as fun, and would therefore be an accurate statement. At least Jets fans will be there in person to boo. Eagles fans will, in unison at 4 p.m. Saturday, raise their heads and boo like mad wolves continuously no matter where they are. If you see one booing in your direction, do not take it personally. It will pass sometime in the next two-to-36 hours depending on how angered they are by the draft pick. (And they will be angered -- oh, they will.)

One person slightly less angry with the insanity of the NFL's scrutiny this morning: B.J. Raji, who got a very well-hidden but public apology from SI for listing him on the list of players who tested positive for marijuana in the draft. He should celebrate by eating a nice meal out, but not in front of any cameras, lest someone sees him take five minutes to decide on a main course. Such hesitation will get him branded as "indecisive" and "not a team player," and cost him spots in the draft.

*Merrill Hoge didn't do this. But he wanted to.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.