By Rich Forestano
Sitting there, staring at the gigantic NFL Draft 2006 logo with the jumbo-tron to its left flashing images with the likes of Montana, Marino, Young, Manning and Favre, you could feel the tension and excitement brewing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It was my first draft experience, and it’s one I will never forget.
The atmosphere of the theater was so powerful, and I couldn’t help but cheer for a player that wasn’t even being drafted by my favorite team. With each passing selection of the first round, the jubilation of the crowd grew larger and larger. Watching the players walk onto the podium from the second tier of the theater, I felt like a kid in a candy store. Even Paul Tagliabue got me excited, since it’s his last draft as NFL Commissioner.
Overall, the idea that I could be staring at future Super Bowl and Hall of Fame players made the day a memorable one. Will there be another Ben Roethlisberger? Could there be another Brett Favre in this draft class? Those were just a few of many questions to run through my head like a linebacker chasing down a quarterback.
A few hours before the draft, the excitement was brewing. Fans were cheering, parents with children were gladly letting their kids run-a-muck and some were even having a catch with mini footballs in the tiers of the theater. Over 5,000 people made it feel like it is already football season (the 2006 season is still five months away). There were Jet fans with faces painted green and white and Raider fans dressed in full costume as if they were in the black hole at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. Also, some people came in full football uniforms with pads, helmet and cleats.
People constructed signs that indicated what player they wanted selected, or which team they wanted to degrade. Most of the people in my section were Jets, Giants and Cardinals fans. When two Cowboy fans arrived, everyone went for the jugular. It was fun, and some of the heckling was harsh, but that just goes to show how much a person can care about his or her favorite team.
All of this pre-draft excitement that was exhibited by the fans and myself was sure to be heightened as the draft commenced. Commissioner Tagliabue’s statement of “Good Afternoon,” was met with a sea of cheers, indicating the excitement of the day to come would only get better.
During the draft, I was unable to sit down because I was so wired with energy. From the first pick to the last pick of the first round, no one in the crowd was shy of expressing their opinions. When the Houston Texans selected N.C. State’s Mario Williams with the first pick, chants of, “We Want Reggie!” erupted from a section of Jets fans in the arena.
“[The Jets] have to trade up to get Reggie Bush [now]. They have to,” said Joe Piscarelli of Staten Island, a fan sitting next to me. I concurred, but highly doubted that the Eric Mangini-Mike Tannenbaum era would jeopardize the franchise’s future by trading a hoard of draft picks to get one player.
I was right.
The Jets stood their ground and selected offensive tackle of the future D’Brickashaw Ferguson of Virginia. Ferguson was the first offensive lineman to be drafted in the first round by the Jets since 1988. Even though the fans didn’t get Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart, they still greeted Ferguson with a traditional “J-E-T-S” chant to welcome the young man from Freeport, Long Island to Gang Green.
The NFL Draft is something every football fan should experience once in their lifetime. The day I spent in the city that never sleeps was truly special because I may have gotten a glimpse of the next Reggie White or Bernie Kosar. Even though a good percentage of the players selected might not live up to the expectations that a high draft pick comes with, you never know who will end up being the next gridiron great.