NFL Draft Viewership Already Down Under Goodell's Changes

I've made no secret about the fact that I despise the new draft format. Partly because I will be sitting in my office, wrapped up in work while most of the first through third rounds take place, instead of sitting on my couch at home, relaxed with a beer, enjoying the drama as it unfolds. Yes, it's almost as if Roger Goodell has killed my off-season Christmas.

But what I hate most about the new draft format is that it's a change that was made for the sake of money, turning a blind eye towards the fans who enjoy it most.

Look, I'm just not sold that anyone outside of real football fans give two craps about the NFL draft. Sure, maybe the first five picks. But after that, does anyone care where the Dan Williams' or the Jermaine Greshmans are drafted? Do you think my wife is really going to flip over from her already packed Thursday night viewing schedule to see who the Steelers draft?

What I'm saying NFL is if it ain't broke don't fix it. Let's take a look at the viewership for the first day of the draft over the past eight years:

• 2002     3,105,000
• 2003     3,309,000
• 2004     4,178,000
• 2005     4,910,000
• 2006     5,300,000
• 2007     5,098,000
• 2008     5,034,000
• 2009     5,058,000

After losing viewers in 2007 after years of excellent growth, Goodell decided to change to a 3pm EST start time, which resulted in further decline. They again changed it to 4pm EST in 2009 and the result was just modest growth. We're still not back up to 2006 numbers when the draft was starting at 12noon and was an all-day Saturday affair.

So now we wait to see what the ratings are for the third, and most major, change to the draft format in the last three years. We were told this change was made to bring in more viewers. Well, the proof will be in the ratings pudding.

So yes, I'm rooting for this new format to fail. But the thing is I think we could meet halfway. Why not just have round one on Friday night? This would put draft parties back on the table. And can anyone name me a must-watch television show that airs on Friday nights? We could follow with rounds 2,3,4 on Saturday and 5,6,7 on Sunday.

The most interesting part to non-fans is accesible during primetime, and the weekend is still left for the hard core fans and their draft parties. Everybody wins. Can that happen in the NFL?