I was doing some research and stumbled across this old article by Mark Bowden. He used to be a Philly sports writer. For some odd reason, he decided writing great non-fiction books (like Blackhawk Down) was the way to go. Bet he regrets that when he isn’t able to go to minicamp.
Bowden wrote about the Eagles and drafting, focusing on draft experts and their predictions. Back then, this stuff was somewhat new. Bowden really ripped on Mel Kiper, Joel Buchsbaum and Ourlads for not getting picks right, but back then that was a major challenge. Information wasn’t as readily available so you really were doing a lot of guessing.
Good article that’s worth checking out. Fun stuff. Here’s a short clip:
Welcome to the weird world of divining the NFL draft, which is dominated by Kiper, by Brooklyn basement oracle Joel Buchsbaum, and by the Delaware Valley’s own newcomer clairvoyant, Ourlad’s guide. None of these cottage industry giants got a single Eagles draft choice right last year (or in most of the years before that), but all of them, nevertheless, continue to respond to and profit from the growing demand of gonzo serious football fans who, not content with the opening of baseball season, the NBA and NHL playoffs, tennis and golf tours, World League football (for crying out loud), the coming Olympic Games, horse racing, yachting, cycling or bowling, spend the NFL’s off-season in sustained self-indulgence.
They try to figure out which players teams will draft today and tomorrow, instead of just waiting to see what happens.
I guess Bowden wasn’t a draftnik.
In fairness, if Mike Mayock was only getting picks right at a 7% clip a lot of people would probably be ripping him too.
That was fun.
There was once a pretty detailed Eagles “War Room” story from the Vermeil era published in the magazine section that came with the Sunday Inquirer back then. It went into unusual detail about the “stacking” process they were using then. Wish I could locate it.
I like the implication that worrying about the draft means you’re spending the offseason in sustained self-indulgence instead of following one of the sports in his list—like yachting.
Sounds like he might’ve had a sconce up his… sloop?
The funniest draft ‘guru’ was that guy Fred Edelstein who would do the local Comcast Sports channel show in the weeks leading up to the draft. I still remember him coming on a couple of weeks before the ’99 draft and declaring that his inside source is guaranteeing that the Eagles will shock everyone and take Akili Smith with the #2 pick.
Thanks goodness that didn’t pan out. And I hear Edelstein eventually went to jail for fraud or something like that.
Edelstein was the first “NFL insider” that I remember. He used to come on Roy Firestone’s show “Mazda Sports Look”. Edelstein was sleazy. You couldn’t believe half of what he said. Did eventually go to jail.
Great find