NFL Draft 2017 - Can Jax do it?

[spuwho]

The NFL owners are currently meeting in Chicago.

They just announced that the 2016 draft will be held once again in Chicago.

Can Jacksonville host an NFL draft?

Here is what Chicago saw.

To get the NFL to commit they offered the Auditorium Theater to host the event. They also offered the use of Grant Park and covered the $4 Million cost of the event.

Analysis showed that the NFL Draft attracted 200,000 vistors to the city. Economists scoffed at any economic benefits but  the city study showed a $44 Million direct impact.

Most of this was through hotel taxes, tourism and taxes collected through special events (catering, etc)  and the additional hiring needed to setup the events themselves. Many fans from out of town drove or flew in to participate.

Now that the NFL is adverse to using NYC (Radio City Music Hall) it seems the Draft Day is up for bid.

Should Jacksonville make a pitch for 2017?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Were you listening to 930 too?

Absolutely we can, but I think we're still a bit away (4-5 years) from trying to host any major national events.

I think we should focus on a little house cleaning before we bring in the media circus that follows the NFL, otherwise we're setting ourselves up to be a joke again.

I'm not saying we have to have anything built and finished, but I think we should at least have a few projects started before attempting this.

#1 on my list would be tearing down Berkman 2, because like it or not, that POS will serve as the backdrop for any event hosted at the Shipyards site.   

[ProjectMaximus]

Yeah, I bet the ROI is a lot better than a Super Bowl. (Not being facetious) I'd love to make a run at this event but unfortunately I think it's a long shot for Jax. The best pull Jax has is the stadium and the great weather. Draft weekend wouldn't really incorporate either one.

Also, I would really like this to be hosted at the Florida Theatre (similar style to the Auditorium Theater) but the capacity is limited so probably would be at Moran if Jax was hosting.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Yeah, I bet the ROI is a lot better than a Super Bowl. (Not being facetious) I'd love to make a run at this event but unfortunately I think it's a long shot for Jax. The best pull Jax has is the stadium and the great weather. Draft weekend wouldn't really incorporate either one.

Also, I would really like this to be hosted at the Florida Theatre (similar style to the Auditorium Theater) but the capacity is limited so probably would be at Moran if Jax was hosting.

Weather?   Isn't that why we move The Players to May?  Oh wait, that would be the following weekend....  what a great way to spend the weekend prior to the tournament. 

[ProjectMaximus]

tis true, weather aint bad in Jax around that time. But the advantage is much more pronounced in early Feb, where we are one of only about seven NFL cities that can count on decent weather at that time. 

[copperfiend]

My guess would be cities that can't host the Super Bowl (Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland) will be bidding hard to host.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

My guess would be cities that can't host the Super Bowl (Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland) will be bidding hard to host.

Pandora's box has already been opened.  With the Super Bowl having already been played in New Jersey, there's no reason at all that other cold-weather cities are automatically out of the running anymore.  They may have to offer more than a Miami or a Arizona, but they're not automatically out.

I've heard really awesome things about Patriot Place, so other than the icy relationship with the Pats and the NFL, I see no reason not to move it to Boston.

[jaxjaguar]

I think the draft would be much more successful here than most think. Unlike the Super Bowl we have the hotel capacity for it. We also have plenty of venues to host it at downtown so keeping the festivities together would be pretty easy. It could be tied in with a major concert or something in the arena to really sell out everything in the area. Jags fans already produce one of the largest draft day crowds in the league.

[InnerCityPressure]

I would totally attend a Jax draft in 2017.  With the 32nd pick in the draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select...