Dodging the Draft

The Tribune did such a good job breaking the story on what the NFL wants in order to hold its 2015 draft at the Auditorium Theatre downtown, only to ruin it with a columnist’s piece on Sunday that the three-day circus would be “A boon, not a burden.”

First, the likely costs.  Ostensibly, there won’t be any to the city, because a private group is handling negotiations.  Odd, then, the NFL should feel the need to “request that you and your team keep confidential the content of this request letter and the fact that you have received” said letter.  Now, why would the NFL be so touchy about the public finding out it expects “party spaces”; “sponsor activation zones”; and free police escorts for draft choices flying into town, to say nothing of plenty of guaranteed hotel room availability for league and media personnel?  Three million might cover costs, or four million.  Or more.  Of course, it’s possible the final tab will be considerably less because the private group drove a hard bargain while negotiating, but I doubt it.

Which brings us to the columnist arguing why the city should bend to the NFL’s wishes:  “Holding the draft in Chicago represents a nationally televised 72-hour long commercial, whether it’s recurring shots of the skyline or cutaways to Gran Park and the lakefront that leave an impression on potential vacationers and conventioneers in the audience.”  Given all the above, “how steep is the price to locals really?”

Well, let’s see.  Weren’t a new Comiskey Park and a rebuilt Soldier Field, both helped along with public funding, supposed to accomplish pretty much the same thing?  Ditto the soon-to-be renovated Wrigley Field (though done privately).  I’d like to know how many blimp shots Chicago’s gotten over the last twenty years, every one of them breathtaking in its own way.  Add them up, and then subtract all the losses by the respective teams and all the Capone or Murder City comments that won’t go away.

What will you be left with then?