Entry Drafts Can Be A Crapshoot

I am a fan for the most part of Rookie or Entry drafts in most sports. The NHL is fun because there are players that we know from either the round the clock hockey coverage in Canada or because we have seen them play at the World Junior Championships. The NBA was more fun in the 90’s and early 2000’s when you actually knew the first 10-15 picks because of March Madness and all the hype around the Lottery. The NFL is the machine in every way from the games to the way it is cover to the fans. It is the total package. Their draft is no different. It was held last weekend and came out ahead of both the NHL Playoffs and the NBA playoffs...It was easily the most anticipated “sporting event” of the weekend. It was shortened up this year...thankfully but still had major coverage and a huge viewership.

This is not the case when it comes to the CFL. The players are not recognisable, the coverage isn’t very compelling and the level of players that are going to potentially make any of the teams aren’t overly impressive. You aren’t going to get too many standouts from the Ottawa Gee Gees or St Mary’s Huskies and if you do, nobody has ever heard of them. Only in a league like the CFL will you find that they have, in the past, drafted not just 1 but 2 deceased players. This occurred in the mid 90’s. If teams don’t even know about the players why should we take notice.

For those who don’t know here is a News release from the New York Post Back in 1996

Canadian Team Drafts Dead Man
AP: Published: Friday, March 15, 1996
For the second time in a year, a Canadian Football League team has drafted a dead player.The Montreal Alouettes selected defensive end James Eggink of Northern Illinois in the fifth round of the league's Canadian college draft today, only to learn a few hours later that Eggink died of cancer last December.Last April, the Ottawa Rough Riders sought defensive end Derrell Robertson, who had died on Dec. 5, 1994.With all that beings said congratulations to The Hamilton Tiger-Cats who selected offensive lineman Simeon Rottier with the first overall pick of the CFL Canadian College Draft today. Rottier was a standout at The University of Alberta.