Simply put: the NFL Draft is a fan hunter's paradise.

Every year, the NFL Draft comes around bigger and more played out than ever before.  And every year, we watch.  We're the reason for the insane amount of promos and predictions.   We're part of the problem.

But - that's us at home, in front of our television.

There's another breed out there - one that's been spawning and growing stronger since The Worldwide Leader first began televising the NFL Draft in 1980.

Meet The NFL Draft attendee.  He's passionate, extreme, and especially enjoys football events that contain no football.

The NFL Draft Fan is a force to be reckoned with in the modern age.  Our well-traveled fan hunters break down the reasons why...

1.- Cost of Admittance, $0.00

Tickets to the NFL Draft are free.  Once inside the doors, you're playing with house money.  At a normal football event, you're down $60 just by walking through the turn-stiles.  Fans at the NFL draft might not be getting any calls from N.A.S.A. in the near future, but you better believe that they know that an additional $60 is essentially 6 more *free* beers they can drink at the Draft.

Zero costs reduces the barrier to entry - independent of income, mental capacity, or total spousal abuse offenses.




2.- Tickets Available First Come, First Serve

No Personal Seat Licenses, season tickets, or scalpers.  First come, first serve is the ultimate badge of honor for supreme fanatics.  Admittance lumps you together with 20,000 other people that haven't showered in days.  For some reason, this gets people hyped.



3.- Very Little Knowledge

Quite frankly, the Draft Day fan doesn't know their ass from a hole in the ground.  During the season, they can act slightly more educated in the stands because they know numbers and names...and where those numbers and names sometime go on the field.

Using that sparse knowledge, a fan can develop an outward expression.  On Draft Day, all bets are off...and reactions must be made immediately based on what you read in the local paper, or if you think someone's name sounds cool.  As the day continues, the lack of recognizable names and increase of alcohol (see observation #1) is a recipe for disaster.



4.- Confusing Wardrobe

If you're not wearing a jersey during regular season football games, you're not welcomed in the "extreme fan" cult.  It's that simple.  You can accessorize as needed, but a jersey is a must.  We're guessing because that's what the player are wearing, and to be one with the players, one must dress like them.

On Draft Day, the players are wearing suits.  This throws a real kink in Draft Day wardrobing.  What is a fan to do?  Our personal favorite option is located below.  Business on bottom, party on top - could conduct an interview, or get nutty, at the snap of a finger.



5.- Television Face Time

Despite their best efforts, ESPN can't slap Kiper's hair on television through all 8 hours of their telecast.  For this reason - well, that and the fact that there's no game going on - pans of the crowd are frequent.  "Television Face Time" currently sits at #2 on the list of "The Most Important Things in An Extreme Fan's Life" - right between "Mullet" and "Van Halen".

There's no surprises here.  Nuttiness lands your face on television.



6.- No "Home Team"

32 teams at the NFL Draft.  32 fan bases.  This breeds extremity to the highest level.  While it's important for super fans to show their pride in front of their own kind...it's exponentially to prove your allegiance in front of the enemy.



Even so, there's one thing a fan from Atlanta, New York or Philadelphia can agree on: fine greasy street cuisine. (hat tip: Marianne O'Leary)