{"id":40548,"date":"2016-04-27T22:18:32","date_gmt":"2016-04-28T03:18:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=40548"},"modified":"2016-04-29T17:16:58","modified_gmt":"2016-04-29T22:16:58","slug":"as-nfl-draft-host-chicago-seems-lame-duck-but-is-not-dead-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/as-nfl-draft-host-chicago-seems-lame-duck-but-is-not-dead-one\/","title":{"rendered":"As NFL Draft host, Chicago seems lame duck, but is not dead one"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Julia Cardi<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cChi-Town is on the clock,\u201d reads the cobalt-blue-and-white signs bearing the NFL\u2019s shield. They are affixed to light poles throughout downtown Chicago advertising the return of the league\u2019s draft Thursday, when 32 teams are normally the ones fighting time \u2014 and each other. For the second year in a row, the event will overtake Roosevelt University\u2019s Auditorium Theatre for two days and turn Grant Park into Draft Town for a three-day fan festival, a concept introduced last year.<\/p>\n

But now, Chicago\u2019s time on the clock might be running out.<\/p>\n

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told an Associated Press Sports Editors group last week that the draft will \u201cvery likely\u201d move to a different city for 2017, the Chicago Sun-Times reported<\/a>. Competition for the draft has dramatically increased, and the league will likely announce next year\u2019s site in July.<\/p>\n

League spokesman Brian McCarthy emailed Medill Reports that \u201cmultiple cities, including Chicago, have expressed interest in hosting what has become one of the most-anticipated events of the year,\u201d but said \u201cno decisions will be made until later this year.\u201d He declined further comment.<\/p>\n

Kara Bachman, Chicago Sports Commission executive director, also told the Sun-Times that the city had notified the league it wants to host the draft again. \u201cI don\u2019t know for \u201917, but it will certainly be back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Draft
Draft banners line Chicago streets for another year; will it happen again? (Julia Cardi\/ Medill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The timing of Goodell\u2019s comments might seem odd, just before Chicago has another chance to prove itself. Sports marketing expert Adam Grossman said the league likely wanted to give cities interested in hosting the draft as much time as possible to prepare their bids.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s certainly not malicious,\u201d said Grossman, president and founder of Block Six Analytics and a Northwestern instructor in Sports Administration.<\/p>\n

\"NFL
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