Could Philly Host the NFL Draft Next Year?

The New York Times says Philadelphia is among the cities interested in hosting the NFL Draft if that event moves out of New York.

After Goodell said recently that the league would consider moving some or all of the draft to another location, he received calls from civic leaders in Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as Cleveland, Green Bay, Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Orlando, Fla., the league spokesman Brian McCarthy said. Not to be outdone, the Dallas Cowboys called last week and offered their stadium in Arlington, Tex., as a site.

For a league bent on monetizing every potential opportunity, the response was an embarrassment of riches. Given the draft’s growing prominence, cities may even subsidize an event that is already swimming in network and sponsorship dollars.

But, the Times adds: “Keeping the draft in New York City, where it has been since 1965, would be convenient for many members of the news media, fans on the East Coast, league officials and players who like the glamour of the city. Sponsors, too, may prefer to advertise in the country’s biggest city rather than in other locations.”