MLR 2024 Collegiate Draft
I’m not sure where to start because 80% of the production and process of the event barely registered as a draft in my American-sports mind.
Professional sports drafts don’t exist anywhere else in the world, other than the USA, so maybe our fixation on the must-watch event that IS a professional sports collegiate draft is part of the problem. We expect hours of content, and analysis of every player from former players, former coaches, TV hosts, and sometimes the players themselves. We expect interviews with the players, highlights, team fit, and how the player can get the team closer to their respective sport’s championship.
Then there was the 2024 MLR Collegiate Draft.
The 2024 “Major League” Draft occurred on August 28th and started at 7 pm. By 7:50 pm it was over and I was close to finishing the wings I ordered to join me from BW’s. I sat next to an owner of the Jackals chatting about the 2024 season, the potential picks for the draft, and concerns about the upcoming season.
The entertainment I had after a few beers chatting with the owner was a welcome distraction from a draft that lacked substance and style in its production and quality in its assessment of players, teams, and rugby in the USA in general.
It felt like an afterthought.
Why even produce a “Live” (the draft occurred a week prior to the tv event) stream of the draft on your own Streaming Service (The Rugby Network, partly owned and operated by MLR)? The answer may be that they were trying to fit a 45-minute draft into an hour production window on a main Sports TV service, but the contract didn’t go through.
I have so many questions about why they decided to squeeze 1.5/2 hours of content into 45 minutes, but let’s take a look at past drafts to figure out why THIS ONE didn’t live up to the hype.
In 2020, the draft started with some basic graphics, highlights, the commissioner announcing picks in his personal office. Not much to write home about but, let’s be honest, there were 0 expectations at this point. On the other hand, Dani and Dan sat, professionally dressed and live interviewed most of the 1st Round draft picks and Dan gave us some good analysis.
Let’s jump to 2021, where former USA Eagle, Mike Petri, and current Eagle, Conner Mooneyham, the previous year’s first pick, host with Stacey Paetz, from MLR All Access giving analysis and talking through player highlights. George Killebrew is no longer behind a desk but at an open venue announcing from a podium. Graphics are also a huge upgrade looking closer to what we would get with primetime sports networks. Streamed on FS2 in the US and The Rugby Network abroad.
2022 and 2023 Drafts upgrade upon the 2021 experience with players in attendance and going up to receive a jersey with Killebrew in 2022 and Benson in 2023. Graphics get a slight upgrade, but the experience is clearly getting better and better (closer to what Americans think of with a professional rugby draft). We’re splitting time between The Rugby Network and FS2.
That brings us to the 2024 MLR Draft. No major network stream for the draft show puts the emphasis on The Rugby Network nailing it this time. Before I mention the draft, the MLR rising feature, match and interviews were great. It was really good to see a majority of players in action and data before the draft started. It feels like the beginning of a behind the scenes show of the draft, and not necessarily a Draft, but quality at this point seems high, as it is directly connected with the MLR Rising production.
All of a sudden, we cut to a Draft Board graphic, Mike Petri still talking and straight into the first pick. Wait, no introduction from the Commissioner, no analysis of the draft class? Why are we moving so quickly. I love Mike, I have two of his R is for Rugby books for my daughters. Why does it sound like he’s reading off a card or teleprompter? Why is he 2 feet from the camera with a generic living room background? Where is the excitement, movement multiple-person analysis? Maybe this is just for the first Pick???
Nope. The Graphics are ok but we’re just seeing highlights of the players with Petri talking over them. Some players announcing themselves, others do not. We are still sitting in Petri’s living room, clearly not Live as there are post-edits. Then we get post credits as if we just watched a movie or TV Show than an exciting LIVE draft.
In this “Humble” fan’s opinion, the 2024 MLR collegiate draft was a HUGE step back and hopefully 2025 will bring bigger and brighter things for MLR!
Check out The Rugby Rants live coverage of the Draft here.
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