The NFL Draft kicks off tonight in Pittsburgh, but the excitement—and attendance—are notably absent. Hotels and Airbnbs in the Steel City are sitting half-empty, well below initial projections. Fans from other cities aren’t willing to pay premium prices for a single hotel room, while locals are frustrated that their public school system was forced to switch to remote learning for three days to accommodate the event.
This lack of enthusiasm is so stark that Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, has already decided not to attend. The draft’s lackluster hype has left it deader than your love life, and everyone is well aware of it.
But this wasn’t supposed to be the case. Even with a draft class that’s widely considered unremarkable, Pittsburgh’s streets should be packed with passionate fans—drunken locals and Jets supporters making the trek just to boo the selection of Arvell Reese in person. The author admits they should be there too, wearing a Kevin Williams jersey, staying awake with broken toothpicks just to catch the No. 18 pick live. Then, they could collapse into their hotel bed, only to wake up the next morning for a Pittsburgh breakfast staple: a scrappleburger served in a McGriddle bun.
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