The Draftnik

The Shock was just too much. I could not believe what I just witnessed on TV. In the first round of the 2009 Pro Football Draft the Buffalo Bills had just drafted Aaron Maybin DE/LB Penn St and I thought my head was going to fl y off my body. This uncontrollable emotion was quickly followed with the throwing of my Froot Loops (milk and all) at the TV in a burst of anger. This selection in my opinion was a mistake of such magnitude that I just knew water boarding the person responsible (using the milk in my cereal bowl) would be acceptable! For the reported forty million Pro Football Draft fans who watch the draft on TV every year, the draft is not a hobby, a joke, or just a passing interest. The Pro Football Draft is a passion that allows us to escape from our real life worries and problems. Once a year the fans of the Pro Football Draft are drawn into the life of a General Manager in a fantasy like status. For me, it's a little more personal. The draft has affected my life more than most Draftniks I suspect. It helped me as a stress reliever, helped me to indentify my educational handicap (Dyslexia) and motivated me to overcome those handicaps cumulating into the writing this book. The draft also has given my sons and me something in common and a bond that no amount of time will be able to break.