As hot mic moments go, it was pretty tame. But what came after it underscores the manner in which draft coverage has evolved.
Via Brandon Contes of Awful Announcing, Nick Saban was heard saying after the Cowboys made defensive end Malachi Lawrence the 23rd overall pick in the draft, “Wow, this is a reach.”
When he knew he was on the air, Saban sang a much different tune.
“Actually, this guy was one of my sleepers for tomorrow,” Saban said. “But he is a good player. . . . This guy is a good player. I thought he was someone that was getting overlooked in the draft, but obviously the Cowboys didn’t overlook him.”
So why wouldn’t Saban just be honest with the audience and say what he believes? “This is a reach.” What’s wrong with that? Wouldn’t football fans want to know what Saban thinks about incoming talent?
The self-editing speaks to the vibe surrounding the draft, especially on the first night. Under the guise of not wanting to piss on the parade of the players who are picked, it has become frowned upon to say anything other than, “Everything is awesome!”
Time will tell whether the player pans out. Anywhere from one third to half of all first-round picks don’t.
But you’ll never hear during draft coverage the basic fact that plenty of the round-one picks will have their potential unfulfilled.
Unless, of course, someone’s mic is hot and they inadvertently tell the truth.
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