2018 NFL Draft Will Be In Dallas

See Texas conservafools?   When you don't pass hatemongering legislation like SB 6/3 you get nice things as a result. 

One of those nice things we just received was word that the NFL has finally made a decision on who will host the 2018 NFL Draft, and next April it will be up I-45 from me in Dallas.

Reality is it will be in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, but the city of Dallas is still going to get a chunk of that sports tourist money.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced today that the 2018 NFL Draft will be held in the DFW Metroplex from April 26-28.   

The Jerrydome, AKA AT&T Stadium will host the 2018 NFL Draft's first round in primetime on April 26. The draft's second and third rounds will be conducted on Friday April 27 at the Jerrydome, with the final rounds 4-7 on April 28 at The Star.

The Cowboys became heavy favorites in April to get the draft in large part because of  The Star, their 91 acre headquarters complex in suburban Frisco, TX that contains hotels and a 12,000 seat stadium that the Frisco ISD uses for football, soccer and commencements.

The Texas GOP attempts to pass the unjust SB 6 and SB 3 in the Special Oppression Session nearly derailed the Cowboys effort to bring the draft to the Lone Star State, with this year's host Philadelphia, Kansas City and Green Bay also in the running to host the draft 

Since 2015, the NFL Draft has become a travelling roadshow, with Chicago hosting it in 2015-16 and Philadelphia kicking it up another level last year by hosting it outdoors for the first time and creating a fan fest for it a few months ago. 

The 2018 NFL Draft will break ground as the first one held in an NFL stadium,  A stadium with 100,000 seats in which there will be a nice sized posse of Texans fans sitting there cheering the Texans draft picks when they are announced

Dallas Cowboys Chances Of Hosting 2018 NFL Draft In Possible Jeopardy If TX Trans Hate Bill Passes

If the Texas GOP transphobes are successful during the upcoming Special Oppression Session in passing HB 2899, their Trans Hate Bill, one of the first casualties of that legislation may be the Dallas Cowboys chances of hosting the 2018 NFL Draft.

After 50 years of hosting the NFL Draft in New York, the NFL decided to start moving it around again to different cities.  Chicago hosted it in 2015 and 2016, and it was Philadelphia's turn to do so back in April.

There were 22 teams and cities including Canton, OH interested in hosting the 2018 NFL Draft, which is scheduled to happen April 26-28.

Sixteen of them sent representatives to observe the draft happenings in Philadelphia and get a fell for how the event is run, with several subsequently putting in bids with the league for the event/

But Dallas is considered the frontrunner when the NFL makes its decision in August.

The Cowboys made their pitch to the NFL back in April to host the draft at two sites.  AT&T Stadium for the first two days and at The Star, their new $1.5 billion corporate headquarters and practice facility currently being built in suburban Frisco, TX for the last day of it.  

But the Cowboys are now casting a nervous eye down I-35 south toward Austin as the July 18 Special Oppression Session date gets closer.  


The NFL made it clear in comments it made during the regular session a few months ago that if Texas passed the anti-trans SB 6, it would impact the state's two NFL franchises in the Cowboys and the Houston Texans ability to host future Super Bowls or other league events.

That prompted a retaliatory salvo aimed at the NFL from a pissed off Gov. Abbott (R), so as of now the NFL and the Cowboys have been silent about their thoughts as the calendar draws closer to the start date of the special session.

But we'll see in a few weeks if the Texas Republican Party is willing and stupid enough to piss off the NFL and Jerry Jones to pass HB 2899 and if they go there, what the NFL (and Jerry Jones) will do in response.

I would rather have the opportunity to check out some of the NFL Draft related activities during next year's BTAC, but whether that happens depends on what the Texas GOP majority does..