May 01--When the National Football League's Draft Town opened Thursday afternoon in Chicago, the fans came in droves from all entrances to Grant Park wearing their jerseys and caps with logos for the Bears, Steelers, Packers and Cowboys to showcase their pride.
Within minutes, the transformed park was filled with thousands of football fans who pushed their children in strollers, carried small infants wrapped in blankets and milled around taking photos of the sprawling festival.
Jade Miller, 14, arrived nearly three hours before the park opened and was first in line at the north entrance. She had heard there was a 40-yard dash, a store and the chance to take photos with undrafted players.
She didn't want to miss out.
"Football is my season," she said, as she stood in line with her mother. "I play flag football because I love the competition, I love the contact. I like to get out there."
The NFL's hyped-up, three-day festival promised fans an experience to accompany the draft.
The event is a first for both the NFL and the city of Chicago. Like other festivals, there were food and beer vendors and live music stages. But the festival had games and play areas that celebrated football: a field goal competition, clinics and a 'Sweetness Simulator' where visitors could imitate a skydive of sorts to see how Bears star running back Walter Payton floated through the air during plays.
Chris Anderson, 24, was curious about how the event would look and feel, he said. When he got inside the park, he was amazed.
"The size of this is impressive," he said. "They really went all out."
Draft Town gives the NFL a new way to cultivate and keep fans before football season begins. For the administration of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, it is yet another lure to get visitors downtown.
But while the thousands of fans inside were smiling and spending, not all approved of the hoopla. The Rev. Anthony Williams, of the grass-roots empowerment group called the Millennium Project, traveled to the event to protest. He stood outside with other protesters demanding a meeting with NFL officials to pressure them to invest more in low-income communities.
"The NFL is one of the richest entities in the United States," he said. "Their biggest commodity is African-American males. Yet they don't give back to the community."
"The NFL could help injured athletes, deal with violence, improve education and serve as a role model for corporate responsibility. But they don't give back," he said.
lbowean@tribpub.com
