April 29, 1980. An upstart media company has proposed a strange idea to the NFL: broadcast the pro football draft live on TV. Nobody really paid much attention to the NFL Draft before, but with the young ESPN still finding its voice, it was a perfect opportunity.

Today, ESPN broadcasts the NFL Draft for the first time. How did a guy reading a list of names become must-see TV? And how does this experimental telecast turn the NFL into a year-round phenomenon?

Special thanks to our guests: Upton Bell, former New England Patriots general manager and son of Bert Bell, founder of the NFL Draft; Richard Deitsch, senior writer covering sports media for The Athletic; Craig Ellenport, senior editor at Sports Illustrated; Mina Kimes, ESPN NFL analyst and host of “The Mina Kimes Show Featuring Lenny”; Peter King, NBC Sports NFL columnist; and Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports NFL columnist and host of “The Exempt List” podcast.

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