The fans lined up early on Thursday in Philadelphia waiting for the NFL Draft Experience to open up at noon and there was actually a pretty exciting vibe while waiting in line, complete with Eagles chants. There have been plenty of Eagles chants. Expect that to be a theme throughout the weekend.
None more so than when Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz made an appearance. I first saw him drive by on a golf cart -- or a Wentz Wagon if you will -- while he was making his way to take photos with fans. A pretty exciting scene for any Eagles fan, I must say. Probably the highlight of the day so far.
He apparently messed with a Cowboys fan as well. Nicely done, Carson.
Carson Wentz took a Cowboys fans hat off at a fan event at the Draft. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/3TSaQFT2vi— jason. (@JpetersTSR) April 27, 2017
The weather in Philly is quite warm today with temps in the 80s. You'll get a good little sweat going if you decide to wait in line and participate in the 40-yard dash like I did. Running 40 yards is exhausting. And you'll have to wait a good bit to get your turn. Early on lines were maybe 20-30 minutes to participate in a drill, but they've since grown longer. Expect long lines for all of the activities today.So expect plenty of waiting if you want to try your legs at a vertical jump test or field goal kicking opportunity. After waiting probably 30 minutes, I got my two kicks up on the goal posts and will not be drafted by the Tampa Bay Bucs. Kicking is tough.
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I false started on the 40 against some 8 year olds. Low character guy. pic.twitter.com/fxxh6v4mBt— Enrico (@The700Level) April 27, 2017
There are water filling stations if you've got a bottle to put it in. Those come in handy on such a warm day.
The beer is flowing as well. At many concession stands and also at the Draft Tavern. There are plenty of options as long as you like Budweiser products. They've got some IPA they make, some Stella, a Vienna Lager, a Pilsner, and all the usual suspects. Expect to pay about $12 for a 25-ounce can.
There's a plethora of food options from relatively cheap $5 hot dogs to $12 cheesesteaks. I tried out the cheesesteak from Tony Luke's and have to say I was very disappointed. When the worker handed it to me, I literally asked, "is this hot?" To which she said, "The bread isn't but the steak is." It wasn't. So I paid $12 for a cold cheesesteak I'd give a grade of a 'C-.' It could have been a 'B-' if it was moderately warm. It had no seasoning. But there was cheese on it and cheese is pretty hard to mess up. And the roll was fresh at least. I only ate half of it so that'll tell you what I really thought of it.
You can get pretty close to the draft stage and "NFL Draft Theater" without actually having a ticket. Check out the view from the public area:
This is how close you can get to the NFL Draft Theater without any ticket. pic.twitter.com/OvLtV2Ks83— Enrico (@The700Level) April 27, 2017
The zip line looks fun but again, expect a lengthy wait.
The zip line seems popular. Pretty long lines though. As there are for all the activities. #DraftinPHL pic.twitter.com/WpE4Jg5EhT— Enrico (@The700Level) April 27, 2017
This guy wins the day.
You can get a t-shirt for 35 bucks too.
The crowd right before the gates opened.
Inside the Draft Tavern. You can enjoy a beverage anywhere inside whole Draft Experience.
