MovieChat Forums > Draft Day (2014) Discussion > Questions about Bo and Draft from an Aus...

Questions about Bo and Draft from an Australian

posted 11 years ago by stefan899
24 replies | jump to latest

1) What was the main reason that Bo was upset about not getting picked at number 1? Was it just because of the money? Or did he think he might not get picked in the first round? Or was it because he really wanted to play for Cleveland? If if was for the money, then why did he celebrate when he got picked at number 6? Was it more of a relief celebration at getting picked in first round?

2) Why did the Seattle GM do the trade with Costner at the end for number 6? If Costner passed up on Bo in first pick then wasnt it obvious that Costner had no interest in Bo and wouldnt have picked him at number 6?

3) Would a GM actually consider a player's moral attitudes and personality when drafting as portrayed here? I find that hard to believe.

4) Do the fans really get all excited like this on draft day? And how are the fans all familiar with the draft players? ( As an Australian, I am just comparing to our draft here for Aussie Rules and the fans here have no idea about any of the players in the draft. Its only the scouts who know anything about them.)

5) Because so many of the trade deals were verbal on the phone without any contract signing, wouldnt it be easy just to negote on the deals if one of the GMs happened to just change his mind after the deal had been done? He could just say, "Oh I never said that."

[–] dudewheresmybawlz 11 years ago

1. It's for the money and the prestige that comes with going #1 overall. He celebrated at #6 because whether he liked it or not he had to play for Seattle and he has to at least act like he likes it.

2. Because the Seattle GM (as portrayed in the movie, the one IRL is arguably the best) is the 2nd worst GM in all of sports, right behind the Jacksonville GM.

3. Well, they do, however for the player portrayed in the movie (his caliber was compared to Andrew Luck, arguably the greatest football prospect of all time) they would not. As seen in this years real NFL draft, Jadeveon Clowney went #1 despite character issues that frankly were a lot worse than Callahan's were. This is because if a player is seen to be that good, the character issues don't really matter to teams because the talent completely overwhelms it. It goes both ways, as guys like Vontaze Burfict go undrafted despite being some of the best in the game due to their character.

4. Yeah they do, but to be honest it's only about 5%. And even then, about 4% of those people end up losing interest after the first round (of seven total).

5. Well yes, but the paperwork isn't really movie worthy. Granted this movie wasn't really movie worthy anyway.

Chili P is my signature.

[–] stefan899 11 years ago

Thanks for your answers. Just on my first question on Bo. Just how much is the pay difference between Pick 1 and 2?
And would he really act dissapointed like this in real life? It seems like he is in it just for the money. He should be happy just getting picked by an NFL team. It shouldnt be about the money and prestige.

[–] dudewheresmybawlz 11 years ago

I don't know the exact number, but I believe it's like 1 million-2.5 difference.
And no, he would not act disappointed at all if he had half a brain. Whenever a player slides on draft day and shows their frustration, camera's are fixed on them all night and character is immediately questioned.

Chili P is my signature.

[–] stefan899 11 years ago

Thanks again. Can you just elaborate more on my question about the fans in how they know these players in the draft. Are these just diehard fans that also follow college football and therefore have an understanding of who is good? Or is it the sports media who hype up a draft player and the fans just get sucked in?

[–] jgater1981 11 years ago

I'm a huge college football fan, and as such, I spend a lot of time watching games and highlight shows. I end up knowing a lot of players in the draft because of that (not all the players though. Some play on less covered schools and even smaller division schools). The media covers a lot of draft prospects leading up to the draft as well, so fans find out about possible draftees that way as well.

[–] perez24 10 years ago

There are a lot of no-life fans (e.g. me) who follow this stuff relentlessly. The 1st round generates the most interest but people like will be concerned about whom the team drafts in the 6th round as well. Like I said, we need actual productive lives!!

[–] jamesl9 10 years ago

A couple of things. About how fans know the prospects? Because the top draft prospects come from college football which is HUGE in the US. So, fans are usually very familiar with them by the time Draft Day comes around. Especially after the NFL combine where the top players work out for all the teams-which is also televised and heavily covered.

About why Bo was pissed...it has to do with money and prestige. But, also, the embarrassment of looking like a fool, sweat dripping down as you get passed over and drop in the draft. Aaron Rodgers, arguably the best Quarterback in the NFL today, had that happen to him on Draft Day. He was expected to go 1 and instead got passed over till the 24 pick. Despite his revenge on the teams that passed him over by winning a Super Bowl and being the most talented QB in the NFL, he still TO THIS DAY talks about his disappointment on DD.

[–] ILoveGaryBusey 11 years ago

"3. Well, they do, however for the player portrayed in the movie (his caliber was compared to Andrew Luck, arguably the greatest football prospect of all time) they would not. As seen in this years real NFL draft, Jadeveon Clowney went #1 despite character issues that frankly were a lot worse than Callahan's were. This is because if a player is seen to be that good, the character issues don't really matter to teams because the talent completely overwhelms it. It goes both ways, as guys like Vontaze Burfict go undrafted despite being some of the best in the game due to their character. "

I could not disagree with that more. Clowney had no character issues that were of real concern. His only issue was he took a few games off against lesser competition last year because it was not worth the risk for him. I wouldn't have blamed him for not playing at all. But every year you have guy's fall because of character. Aaron Hernandez, Janoris Jenkins, Johnny Manzel. It just never happens unexpectedly. If someone has an issue, the whole world knows about it.

[–] devasters 11 years ago

To answer #2 more clearly - Cleveland was holding the pick hostage. It was essentially blackmail, because Cleveland was threatening to pick Bo Callahan and screw over the Seahawks GM. The Seahawks GM planted seeds early on that there were issues with Bo, even though the Seahawks didn't believe there were or care.

And the Seahawks didn't have the money to pay the guy as a #1 pick, so the Seahawks GM got 3 1st rounders and moved down expecting all along that Cleveland would pass on Bo because of incompetence and worrying about character issues. So the Seahawks were going to get their guy, because after Cleveland passed all the other teams were scared away from picking Bo.

The Seahawks GM was also made out to be a bad GM and one of the worst teams in the NFL (not true in real life), so he would have been fired if he didn't end up drafting Bo at #7 like planned. Ultimately he had to make that trade. Realistically I don't think that ever would have happened. Teams wouldn't have passed on Bo between picks #1 and #6. And the Seahawks moved down 5 picks and actually lost value (5 picks down and return ace) only to save some cap (salary) room.

Also the cap numbers for #1 picks aren't as bad as they used to be. The last collective bargaining agreement put in a rookie wage scale, so rookies aren't getting paid ridiculous amounts of money any more. So the money difference between the #1 and #7 pick wouldn't be that significant for teams these days. Teams would also be more than willing to cut players for a franchise QB.

[–] stefan899 11 years ago

So you think Costner would have really gone for Bo at #6 out of respite if Seattle refused to do the deal? Is that what you are saying?

[–] devasters 11 years ago

Yes. That is what Cleveland was threatening. Because if that wasn't the threat, than the trade they made makes no sense at all. Because if money was the issue, the Seahawks would have stayed at #7 where it was a bit cheaper than #6.

So it was up to the Seahawks to decide whether or not Bo Callahan was worth it to them to give up three #1 picks and the return ace. Obviously it was. But this isn't a realistic trade situation because the Seahawks gave up value to get their guy at #6. Cheaper, but they lost a return ace and didn't keep any of the #1 picks.

[–] stefan899 11 years ago

Yeah buts thats all Cleveland was doing - just threatning. Just in hindsight, I am saying if Seattle had of refused the deal then I cant see Cleveland picking Bo even tho they were threatning it. Cleveland still would have picked the player they picked at #7 no?

[–] devasters 11 years ago

Sure it is a movie. But in real life they likely would have picked Bo if the threat fell flat. They had a need at QB, because they weren't sure of what they had. Their current QB was a big injury risk.

Cleveland already picked Vontae at #1, which wasn't realistic. I think if Cleveland was really sold on Vontae, they would have called Buffalo and made that trade from earlier in the movie. And then moved down in the 1st round to get Vontae at a cheaper price, because he wasn't viewed as a top-15 pick.

It was all a bit confusing. The Seahawks moving down to save some money is an unrealistic premise, because that QB would not have fallen. They mentioned other QBs falling in previous drafts in the movie, but those other QBs were not top prospects. Geno Smith was never realistically viewed as a 1st round QB.

[–] Ripe_Legend 11 years ago

It was all a bit confusing. The Seahawks moving down to save some money is an unrealistic premise, because that QB would not have fallen. They mentioned other QBs falling in previous drafts in the movie, but those other QBs were not top prospects. Geno Smith was never realistically viewed as a 1st round QB.

Dan Marino and Aaron Rodgers were not "Top Prospects"????? Because those are the other two QB's mentioned before Geno Smith.

[–] devasters 11 years ago

Not like Peyton Manning or Andrew luck were coming out. Marino had question marks about never being able to win the "big game", which turned out to be true in the NFL. But it is a team game, so you can't completely blame Marino. Marino also had drug concerns and a weak last season of college football.

Aaron Rodgers also had a lot of question marks.

In the movie Bo Callahan was portrayed more like a "top prospect" like Manning or Luck. The other QBs named as falling in the draft were not viewed as "top prospects". And Geno Smith really wasn't even considered a top prospect, so I don't know why they included him in the discussion. Brady Quinn would have been a more relevant name to throw in of a QB falling in the 1st round. Geno Smith fell into the 2nd round.

[–] Ripe_Legend 11 years ago

Peyton Manning also had quite a few questions about him... serious questions. Hell, a lot of the people considered Ryan Leif to be a better choice. To be a better QB. Even in the movie they talk about how there were questions about Peyton's arm strength and ability to make long throws.

Rodgers might have question marks about him, but he still entered the draft as projected #1 pick because he was arguably best QB in the draft and San Francisco needed a QB. In the end they went with Alex Smith who is a decent QB but not an elite one like Rodgers.

Marino had much more serious question marks [especially those drug concerns] so his fall started even before the Draft Day. Besides, two of the five QB's picked ahead of him are John Elway and Jim Kelly and I'd put both of them ahead of Marino in all those "Greatest QB of all time" conversations.

Like you, I have no idea why they included Geno Smith but I'm not surprised they did. Even while watching the actual draft this year he was mentioned quite a few times as someone who dropped out of first round, mostly when fates of Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater were topic of conversation. Quinn might be more relevant but he didn't dropped out of first round, he was taken at #22.

[–] devasters 11 years ago

Either way I don't know why Geno Smith was included in the discussion and even in the draft discussion this year. He was over hyped in last year's draft and every team knew he wasn't a 1st rounder. He didn't really "fall". He went where teams and sensible people thought he would go. I thought Geno was actually going to go in the 3rd round.

I agree with you about Marino and Rodgers being "top prospects" to an extent. I just think they presented Bo Callahan like a once every 10-20 years prospect like Manning or Luck.

[–] sschind-396-829413 10 years ago

I disagree with your assessment in your second paragraph. The money may have been one reason why the Seahawks traded down along with loading up on future picks but I think they fully expected Cleveland to take Callahan. Even if they did suspect Cleveland would pass on him there is no way they would have thought 5 other teams would pass on him. By trading down to #6 they pretty much knew they would not have a chance at getting Callahan.

The trade down was realistic for the 3 #1 picks but what was unrealistic is that a GM would not give up 3 #1s if he was not absolutely positively sure of the guy he was going to take When the Redskins gave up 3 #1s to the Rams they and everybody else knew exactly who the were taking and nothing short of that player killing someone on camera was going to change it. They would not trade up and then look for reasons not to take the guy. In the movie they worked around that by saying they didn't think they had a chance to get him so they didn't scout him but in reality pretty much every GM worth his salt would have investigated the guy to the fullest.

The trade giving the picks back plus a player to move up 1 was totally unrealistic as was the 3 second rounders for the #6 pick

[–] lemner 10 years ago

I think Sonny traded the 3 #1's in part because the owner had just told him he better make a splash or he would be fired. Also, maybe he had in the back of his mind that he would pick Vontae,and was afraid his 7th pick would not be good enough to get him, but he had to first really examine Callahan and see if he had any issues that no one had found.

Semper Contendere Propter Amoram et Formam


[–] kostcr20 11 years ago

5) Because so many of the trade deals were verbal on the phone without any contract signing, wouldnt it be easy just to negote on the deals if one of the GMs happened to just change his mind after the deal had been done? He could just say, "Oh I never said that."

That's why both teams have to call in the trade at the same time. This is shown in the movie, but not explicitly explained. If they both say the same thing, then it's a go. If they say something different, then the league needs to figure out what the real trade is.

[–] stefan899 11 years ago

I wonder how often it happens when the deals fall through. Especially with the GMs that needed lots of persuading to get the deal done. After they hang up the phone saying okay to the deal they must have second thoughts.

[–] Ripe_Legend 11 years ago

1) Mostly money but also prestige of being a #1 pick.

2) Because he can't know what Costner will do. Just because he passed on him at #1 does not mean he'd pass on him at #6. To give you an example from actual 2014 NFL Draft: most people thought Cleveland will take Johnny Manziel at #8. They didn't... then later on they traded back into first round and they took him at #21.

3) Yes and no. For someone who should be that good it most likely wouldn't play a part. Then again, the fact that none of Bo's teammates [in college that's 80+ if not 100+ players!] attended his 21st birthday party is a big warning sign that something is wrong with the guy. Would the team act upon it... maybe, maybe not.

4) Yeah, they do. There are Draft parties and quite extensive TV coverage and fans are relatively familiar with who the top prospects are.

5) The deals are verbal, but once completed teams call in and report that the deal was made [you could see it after deal with Jacksonville was completed with both Cleveland and Jacksonville calling it in]. So until the deal was reported it's like it didn't happen... in the movie they mentioned how in 2011 clock run out on Baltimore and they "lost" their pick. What happened is that they made a deal with Chicago and Chicago didn't call in and reported the trade before clock run out, effectively nullifying the deal.

[–] johnston.scot 11 years ago

One additional note on number 4:

Before they're drafted, the vast majority of the players have been playing for several years in what amounts to a high-profile developmental league. They're mostly from BCS teams, which play on TV, sell out big stadiums and are essentially professional, except for the absence of salaries.

[–] lemner 10 years ago

1) I think there was a lot of ego involved. He seemed to think he was a shoe-in for number 1, and a lot of people agreed with him. The money would have been very important also. He had to pretend to be happy about being picked by Seattle, but I think there was a huge component of relief, because he had been passed up by several others after the number 1 pick.

2) Seattle traded with Sonny because they couldn't be sure he would not pick Bo. Pretty much everyone thought they needed a player for his position, because they didn't know that the one they had was stronger than ever.

3) Character was important, at least to some of the smarter GM's, because it's not unusual for things like domestic abuse or drugs to totally sabotage a promising player.

4) No clue about the fans, as I am not one.

5) Both teams had to call in the trade, so it needed to be one that both teams at least thought they were happy with at the time, otherwise the picking team would run out of time to make the pick if the other team didn't also call in the trade. (Not sure what negote means, but I would use the term "reneg."

Semper Contendere Propter Amoram et Formam
