The Original Draftnik

[Mr. Scot]

If you asked a bunch of football fans today who made NFL Draft coverage popular, most of them would likely say Mel Kiper Jr.

They'd be wrong. It was actually this guy:

(yeah, that picture has "football analyst" written all over it, right?)

Joel Buchsbaum started covering the Draft for Pro Football Weekly in 1978. And it was his detailed analysis that actually started calling attention to the league's "annual selection meeting". ESPN launched in 1979, but didn't start covering the Draft with Kiper until 1984. The annual draft preview magazines, the websites, the network coverage, pretty much all of that came to be in part because of the buzz for the draft that Buchsbaum helped create.

Most here probably never even heard his name or got to read his previews. I can tell you though that they were more informative, interesting and accurate than just about anything you'll get today.

How accurate? Read this from PFW publisher Hub Arkush:

He was often recruited by NFL teams to join their scouting departments for significantly more money than we could offer him, but he never wavered and would always just ask me how we were going to get the next book or paper out. His eccentricities and obsession with the draft grew as fast as his legend, and even though he's been gone more than seven years now, I still miss his regular calls between 2:00 and 5:00 in the morning.

If you doubt the respect Joel earned in the industry, know that Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Ernie Accorsi and Joel Bussert joined me at his funeral somewhere in Rockaway, N.J., less than 48 hours after the final game of the 2002 season. At a memorial service we held for Joel at the NFL Scouting Combine a month later, dozens of media, owners, scouts and coaches turned out, including Accorsi, Pioli, Jerry Angelo, Al Davis and many more, and Belichick eulogized Joel, calling him "one of his best friends in the business."

(link)

Pretty high praise, no?

The photo you see above is one of only two pictures you'll likely find online if you do an image search for "Joel Buchsbaum". The other is one of him holding his dog. And believe it or not, in that one he looks even worse. By all accounts, he was an odd, awkward, almost hermit-like person.

But boy, did he know football.

[Delhommey]

Joe has us taking Cam Newton btw.

[Mr. Scot]

Joe has us taking Cam Newton btw.

You had a seance? :eek:

[BBQ&Beer]

... WTF does Steven Hawking know about the NFL?

[Mr. Scot]

(insert joke told in poor taste here) :eek:

There is a resemblance there, for sure.

[CatMan72]

... WTF does Steven Hawking know about the NFL?

LOL, have to admit that's the first thing I thought when I saw the picture.

[CatMan72]

He was the guy that came up with the "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane" line.

http://apse.dallasnews.com/contest/2003/writing/over250/over250.features.second.html

[csx]

Looks about right on for a draft geek.

Now this guy I've heard of and remember.

[OchoNueve]

I wonder why he never made it to tv...

[countryboi]

who? i didnt even watch the NFL til 93' i dont know a world without kiper

[Panths]

This is what I imagine most of the huddle looks like.

[Mr. Scot]

I wonder why he never made it to tv...

I can't imagine :lol:

Hub Arkush (PFW publisher) said there were no shortage of job offers for him - including many from NFL teams - but he was just one of those guys who was happy where he was.

Would that we were all so lucky.

[rico6]

Dat Computer

[Panthercougar68]

Ignore the man behind the curtain type of guy. The more I read up on him the more impressed I am with his knowledge of the sport. I had to google the dog pic and Mr. Scot is right...