Eight hours before the first pick. Eight hours.

And thousands of fans were already lined up in Pittsburgh trying to get into the NFL Draft. Not for a playoff game. Not for the Super Bowl. For the draft.

That's what this event has become, folks. It's not just a television show anymore. It's a genuine sporting spectacle. A cultural phenomenon. A reason for people to take time off work, travel across the country, and stand in line for half a day just to watch Roger Goodell call out names.

And you know what? I absolutely love it.

Twenty years ago, the NFL Draft was a conference room with some team executives and a phone. Then it moved to Radio City Music Hall and became an event. Now? Now it's bigger than some regular-season games. Cities compete to host it. Fans treat it like a holiday.

Pittsburgh is the perfect city for this. This is a football town. The football town. Six Super Bowl championships. Terrible Towels. The Immaculate Reception. These fans live and breathe the Steelers, and they're not even picking until the 20th spot tonight.

But they showed up anyway. Because this is what they do.

The line stretched for blocks. People brought chairs, snacks, Steelers gear. Some probably camped out overnight. All for the privilege of being in the building when their team picks some 22-year-old offensive lineman from Wisconsin they've never heard of.

Commissioner Goodell will walk out on that stage tonight and get absolutely destroyed with boos. For the 16th straight year. It's tradition now. The poor guy could cure cancer and Steelers fans would still boo him. It's basically part of the ceremony at this point.

And we wouldn't have it any other way.

This is what makes the NFL special. They've turned everything into an event. Free agency is an event. Training camp is an event. The schedule release is an event. But the draft? The draft is the crown jewel.