7 times boos rained down at the NFL draft
The NFL Draft is supposed to be one of the most exciting days in a football player's life. But what happens when a rookie is welcomed with a chorus of boos from the fanbase that should be embracing him?
Here are seven occasions when boos rang out at the NFL Draft:
Donovan McNabb - 1999
Philadelphia Eagles fans once booed Santa Claus, so it should come as no surprise that Donovan McNabb wasn't off limits at the 1999 draft.
Eagles supporters were angrier than an old man trying to send back soup at a deli when their team took McNabb with the second-overall pick.
They likely wanted Ricky Williams, who ended up going fifth overall, but who knows, they may have just booed anybody the Eagles decided to take that day. Philly fans are anything but a friendly bunch.
McNabb ended up being a six-time Pro Bowler and led the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance and five NFC title games. But he'll likely never forget the tongue lashing and rude reception he received during his first encounter with Eagles fans.
Eli Manning - 2004
Eli Manning himself ensured that he would be booed at the draft.
The two-time Super Bowl MVP made it clear that he would never play for the San Diego Chargers well before they selected him with the first-overall pick in the 2004 draft.
San Diego stuck to the best player on the board strategy and took Manning anyway, only to trade him to the New York Giants a short time later for Philip Rivers and a pair of draft picks.
Most fans want the opportunity to tell the player they don't want him on their team. When a draft pick flips the script, a fanbase unleashes a whole different kind of fury.
Manning's goofy grin and lack of emotion have always made him an easy target for boos, but refusing to play for the Chargers guaranteed his draft experience would involve plenty of heckling.
Kevin Kolb - 2007
Eagles fans lived up to their billing after giving it to McNabb, by making sure Kevin Kolb received no preferential treatment in 2007.
Philly moved up to take Kolb early in the second round, much to the dismay of Eagle fans in attendance at Radio City Music Hall.
Three fans were so furious that they walked out, seemingly in protest of the selection. So what if they probably paid $100 a piece for a ticket? They made a statement and Eagles management surely took notice. We all know how seriously general managers and coaches value the opinions of fans.
Brady Quinn - 2007
Brady Quinn pulled off a rare feat at the 2007 draft. The quarterback was booed mercilessly before even being selected by a team.
Quinn took the stage when Deion Sanders announced the prospects in attendance and for whatever reason, the New York faithful let loose on him.
Sanders tried in vain to make them relent, but the crowd was having none of it. To his credit, Quinn took it in stride and embraced the boos like a pro wrestling heel basking in heat.
That wasn't the end of his draft misfortunes, though. Quinn squirmed in the green room for much of the opening round, before the Cleveland Browns finally ended his anguish with the 22nd pick.
Of course, joining the Browns inevitably brought a whole different kind of anguish.
Travis Frederick - 2013
This one brought a few boos, but mostly mass confusion.
Dallas Cowboys fans seemed to have no idea who center Travis Frederick was at the time and many analysts had him slated to go much later in the draft, including NFL Network's Mike Mayock, who sounds like he would have booed the pick himself if he didn't take that sacred oath of journalistic impartiality.
As shocking as it sounds, Jerry Jones fooled everybody and got it right for once. Frederick has been excellent in two seasons with the Cowboys and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2014.
Every New York Jets pick ever - Eternity
Have New York Jets fans ever been happy with one of their draft picks? I suppose some Jet fan somewhere has been, but you would probably have to search the ends of the earth to find them.
To be fair, Jets fans have a point here. New York has made some terrible choices over the years.
At one point in the video, a distraught supporter tried to justify management's decision making to make himself feel better.
"Obviously the Jets know something that the people up here don't."
Oh, how wrong he was.
Roger Goodell - All the time
If getting booed was an art form, Roger Goodell could teach a class. The mere presence of the NFL commissioner on draft day brings the blood of those in attendance to a boil.
Goodell has felt the wrath of fans on many a draft night, but perhaps most notably in 2011 when the NFL was in a lockout.
With all the controversy surrounding the league's handling of off-field issues this season, will the 2015 draft see Goodell get booed harder than ever before? The smart money is on yes.