How Many of You Buy Draft Guides

I usually do and I was at Safeway the other day and I bought 2, PFW and another one (can't remember which). They are good for player profiles as the draft gets later in the rounds. I also try to get the chronicle draft guide before hand. It's been an annual tradition but now the guides are close to $10 each

I personally like Lindys.

I used to buy them all - now ust Lindy's.

Way too much cash outlay - really not worth it.

Been buying lindys after tha draft magazine since 1999 draft ugh Reggie McGraw what I wasted pick... breaks down each pick N teams shows a little of next yr draft players haven't buy a predraft magazine yet was thinking of if ... so many thinking just stick with lindys a magazine I know N trust

Bought PFW and will buy Lindys. Have to feed my addiction! Espn insider as well. Not too much money as hobbies go!

When I'm in the states I buy them right up to the draft. I keep them the entire year and go back and see how the players were rated. They're very handy during draft day.

Waste of money, most of them are dated by 2 months or more when they show up on the newstands. PFT is the worst, their rankings always end up so far off of what actually happens its unbelievable. You're better off sticking with the online, frequently updated draft boards and player profiles.

Lindy's. I always buy Lindys. I like the way he has a comment about every single prospect and then i go back during the season numerous times to see how accurate and non accurrate Lindy is. just like most, he hits and he misses. The Draft is a crap shoot, who the heck knows/ Tom Brady 6th Round? No one knew. Jamarcus Rusel 1st overall? No one knew. You just never know, all you can do is hope for a players health and the player fits and accepts their role with the team and continues to get better and grow as a player.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
Waste of money, most of them are dated by 2 months or more when they show up on the newstands. PFT is the worst, their rankings always end up so far off of what actually happens its unbelievable. You're better off sticking with the online, frequently updated draft boards and player profiles.

Technically, having a computer to read about football is a waste of money...or everything except food and shelter is a waste of money...however, it's one of my recreations to read four or five sources and compare the write-ups. For instance, can a guy be fast but slow? Quick but doesn't turn quickly? Use to love the Sporting News War Room until they changed it. ESPN Insider isn't my favorite but seems to attract a lot of attention so I subscribe.

Always love the east coast guys demonstrating they couldn't even get the names of the 49er players right. One pundit, can't remember who, wrote that the niners needed to improve their MLBs last year. With who? Zeus? Thor?

Edit: Most of the periodicals have some redeeming feature that makes them interesting!

I've theough for a long time that the Sporting News draft magazine was terrible.

Draft guides are garbage. Over the past few years, I've seen the ones my buddies buy and fans are better off researching prospects online.

I buy alot of them... Stems from being east coast guy rooting for a west coast team!!! Before internet & Directv i was a fiend for all 9ers info i could get my hands on. Old habits die hard.

PFW has been crap ever since Joel Buschbaum passed away

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Draft guides are garbage. Over the past few years, I've seen the ones my buddies buy and fans are better off researching prospects online.

This is the truth. I used to buy them just for additional stuff to read when I was killing time waiting for something. They were all rather inaccurate in some way or another, and with the internet availability today? not really worth the bother unless you don't mind blowing the money on them just for extra kicks.

Originally posted by Mr.Mcgibblets:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Draft guides are garbage. Over the past few years, I've seen the ones my buddies buy and fans are better off researching prospects online.

This is the truth. I used to buy them just for additional stuff to read when I was killing time waiting for something. They were all rather inaccurate in some way or another, and with the internet availability today? not really worth the bother unless you don't mind blowing the money on them just for extra kicks.

With the increased availability of broad band it is less necessary to have hard copies of almost any info, but for those of us who are still addicted to holding books and magazines in our hands as we move about they are still fun to have. PFW lists the 9ers needs as: Offense--WR, QB and TE while defense is DT, OLB and S. Those are accurate assessments...even now. They try to increase accuracy by listing DTs in three categories, but I find that overkill...but interesting. They list WRs as X, Z or F and I find that to be overkill as well...although instructive.

I really doubt Harbaugh cares whether a WR is listed in any category, he no doubt sees the athlete in terms of overall ability and then thinks about what he could do with that player...not whether the player fits as a Z versus F. What I enjoy about the whole lead up to the draft is comparing what is said about any given player by five or six sources. Then two years later you read the sources again, harder to do on the net, and see where they were accurate or not. My collection of Lindy's is growing and every time I put them in the throw away pile...they keep winding up back in my bookcase!