Two things to start off this article that will be primarily negative:
- The NFL combine is my favorite in-person event
- The City of Indianapolis is the perfect city for the event and none of the complaints are related to the city it was in.
To expound on the second point a bit, Indianapolis provides a unique setting for the combine which needs a unique setting. It has a ton of closely located hotels (with a lot of VRBO/Air BnBs added over the past few years). Everything is within walking distance including a number of restaurants and bars for agents, teams and media to mingle. There is also SkyWalk to help keep you inside as much as possible in early March.
From a logistical perspective, the city has all the medical services needed right in downtown and, again, within walking distance of everything. Even the convention center, where most non-athletic things occur, is right by Lucas Oil Stadium.
This year was also the warmest combine event I’ve been at in my decade-plus at the event. Normally, a wind tunnel effect causes some pretty cold “feels like” temperatures providing the one negative to the event’s host city.
Moving on to all the ways the event failed in 2022, it is important to note that some of these things have been sliding in this direction for a couple of years but are important to note.
As we share the problems with the event from being there in person, it is important to note that the combine is put on by the NFL in collaboration with a local organization that has been in charge for decades in Indianapolis.