Tuesday, March 20, 2012
B.S. Report: The American Idol Overhaul Fantasy Draft
By Grantland Staff
It's nearly impossible to conduct a heated argument around the Grantland office without it resulting in a column idea, weeklong single-elimination tournament, or impromptu podcast. And so an increasingly contentious discussion of the sorry state of American Idol between Bill Simmons, Reality Czar David Jacoby, and in-house experts Jay Caspian Kang and Mark Lisanti quickly escalated into talk of a complete overhaul of the judging panel in an attempt to save the franchise, then spontaneously mutated into a six-round fantasy draft conducted live in the Grantland studio, with each participant selecting a fresh slate of judges, coaches, and newly created "wild-card" positions. Any of the resulting talent rosters (except for Jacoby's — you know that guy who comes into your draft, grabs a closer in the first round, then takes a victory lap around the room? Yeah … ) would result in an instant 300 percent increase in the ratings. And 3,000 percent surge in payroll, but whatever, it's not our money. Hit up our Facebook page and vote on the final teams.
