You may have heard that this year's combine will be different from others because  the NFL is trying out the combine as a Super Bowl-style event. That means there will be a lot more pageantry (and fans) downtown, and that changes the equation from previous years. Today, let's talk about a few different areas and how they'll differ this year.

 

Talking to scouts: In the old days, the Indiana Convention Center was practically a highway for NFL types. Hang around the corridors of the ICC and you were bound to run into someone you know, or 
would like to know. The beauty of scouts is that they're usually going to be wearing their 'colors' wherever they go. Last year, I worried that the increased activity would lead to fans loitering everywhere, but that wasn't the case. Hopefully that means scouts will be around and easy to find. 

 

Hotels: Rates are pretty high this year because the city is juggling another convention as well as the combine. When I was looking around last week, prices were close to $100/night higher than normal. For that reason, I went in another direction.

Air BnB: I'm still a little new with this service, but I found a killer apartment downtown really close to The Omni. The best part is that I paid about the same for three nights as I would have paid for one night in a hotel. It was a real grand slam, and I highly recommend you looking into it if you haven't booked. And if you use this link to book, you'll save a little dough.

 

Restaurants: I expected restaurants to be a lot busier during combine week last year, but it wasn't the case. It's a good thing, because downtown Indianapolis is woefully short of 'quick service' (i.e., fast food) locations. The few fast-food places there (Steak & Shake, Panera Bread, Subway, Einstein's Bagels) are always filled to the brim, and even the ones that are the usual hangout spots (The Ram, my Indy 'office,' as well as Palomino, St. Elmo's, Harry & Izzy's, P.F. Chang's) are also quite busy. On Thursday, when you attend the NFLPA seminar, I encourage you to walk across to the food court at the Circle City Mall. It's easy and quick, though it might be a little busy.

 

Uber: The last few years, Uber drivers were pretty easy to find, and the easiest way to get from the airport to downtown hotels. This year, hopefully, fans will have their own vehicles, so they won't need transportation. In addition, as we've covered previously, it's pretty easy to get around downtown.

 

Weather: Naturally, it's too early to tell what the weather will be like next week. Right now, it looks like it will be in the 50s with rain. Most years, however, it's pretty chilly in Indiana in February/March. In fact, if it weren't for Lucas Oil Stadium, you could confuse the city with Antarctica. Make sure to take a jacket just in case, and maybe, this year, a raincoat.