By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

First-round draft picks in aloha shirts instead of three-piece suits.

Fans waving ti leaves when their favorite team is on the clock.

A chant of "lolo...lolo..." when the Minnesota Vikings don't get a choice off in time.

A chorus of "Let's go 'Bows!" to remind a team there is a University of Hawai'i player available.

Welcome to the NFL Draft...in Hawai'i?

A 4,968-mile long shot to be sure. But now that the NFL is at least thinking out loud about rotating the sites of its annual draft for 2006 — and beyond — what does it hurt Honolulu to make some inquiries and pitch the Hawai'i Convention Center, Stan Sheriff Center or Blaisdell Center?

The NFL took its draft out of Madison Square Garden for the first time in a decade last week to the Javits Convention Center and now says it is looking at the possibility of not only stepping outside New York for the first time since 1965, but relocating it more than Kurt Warner.

"We're going to evaluate the possibility of moving the draft around," spokesman Brian McCarthy said yesterday. "We're certainly listening to interested cities, (but) we're not at the point where we're inviting cities (to bid)."

Already the Orlando, Fla.-based Disney World of Sports said it wants to make a proposal and other cities would like to bring Paul Tagliabue's seven-round show to town, too.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said, "I'd like to do it, sure. We already have a tie with the NFL with the Pro Bowl. This would be another example of Hawai'i becoming a big-time sports center. As mayor, I'd like to do anything and everything to help that."

Hannemann, who played a part in the state's Pro Bowl negotiations over several years, said, "I'll be in New York next month and I'll talk to the NFL people about bringing the draft here as well as a pre-season football game."

McCarthy said, "We'll listen to all cities and, obviously, we have a good partnership with the state of Hawai'i and the city of Honolulu, so we would listen to them."

One suggestion is to put the draft in the home city of the owner of the first pick each year. No word what would happen if the team decides to trade the pick.

Part of the NFL's willingness to look around stems from disenchantment with Madison Square Garden's owner, Cablevision Systems Corp., which has a suit opposing the building of a proposed stadium for the New York Jets in Manhattan. But as the draft has grown as a spectacle, more cities are knocking on the NFL's door. "We've kept it in New York but we're always looking at improving the draft just as we are looking to improve other events," McCarthy said.

Once upon a time it was a long shot to bring the Pro Bowl here. But we all know where the game is today.

Is the NFL Draft ready for six hours of Mel Kiper Jr. in an aloha shirt?

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.