Las Vegas is off for next month’s NFL draft. No celebrations along the Strip. No boats navigating players across the Bellagio Hotel fountain to the stage. All that was scuttled in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak.
But the event is still scheduled for April 23-25, and the league has gone back to the drawing board to determine how best to stage it.
The NFL is not commenting publicly about what’s in the works, but according to two individuals with knowledge of the discussions, the current plans call for some type of studio setting with cut-ins from the headquarters of the teams making the selection at a given time.
As for the draft, tradition has been that the league brings in the top 20 to 30 prospects for the event, to participate in festivities, meet with the media, and wait with their families in the green room until they are selected. When they’re picked, the players walk onto the stage, are greeted by Goodell and hold up the jersey of their new team.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2020-03-21/nfl-plans-to-stage-its-draft-next-month-in-a-studio-setting-rather-than-in-las-vegasIt remains to be seen what the NFL will do in that regard. Because it’s not known what travel restrictions, if any, will be in place a month from now, the league is not in position to make a final decision on that protocol. What’s more, that likely would require that everyone involved with the production test negative for the coronavirus, and those tests are not currently readily available.
Goodell gets to escape an entire audience booing him.
I’m still going to boo the shit out of him from my couch.