5 questions we have about the NFL’s wild Vegas draft plans that include a boat

Yes, a boat.

Las Vegas — the new home of the Raiders — will play host to the 2020 NFL draft and some of the plans for the event were announced on Tuesday. They sound … peak Las Vegas.

The stage will be inside the Bellagio’s famous fountain — the one that has “dancing” water set to various pieces of music — and a boat (yes, a boat) will carry picks to the stage. A bunch of street closures and traffic restrictions around the area on the strip. The Draft Experience will have room for thousands of people.

We had so many questions to ask about these plans, and here are various For The Win staffers asking them:

Regarding that boat …

1. Are cannonballs allowed?

2. Will there be a lifeguard on duty?

3. What happens if, while on the 10-second boat ride to the stage, the draftee feels the pull of the sea and immediately renounces his NFL career and joins the merchant marine? Will the team get a compensatory draft pick?

4. Have we thought about pirates, and how to defend against them?

5. If a crime is committed on the boat, will we be following the laws of the state of Nevada, or maritime law? — Nate Scott

What happens if the boat stops working?

I assume there will be more than one boat. But what if THAT boat doesn’t work? Will the draftees have to swim up to the stage and give Roger Goodell a giant, wet bear hug? I know, I know, there are clearly two boats in this photo and a couple of ways to get to the stage on foot. But whatever. If a boat stops working in the middle of a trip up to the stage, it’ll be the only thing people ever remember from this crazy draft.

Also, put me down for a “Will a draftee jump into the fountain? (YES -5,000)” prop bet. — Charles Curtis

https://twitter.com/ClarkCountyNV/status/1219680215779201024

What happens when someone falls in?

What is the contingency plan for when a draft pick or someone on stage falls in? You can have all the rails and barriers you want, plus the fact that the people going from the boat to the stage have exceptional footwork and balance. An accident seems plausible, so what’s the plan?

Are you going to have towels to offer the players when they swim to the stage and get out? Why not just toss a hat to them and yell, “Congratulations!” while they tread water? What if the boat or stage start sinking? Are you going to suggest they bring a change of clothes just in case? It gets cold at night in Vegas in April so maybe organizers could at least get the Bellagio to heat the fountain. — Michelle Martinelli

Is this plan really worth the hassle it’ll cause for people in Vegas?

The NFL’s grand ambition to build a stage on the Bellagio pool is going to cause a massive headache for Las Vegas locals and tourists alike. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the event would cause the biggest road closure on the Las Vegas strip ever for three whole days, and that’s not counting the closures that will be necessary in the weeks leading up to the event for crews to build the stage and prepare. I was in Las Vegas last year on the day of a marathon and that was a traffic nightmare. This is on an entirely different level. The Vegas draft should have been set in the T-Mobile Arena from the start, NFL. — Nick Schwartz

Why are we doing this?

Fam, this is the most extreme, over the top thing the NFL could’ve possibly done to an already great product. The draft is filled with stories and entertaining people. We had more than enough to keep us busy for three days. We didn’t need the spectacle of a whole, actual draft boat to make this look cool. There’s literally no purpose to this. I’m not even mad about it — I’m just…nah, scratch that. I’m mad. They better be done with round 1 before midnight. — Mike Sykes

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