There will be nothing normal about the 2020 NFL Draft, which will be conducted virtually for the first time in its history, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell still believes it will help the country feel more whole as we continue to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
With all other sports and sporting events postponed indefinitely or cancelled outright, the NFL Draft is the only show in town — the only sporting event in the United States that will continue as scheduled.
“It’s important to have normalcy, it’s important to continue on schedule as best you can,” Goodell said on The Rich Eisen Show. “The draft itself will be different because it’s no longer a live event.
“We’re doing this in a way that demonstrates that you can continue to do what you need to do in this country, and do it safely at home.”
Contrary to some reports, Goodell added that all team owners were in favor of conducting the draft as scheduled and were comfortable with the technological aspect of it.
Other changes to the draft have been implemented as a result of the virtual aspect, including the ability to “pause” the draft in the event of a technical issue, loss of audio or delay in the stream.
Still, even with all of those changes and potential pitfalls, Goodell is right — sports fans across the country need the draft to feel some normalcy, even if it is just for three days.
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