N.F.L. Changes Draft to TV-Only Event

Still, the N.F.L. waited until Monday to call off the public events at the draft, as criticism grew that the league did not fully grasp the gravity of the global pandemic. The C.D.C.’s new recommendations coincided with the announcement on Sunday that MGM Resorts International, which operates some of the largest and most famous casinos and hotels in Las Vegas, would shut down until further notice. The draft was going to be held at some MGM properties, with the main stage to be set up in the famed fountains in front of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

Wynn Resorts said it would close its hotels in Las Vegas for two weeks.

In recent years, the N.F.L. has increased the size and scale of the draft. For decades, it was held in Midtown Manhattan at Radio City Music Hall, with a short red-carpet event for high-profile players arriving on the first night. The league has moved the draft to Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas and Nashville since then, adding ancillary events that have created festival-like settings.

Three networks — ESPN, the NFL Network and Fox Sports — now broadcast the proceedings, and more than 2,000 news media passes are issued in some years.

This year’s event was supposed to be even more extravagant, partly because it coincides with the arrival of a new team in Las Vegas, and partly because of the city’s reputation for partying.

The N.F.L. has ways of re-creating the draft as a made-for-television event, including using the N.F.L. Network studios. Instead of gathering dozens of players in one location, the potential top picks could appear live via remote camera.

While the N.F.L. scaled back the draft, it appeared determined to continue with many of its other essential functions. As of Monday, the N.F.L. had not delayed the start of the new league year, which is Wednesday. On Sunday, the N.F.L. Players Association ratified a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement, which gave teams the green light to start assigning franchise tags. They are now preparing to sign free agents starting Wednesday.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/sports/nfl-draft-cancelled.html