The sports landscape has been completely altered over the last week. With practically no more major sports playing due to the spread of the coronavirus, it is unsurprising to hear that now the NFL will be making some changes.
The league announced Monday morning that all public activities in Las Vegas for the 2020 NFL Draft will be canceled. The draft itself is still set to start in Las Vegas on April 23 and will be televised as normal.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expressed his disappointment over the news in a statement released by the NFL:
“This decision reflects our foremost priority — the health and safety of all fans and citizens,” Goodell in a statement. “While this outcome is disappointing both to the NFL and to the Las Vegas community, we look forward to partnering with the Raiders, the City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a future NFL Draft as well as evaluating opportunities for other major NFL events in Las Vegas in the future, including the Super Bowl.”
While a disappointment for NFL fans nationwide, the Los Angeles Rams will not be affected by the news more than any other team.
The league announced last week that teams are no longer allowed to meet in person with any draft prospects. They will allow teams to have up to three weekly video or telephone interviews with players, but the interviews cannot exceed one hour or disrupt a student’s class schedule.
One team truly affected by this cancellation is the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders just moved into their new home in Las Vegas this past offseason and were heavily involved in the planning of draft festivities.
The NFL is just another one of the many sports leagues affected by the coronavirus. Of course, the NBA, NHL and MLB all suspended play last week, but things have escalated for the NBA. In a memo recently released, the NBA is now expecting to get their season back underway by mid-June.
Although the start of the NFL regular season is many months off, it will be interesting to see how the league and the 2020 season is affected by the virus. It seems like starting in the Fall should be safe, but there is really no telling how long this pandemic will last.
