By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
In this age of social distancing and a worldwide coronavirus threat, it came to no surprise that the National Football League pulled the plug on the massive public presence of the NFL Draft event in Las Vegas April 23-25.
The NFL released this statement Monday: “Public NFL Draft events in Las Vegas next month will not take place.”
It was expected. The sports industry in the U.S. with a few exceptions like Las Vegas-based UFC has shuttered fan events and games and the CDC has recommended groups of no bigger than 50 people. The NFL was expecting the crowds to be as big if not bigger in Las Vegas than the 200,000 daily people who packed the streets of Nashville, Tennessee where last year’s NFL Draft event was staged.
Here’s NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s comment in the press release: “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.”
Goodell visited Las Vegas a few months ago for a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and talked up the NFL Draft event. He also said once the NFL holds the Draft in Las Vegas then the topic of a Super Bowl in Las Vegas could be discussed, too.
There will still be an NFL Draft April 23-25 and teams will pick college players like the old days without the giant crowds and associated visual hoopla.
“The NFL is exploring innovative options for how the process will be conducted and will provide that information as it becomes available. The selection process will be televised,” the NFL wrote in its media release.
The NFL had planned to close down the Strip at Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Avenue and have a red carpet event at a special stage in the Bellagio fountains and the formal commissioner player pick announcements at a giant stage next to the Caesars Forum.
But no fans and no social interaction are the recommended policy to stem the spread of COVID-19, a coronavirus that started in a wet market in China and spread across the world. People can have the virus and not show respiratory symptoms, so they could spread the disease without knowing it.
“This decision reflects our foremost priority – the health and safety of all fans and citizens,” Goodell said in the release.
MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts both announced their companies were closing their hotels on the Strip.
— And LVSportsBiz.com received word that Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the National Hot Rod Association have jointly postponed the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals due to the spread of the coronavirus. The event was scheduled for April 3-5. A makeup date is to be determined.
“One of Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s primary goals is to do what’s in the best interests of the loyal and passionate fans who attend our races,” LVMS GM Chris Powell said. “While we’re disappointed to have to postpone such a great event, we understand that the health and safety of our fans, competitors, sponsors and race officials must be paramount.”
Ticketholders on file may (1) use their tickets for the postponed event, or (2) choose to receive an event credit for the full amount paid, plus an additional 20 percent, or (3) choose to receive a full refund of their purchase price. The event credit can be applied toward any NHRA national event at LVMS, including grandstand seating or camping.
In other Las Vegas Motor Speedway news, the Speedway is postponing all Bullring events through April 30 amid ongoing developments resulting from the spread of the coronavirus. LVMS will continue to work closely with health officials and NASCAR to monitor the situation moving forward. These postponements affect races scheduled for March 28, April 11 and April 18. Makeup dates are to be determined.
— And Major League Baseball issued this statement and will be playing baseball for a while:
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