(WEEI) The virtual festivities of the NFL Draft in 2020 sparred commissioner Roger Goodell his annual embarrassment of getting booed on draft night. But the tradition is back, and it's absolutely wonderful, if not a tad staged.
Goodell was showered with tepid jeers when he walked onto the stage Thursday at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, leading him to ask for more. "Come on, Cleveland, I didn't come out of my basement for nothing!" Goodell shouted. Admittedly, booing someone loses its luster when the subject of the boos literally asking for it. But we'll take any sign of normalcy that we can.
Fully vaccinated, Goodell will once again be permitted to awkwardly hug draft prospects after they’re selected. Several prospects are attending the event, including quarterbacks Zach Wilson, Mac Jones and Trey Lance. Trevor Lawrence, whom the Jaguars selected No. 1 overall, participated virtually.
An estimated 50,000 fans are on hand in Cleveland — and that’s probably why Goodell couldn’t help but ask for the boos to come down. The return of boos means the return of fans in stadium. Some fleeting embarrassment is more than worth the revenue windfall.