The National Football League continues to march to its own drum, plowing ahead with the draft, and the regular-season release of their schedule.
By this time tomorrow, expect to hear from some in the media, how the National Football League is tone-deaf. The league announced on Tuesday that it will release the 2020 NFL regular season schedule no later than May 9. The schedule release, which has typically come in mid-April right before the draft, is a big deal for fans and is a solid kickoff to the draft proceedings.
This season, as much of everyday life and the sporting world as a whole remains at a standstill, the NFL continues to chart a course in what are uncharted waters. While taking criticism for rolling out free agency AND beginning the league season on time, commissioner Roger Goodell continues to keep his fanbase engaged in what is clearly the national pastime.
Some have speculated that fans might not see both college or professional football, the NFL continues to defy conventional wisdom. While the landscape might look different beginning with the draft, the league has time to plan, something the NBA, MLB, NHL, college sports, and other leagues around the country and world could not do. That may end up being a significant development as circumstances change, potentially, and as time passes.
For now, the league appears to be committed to keeping the 2020 NFL Draft in April, rolling out a schedule, and hopefully, a full regular season, though fans should keep in mind that could change. As news develops, it would seem logical plans could be altered.
The NFL deserves a lot of credit for finding ways to stay a course that serves its fanbase. It isn’t perfect, as the draft is going to look radically different than what viewers and attendees have grown accustomed to. But being able to still have sports, on any level, is a needed and appreciated distraction at this difficult time. The commissioner deserves a ton credit for keeping those home fires burning.