The Commissioner will be at home for the draft. But he won’t be alone.
Peter King explains in his latest Football Morning in America column that, during each pick in round one, Roger Goodell will have a “virtual montage” of 15 fans behind him, with those fans reacting to the Commissioner and to whoever the team selects with the pick Goodell announces.
Although there’s a chance that one or more of the 15 fans will exercise their First Amendment prerogative to boo Goodell, a crowd of 15 isn’t nearly large enough to provide the anonymity that comes from joining in a crowd of boo-ers. The league witnesses the disconnect every year; the mob collectively rains boos down on Goodell while individually clamoring for handshakes and selfies with him.
Besides, the 15 fans will be on camera, in front of an audience that could be bigger than any audience that any draft has ever generated. Even those who fully intend to boo Goodell before the show starts could react very differently when the proverbial red light turns on.
Also, it’s possible that the 15 fans per pick have been pre-screened to provide an assurance that there won’t be booing. If that’s the case, however, word of any attempt to secure an advance no-booing commitment could make its way to the public eye or ear. The league may simply hope that the small size of the group and the placement of the 15 fans on camera before millions will be enough to persuade none of them to do willingly what tens of thousands would have done lustily in Las Vegas.
