Mark Davis on Las Vegas draft: “Health and safety will always be No. 1”

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The NFL has stayed largely silent about potential alternative plans for the Las Vegas draft, given the coronavirus outbreak. Raiders owner Mark Davis has chosen to speak.

“The league office, the [NFL] Players Association and the city and the state are working together,” Davis told Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “They’re making a measured decision. Health and safety will always be No. 1.”

Davis is optimistic that, eventually, the league will do the right thing.

“They’ll make the correct decision,” Davis said. “They won’t put anyone in jeopardy over it.”

He’s right, but the NFL’s inaction is becoming more and more glaring, given the speed with which others are taking concrete steps to adjust to a rapidly-changing reality. While on one hand there’s still plenty of time, on the other hand a clear, strong message from the league can help squeeze more sense into those who continue to downplay a situation that presents a very real danger to the elderly and the infirm.

11 responses to “Mark Davis on Las Vegas draft: “Health and safety will always be No. 1”

  1. Mark Davis is always made fun of for his haircut, which I GET, It’s hilarious. That being said, he’s always among the most, if not the most genuine caring owners in the league. He does thing’s the right way, and doesn’t meddle with the GM’s ect. He doesn’t get near the credit he deserves as a great guy, and as a businessman that was able to get a new stadium.

    He takes care of his people, much like Al did. Read up on him if you’re unfamiliar, you might be pleasantly surprised. He drive’s an old minivan, fly’s by coach, and is just an everyday average joe by most accounts. Name me another owner that would do ANY of those two things. That doesn’t include his charitable donations to multiple causes, feeding the new stadium workers, ect. Davis will do the right thing, and if that means sacrificing the draft in LV, I believe he’ll do so.

  2. The Las Vegas draft format is to maximize the show… ($$$) not safety.

    I don’t know how they can continue as planned. Can they even delay the draft, and not disrupt the 2020 season? The situation could be worse in a month, not better.

    I only watch the commentators responses (grades, etc.) to the picks, and player highlights anyways. I don’t need to see the players on stage.

  3. They can call in or use internet. Hell they already use phones in the process.

    They dont need players there.

    ESPN and NFLN better get used to phone streams for content of players drafted from home.

  4. Perhaps the “elderly and infirmed” just shouldn’t go to the games rather than cancelling events for all of us. Nobody cared about the flu which kills 20,000 Americans a year.

  5. “He’s right, but the NFL’s inaction is becoming more and more glaring, given the speed with which others are taking concrete steps to adjust to a rapidly-changing reality.”
    ———————

    Having daily discussions on alternative options for an event A MONTH AWAY is not “inaction”. It’s what smart leadership is supposed to do – monitor current situation and having a detailed PLANNED response for every contingency should it happen.

  6. For the NFL, health and safety have never been #1. At best it is a distant second to profit and prestige.

  7. To be fair the NBA is dealing with events that are scheduled now. Cancelling the draft when it’s 6 weeks away would be a decision made from panic.

  8. Apparently a new mindset now that Raiders left Oak-town! Health and safety was never #1 in the stands at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum.

  9. Actually, the NFL is one of the best run industries in America. The leaders know what they’re doing. It’s a group of 32 billionaires who went out and hired the best people in the world to run their organization. Their product gets more and more popular every year, and they keep breaking their own revenue records every year. I guess when you’re at the top, you always have a big target on you. It goes with the territory. Ever wonder why so many people hate Tom Brady? Same reason. Jealousy.

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