5 Things To Know About Nashville's Party Of The Year - The NFL Draft
NBD - it’s only their whole career on the line.
Prospects went from the toughest job interview with the NFL (National Football League) Combine to the anxiety inducing draft that starts tomorrow.
Break out the antacids,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. For more than 50 years, the draft was held in New York but it’s now become quite the road show. It has moved from Chicago to Philadelphia to Dallas and has since landed in Nashville. The city is expecting a serious influx of visitors with last year's event in Dallas drawing more than 200,000 fans and generating over $125 million in economic impact. BANKING ON IT
2. Draft candidates must be three years removed from high school. The Arizona Cardinals have the distinct honor of choosing the first player in the draft because they were the worst team in football last year. FIRST IS THE WORST
3. Nashville is rolling out the red carpet and fans will be cheering for concerts from big country music names like Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley but they won’t be cheering for the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. It’s a tradition for fans to boo him every single time he walks up to the podium to announce a new draft pick. Keep an eye out for Make-A-Wish recipient Kacey Reynolds who will give Goodell a break and announce the Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft pick. ROCK ON
4. After Goodell is done announcing the picks in the first round (there are a total of seven rounds), many teams will bring in special guests to relay their selections. This year, we can expect big name alumni to take the stage and hope for some unique special guests like last year where R2-D2, Chewbacca and members of the Stoneman Douglas football team all revealed their team’s choice. SURPRISE SURPRISE
5. Mr. Irrelevant is the title given to pick #256, the last person drafted. Why irrelevant? Because of the multitude of players chosen before them, the player is not likely to make the team roster. Making a negative into a positive, one Mr. Irrelevant established Irrelevant Week, celebrating that last player. The week, which has turned into quite the big event, preaches that it’s not a negative to be picked last in the NFL Draft; rather, it’s an honor to be drafted at all. FINDING THE SILVER LINING
Want to watch the drama unfold live? Coverage starts tomorrow with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts on ABC.
FOR THE WIN!
The draft isn’t the only thing everyone will be talking about today. Share your newfound knowledge about Hamilton the pig, how women’s sports are gaining some serious ground and are football players smarter than you think? READ
The Rundown: Happy May Day
It’s May Day – the start of a new month. You have 31 days to conquer the world using sports to avoid awkward conversation.
You’re welcome,
The Last Night’s Game Team
NBA (National Basketball Association)
- Leaving it all on the floor. Boston Celtics’ Isiah Thomas channeled his inner hockey player, coming back to dominate the game after losing a tooth. Thomas helped his team win after returning to Boston at 4 am from attending the funeral of his sister who was killed in a car accident two weeks ago.
Wondering when your team will play in the next round of the NBA playoffs? Here you go.
NFL (National Football League)
- Dreaming of success. This draft’s Mr. Irrelevant is Chad Kelly, nephew of football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. Kelly is very talented but has had some character issues that made teams uneasy. When he was finally chosen, he was asleep on the couch.
Mr. Irrelevant is the last man chosen in the draft – the 253rd pick. He’s considered irrelevant because the odds are against him to actually make the team.
F1 (Formula One)
- Everyone remembers their first time. It was a big day in Russia yesterday but this has nothing to do with politics. Driver Valtteri Bottas, who started racing in 2013, brought home his first career win in Sochi, Russia.
Overtime
- The most heartwarming pick in the draft came from the Pittsburgh Steelers. They selected James Conner of the University of Pittsburgh in the third round. Conner came back after beating cancer to excel on the field in his senior college season.
Sideline stat
- In Sunday’s Washington Nationals game Anthony Rendon had three home runs and nine RBIs by the fifth inning. (That’s a lot). The last person to do that was Jennifer Lopez’ new boyfriend Alex Rodriguez 12 years ago.
Coaches’ corner
- What is an RBI in baseball? RBI stands for “Run Batted In.” When the batter produces a hit that scores a run, the batter gets an RBI.