T-Rac
Well-known member
- Mar 20, 2019
- 1,711
- 1
Getty Images
When thunderstorms roll into the area of an NFL game, the game is suspended as players and fans retreat inside the stadium to seek shelter from the weather. But what happens when thunderstorms roll into a city trying to host the NFL Draft with an outdoor festival setting?
According to the National Weather Service, Nashville could face thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and evening on Thursday. Beginning at 1 p.m. CT and extending until 1 a.m. CT on Friday, forecasts list the possibility of thunderstorms ranging from likely to occasional.
So what happens should lightning begin to threaten the safety of personnel working and attending the draft on Thursday night? According to Mariah Timms of the Tennessean, the NFL says they have plans in place.
“This is the NFL. We play in all weather, rain or shine, but if it’s a safety concern, we have a plan,” said Eric Finkelstein, senior director for event operations at the NFL. “We’ve worked in similar venues before, and we have contingency plans for our contingency plans.”
Unless the NFL is significantly more impactful than we realize, the NFL isn’t going to be able to divert the storms around the draft site in downtown. Video screens and speaker systems currently intended to show draft boards and relay TV coverage can be utilized to pass along emergency information for attendees to seek shelter. Meanwhile, the draft itself would likely move indoors and continue as close to normal as can be expected.
The possibility of bad weather in an open-air venue certainly shouldn’t surprise the NFL. However, it’s obvious that the league didn’t have to deal with this issue when the draft was being held at Radio City Music Hall.