2020 NFL Draft's Water Stage Reportedly Unveiled, and Fans Have Jokes

The 2020 NFL Draft is taking place in Las Vegas this year, which coincides with the Oakland [...]

By John Newby

The 2020 NFL Draft is taking place in Las Vegas this year, which coincides with the Oakland Raiders moving permanently to Sin City. This is a popular tourist destination, and it was expected that the league would make an attempt to create a memorable event. This certainly was proven accurate on Tuesday with the unveiling of the proposed draft stage. This design has not been confirmed by the league itself, but it drew considerable attention from fans and media members.

Arash Markazi, a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, revealed on Tuesday that the proposed draft stage would actually be set on the water in front of the Bellagio fountains. In order to get to the stage to shake hands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the drafted players would be transported by boat.

The popular casino was viewed as a "dream" location for the big three-day event and the fountains were expected to be a centerpiece. However, the unveiled stage was much different than what anyone had anticipated. This proposed design would be taking the NFL Draft to another level.

Of course, this unique idea was met with a wide range of reactions. Some thought that this idea was brilliant while others viewed it as ridiculous. Although a few users simply hoped that the bachelorette parties would avoid Las Vegas after previous issues in Nashville.

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There were certainly many that thought the proposed stage was pretty wild, but there were others that had some questions about the logistics. It's easy enough to transport one player to the stage at a time using the boat, but what happens in the later rounds? Would caution be thrown to the wind with later picks?

Granted, there are usually only 32 players on hand for the NFL Draft. Those that are expected to be first-round picks show up to walk – or sail – to the stage. The rest of the players hold parties with friends and family.

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Whenever a top player declares for the NFL Draft, there are immediate questions about whether or not they would be willing to join a rebuilding team or one that is never in contention for the playoffs. LSU QB Joe Burrow is expected to be the first overall pick and a future member of the Cincinnati Bengals, but he has already said that he would be willing to head home to Ohio.

The Bengals fans have other concerns, however. They are afraid that something tragic would happen to Burrow during his trip to the stage. Some view the Bengals a cursed franchise, and the fans feel that this boat ride is testing that theory.

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If the NFL does proceed with the "boat plan," how will they arrange the players? Will there be one boat that serves as transportation, or will there be several different options? Specifically, will there be themed boats?

The NFL is largely a league of teams named after animals, but there are three referring to seafaring people. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders reference pirates while the Minnesota Vikings are based on Norse Explorers.

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The majority of fans saw this unveiled stage and laughed, but there were many that had very different reactions. In their opinions, this was a terrible idea that should have been shut down the second it was thought up. They don't have anything against boats, per se, but they were more concerned about time.

The NFL Draft is viewed as an event that takes far too long, especially during the first round. Each team gets 10 minutes to make their selection, but there is always a delay between the pick being made and it being announced. Would this time increase with the added boat ride?

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Would the NFL really have a stage on the water that features a boat ride? This is the NFL Draft, so the fans had no doubt that it was possible. However, there were some concerns that they wanted to mention.

When the news of the proposed stage broke, some NFL fans responded by saying that someone was falling in the water. They didn't know if it was Commissioner Goodell or one of the players. They just expected someone to get wet during the NFL Draft.

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Every NFL player is happy to be drafted; that has been concerned throughout league history. However, there are many fans that wonder about the player excitement for certain franchises. Are they happy to be joining the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, or other teams that struggle on a yearly basis?

The reportedly buoyant stage caught many fans off-guard, but it also served as an inspiration for some entertaining jokes and Gifs. There were football fans that even compared getting drafted by a bad team to getting violently thrown in the water.

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While football fans were certainly far more focused on the water aspect of the NFL Draft and any issues that could arise from the proposed boat trips, there were others wondering about a far more important topic. What will Antonio Brown do during the three-day event? The former NFL receiver could be training with Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas, so would he stop by?

If Brown did show up, there would be an expectation that he would have a significant impact on the event. Although the football fans expected that it wouldn't be a positive one.

(Photo Credit: Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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