You know that unforgettable, classically familiar shot of a No. 1 overall NFL draft pick holding his new jersey on stage at Radio City Music Hall, smiling with the commissioner? That might be over.
See, if indeed Jameis Winston is chosen first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — which appears to be a near-consensus opinion right now — and if indeed Winston sticks to his guns and doesn’t attend the draft, it’ll be the first time in two decades that the No. 1 overall pick hasn’t been there to smile next to the commish in that clichéd moment.
And if indeed Marcus Mariota is chosen second — as many believe he will — and if indeed Mariota sticks to his guns and doesn’t show up on draft day, this draft’s two biggest stars will be absent at the league’s largest spectacle not called the Super Bowl.
Remember when the 2001 New England Patriots — a massive underdog — decided to take the field as a team for Super Bowl XXXVII, rather than have either the offensive or defensive starters get introduced individually? The Pats went out and upset the St. Louis Rams and a trend took off. From that point forward, there were no player introductions for the Super Bowl.
Just another way in which this is a copycat league.
Has to cause you to wonder if more blue-chip prospects will follow suit in the years to come, especially if the draft gods are nice to both Winston and Mariota. Could attending the draft become taboo for big names who have little to gain by being there? It’s possible.
And considering how big a show the draft has become, and with it going on the road to Chicago this year for the first time in half a century, that has to piss the league right off — even if they won’t admit it.
