GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Frozen Tundra would’ve melted from all the rain.
A thunderstorm Wednesday morning abruptly ended interview sessions with NFL draft prospects and sent folks scurrying for cover.
Workers inside the draft theater were instructed to seek shelter because of lightning and events were held up until the rain cleared up.
The sun was shining within two hours and the schedule was back on track.
The skies opened up after Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and other draft prospects participated in a flag football clinic with middle school students and special Olympians outside Lambeau Field.
The NFL is holding the draft in the Titletown district, bringing its premier offseason event to a town known for being one of the coldest places to play during the season.
Temperatures reached 69 degrees on Wednesday and are expected in the mid-50s for the three-day draft. There’s a chance of rain on Thursday and Friday but the draft theater and stage are under cover.
However, if there is lightning, fans would be asked to leave the theater and standing areas. The draft would continue with teams making their selections and the picks will be announced from a spot indoors.
The NFL draft used to be a fixture at Radio City Music Hall in New York and became an even bigger hit since it hit the road in 2015. Chicago hosted the drafted in 2015-16. Philadelphia had it in 2017 followed by Dallas and Nashville. Goodell announced the picks from his house in 2020 during the pandemic. It went to Cleveland in 2021 followed by Las Vegas, Kansas City and Detroit. Pittsburgh will host next year.
Green Bay is the NFL's smallest market so a crowd of about 250,000 is expected, less than one-third of the record crowd of over 775,000 that went to Motown last year.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Rob Maaddi, The Associated Press
