Hometown Broadcasting Sports Tuesday 4/21/20
21 April 2020 Sports
Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst talked to the media via teleconference on Monday ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The draft will be different and mostly virtual this year due to the spread of COVID-19. The Packers staff is gearing up for the draft from the comfort of their own homes. Gutekunst discussed how the IT department has setup his house so he can have communication with all parties involved.
In addition, the NFL held a mock draft on Monday morning to run through the operation. ESPN reported multiple GM’s thought it was “brutal” or “awful” after there was a glitch with the Bengal’s first pick. However, Gutekunst thought it wasn’t so bad following the issue.
“I thought it went pretty smooth,” Gutekunst explained. “We kind of went through that and got a lot of answers. That was the big thing, kind of getting through this and finding out the answers of really how we want to do this.”
Since there will be no draft room, Gutekunst will be allowed a security person and an IT person. He will then be connected to his personnel staff remotely which could have a big impact on trades. It could become an area of concern given Gutekunst has pulled off four draft-day deals in his first two years. Of those four deals, three involved first round picks. The Packers are set in the first round with the 30th overall pick.
Near the end of the teleconference, the general manager was asked if there is a concern that the 2020 NFL season may be canceled.
“I won’t let myself go there,” Gutekunst said. “I certainly hope not. I don’t think that would be good for anybody.”
The 2020 NFL Draft is set for Thursday at 7 p.m and runs through Saturday.
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In a curious move, Marquette sophomore forward Brendan Bailey announced on Instagram on Monday he was entering the 2020 NBA draft.
The 6-foot-8, 200-pound Bailey said he isn’t closing the door on returning to the Golden Eagles next season.
The draft is scheduled for June 25, but with the NBA season suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic it could get rescheduled. Underclassmen have until June 15 to remove their names from the draft.
Bailey has the option of signing with a NCAA-approved agent to help guide him through the draft process while maintaining his college eligibility. With NBA facilities shut down, there are no workouts for draft prospects. So Bailey will likely be getting feedback from NBA teams via video conferencing.
Bailey, a native of Salt Lake City, averaged 7.1 and 5.2 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game with the Golden Eagles as a sophomore this season. He started all 30 games and shot 46 for 120 (38.3%) on three-pointers.
It is likely that Bailey would not be picked in the two-round NBA draft. He does not appear on any prominent mock drafts such as those of ESPN or The Athletic.
Bailey has played two seasons at MU, but he will be 23 in June. After committing to MU as a top-100 prospect in 2016, Bailey took a two-year Mormon mission. He made his debut for the Golden Eagles in the 2018-19 season and averaged 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 34 games.
Bailey’s father, Thurl, played 13 seasons in the NBA and works as a broadcast analyst for the Utah Jazz.
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David Tepper of the Carolina Panthers has already become one of the NFL’s most visible owners, and hopefully others follow his example when it comes to coronavirus-related charity.
Tepper has given an astounding $22 million to coronavirus relief efforts, according to Forbes. Even for a billionaire, giving away $22 million is pretty remarkable.
Tepper told Forbes that he isn’t sure how much more he’ll give to coronavirus causes, but it could be “significantly more.” Tepper is worth about $12 billion, Forbes said.
Tepper had previously donated to recovery and relief efforts after Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey in 2012 and after Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas in 2018.
Forbes said Tepper’s two biggest priorities are food distribution and getting money to people directly affected by COVID-19 and the fallout.
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The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control will discuss the membership’s options for the remainder of the spring sports seasons and for summertime regulations at its scheduled meeting today (Tuesday) on video conferencing. Gov. Tony Evers extended the state’s Stay at Home order until May 26, 2020, and ordered all public and private K-12 schools to remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year in an announcement made today.
The Executive Staff has discussed the best and worst case scenarios with the
possibility schools may close for the remainder of the school year. Those will be
reviewed with guidance from the Board of Control to determine the best course of
action.
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