Year after year, the NFL draft provides hope for teams � and their legions of fans � in desperate need of some.
Searching for optimism, we had reason to believe better days were ahead as each future star's name was announced on the grand stage.
But today, we are all welcoming these festivities with an even greater sense of appreciation and gratitude.
We're living in unprecedented times due to restrictions in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. We hit the pause button on the sports world, which essentially went dark March 12, leaving us all with a feeling of uncertainty we've never experienced before.
But the one thing we still do have is the 2020 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night and runs through Saturday. It will serve as a three-day distraction in which the league and its fans will unify behind one common quest: the debate over which young player will become the next Patrick Mahomes, or the key piece added to the next Super Bowl champion.
Joe Ruback has been practicing for the moment NFL commissioner Roger Goodell steps in front of the camera Thursday night and kicks off the NFL Draft's virtual broadcast from the basement of his Bronxville, New York, home.
That's the explanation for the playful video that Ruback, a New York Giants season-ticket holder known by many as "License Plate Guy," posted on his social media accounts this week.
The sight of a fan dressed in full team gear, booing at his television from his own basement might seem out of place in most years.
But not this year, and when it comes to Goodell and the fans who love to despise him, the jeers provide a sense of normalcy in challenging times for all.
"Come on, how do we not boo Goodell, that's just what we do," Ruback said from his New City, New York, home. "But this year, to be honest, I think we boo the commissioner as a 'Thank You'.
"The NFL is giving fans what we need," Ruback said, "and oh man, we do need this draft."
