Danny Webster
Lions fans Jon Lang, left, and Dave Fondaw are among the throng of fans that descended Thursday on the Las Vegas Strip for the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Friday, April 29, 2022 | 2 a.m.
The wait appeared to be worth it for fans wanting to be part of the NFL Draft in Las Vegas.
Take Detroit residents Dave Fondaw and Jon Lang, who arrived Thursday on the Las Vegas Strip hours before their beloved Lions took University of Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick.
For the friends, the journey to watch the draft was two years in the making. Same for Vegas as the draft’s host.
Fondaw and Lang were in the same situation as most of the fans that gathered for the draft in having tickets back in 2020 and ready to fly here to party with thousands of football fans.
Then, the pandemic forced the draft to be conducted remotely— NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced picks from his basement.
“It’s a little different. I thought there was going to be more stuff on the Strip,” Fondaw said. “But the fact they shut part of the Strip down for this … it’s pretty cool.”
Cowboys fans and Las Vegas residents Joshua and Treavor Moss also were geared up to cheer on “America’s Team” two years ago. Decked out in Cowboys jerseys and wearing large chains with the Dallas star front and center, the brothers were also supposed to go with their uncle, but he died during the pandemic.
“It’s just a surreal moment right now,” Treavor Moss said. “Just seeing all these people, no masks. Vegas is open.”
“We’re here to party,” Joshua Moss added.
The parking lot that’s normally occupied for the LINQ has turned into a three-plot display called the NFL Draft Experience.
The line to enter stretched from the High Roller to the intersection of Flamingo Road and LINQ Boulevard hours before its noon opening. Fans representing all 32 teams, ranging from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, gathered in a family reunion-type of setting.
Lions fans were talking to Green Bay Packers fans, but both with the understanding that when their teams meet twice next season, “all bets are off,” Fondaw jokingly said.
“One of the coolest things about this event is we’ve already talked to so many different people from different fan bases,” Fondaw said. “And it’s this cool interaction. There’s no animosity. At an event like this, we can sit and be like, ‘Who do you guys want?’”
Winds roared at a 16 mile-per-hour rate for most of the afternoon to offset some of the heat. Fans minimally got to see what it’s like for a kicker trying a field goal with the elements, with a small field dedicated to field goal kicking and throwing footballs into a net.
Enveloped around the numerous beer stands was a Super Bowl ring display for all 56 champions, and display cases for the Las Vegas Raiders’ three Lombardi Trophies.
The NFL Draft is also a time for fans to show off their fandom in unique ways. Minnesota Vikings fan Cris Contreas dressed as a Vikings version of The Mandolorian, the popular “Star Wars” character, with a small Grogu propped on his shoulder.
Minnesota has gone a different direction since the days of Randy Moss and Cris Carter, who played back when Contreras became a Vikings fan. But he’s confident in the direction the current group is going under new coach Kevin O’Connell.
“We needed change,” said Contreras, a resident of Bakersfield, Calif. “We were kind of mediocre the past four, five years. I think we needed to freshen some things up. I think the Vikings are looking good going into the draft.”
Overall, the first day was a good time had by all. But there was a dark cloud surrounding Green Bay Packers fans visiting the city that now has Davante Adams. The Packers traded one of the league’s best receivers to Las Vegas last month, The Raiders don’t have a first- or second-round pick this weekend, since that was their cost for landing Adams.
After the Raiders traded for and signed Adams to a five-year, $141.25 million contract, Packers Johnny Montero said it was an act of “greed” on Adams wanting out.
“It is what it is,” he said. “But if you want to be a part of the team, you’ve got to sacrifice something.”
Even without quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target no longer in town, Packers fans still think their team is the one to beat in the NFC North.
“We have a lot of weapons,” said Las Vegas resident and Packers fan Tammy Schleppegrell. “I think he was so focused on throwing to Davante Adams for so long, that he’ll have a chance to find other people.”
