The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off at Hart Plaza in Campus Martius Park in Detroit, and the host city opens to its biggest celebrities for the festivities.
Thursday night, in the official kick-off, Grammy Award-winning rapper Eminem, Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders, and fellow Lions all-timer Calvin Johnson were invited.
The Pride of Detroit 🦁👑
📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
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On both NFL Network and ESPN, the Detroit native Eminem went on stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to open draft night.
Eminem yelled from the podium,
“It’s here! Make some noise for the Detroit Lions!”
He welcomed current and former Detroit Lions players onto the stage and surprised the introduction of Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson. Including Aidan Hutchinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jared Goff.
Eminem, known for public Lions support during the team’s 2023 playoff run, got big shouts of cheers from the Motor City crowd.
Meanwhile, fans made sure Roger Goodell had his annual round of boos after the commissioner took the mic for himself to announce the official start of the first round.
Em appearing with other Lions legends alongside Goodell for the NFL draft opening video said to the commissioner,
“You know you’re still getting booed, right”
To this, Goodell responded, as the NFL commissioner still got loudly booed by the Detroit crowd.
“I’m not afraid.”
Goodell would later get booed again after Lions legends made a speech before the start of the draft, then it turned into a raucous cheer when Eminem came out. The Lions pick at No. 29 overall, and it will be multiple hours before they’re on the clock.
Before the show started, the NFL aired a 30-second ad that appears to be the title of the new Eminem album “THE DEATH OF SLIM SHADY,” dropping this summer.
