Ed Marinaro's NFL Draft Speech Was Super Long, Awkward
The NFL tries to spice the draft up by having former players and celebrities announce picks after the first round ends. That idea can be fun, or it can be insufferable. On Friday night during the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the strategy backfired spectacularly.
The league brought out actor Ed Marinaro to announce the Minnesota Vikings' selection at No. 42. The Hill Street Blues actor played running back for the Vikings from 1972 to 1975, so the pairing made sense. Unfortunately for everyone watching, Ed refused to shut the hell up and just announce the pick.
Marinaro rambled for what felt like 20 minutes about his life, how things were when he was drafted and whatever else was on his mind. It got so bad that a producer walked on stage and asked him to just read the selection.
Here's video of his speech:
It felt like he was giving a Hall of Fame induction speech or something.
Here is our glorious savior and MVP of the evening.
The NFL ran someone up to the stage to tell Ed Marinaro to hurry up and read the pick ?? #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/VNSOkHerpl
— Sideline Daily (@sideline_daily) April 30, 2022
And here he is finally announcing the pick:
"He knows how to play on the outside."@andrewbooth21
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 30, 2022
?: @espn | @nflnetwork | @ABC pic.twitter.com/HdpCnxBQlh
Needless to say, Twitter was up-in-arms about it:
we gotta stop letting people announce the pick. Just read the card
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 29, 2022
Ed Marinaro did not understand the assignment.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) April 29, 2022
Welp. Ed Marinaro got the most out of what will be his one and only appearance at the NFL Draft. #lemmetellyouaboutthetime …
— Scott Hanson (@ScottHanson) April 29, 2022
72-year old Ed Marinaro, Hill Street Blues star, holding the NFL Draft hostage as organizers freak out over his rambling, is something I didn’t realize I needed so badly.
— Damon Amendolara (@DAonCBS) April 30, 2022
Ed Marinaro might have killed it for all celebrity announcers.
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) April 30, 2022
What the hell is Ed Marinaro doing?
— Brandon Walker (@BFW) April 29, 2022
Ed Marinaro announcing this pick: pic.twitter.com/wDfJ8rAecv
— Corey (@xhawkdaddy) April 29, 2022
*Ed Marinaro announcing a super important NFL Draft pick*
— Caleb (@VolsAndDraft) April 30, 2022
Ed Marinaro: “So what’s the deal with airlines?” #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/edAPEkKWUv
Was really hoping Ed Marinaro would end his soliloquy with "... except that the puppy was a dog. But the industry, my friends, that was a revolution."
— Anish Shroff (@AnishESPN) April 30, 2022