By JONATHAN BURROWS

THE excitement of the NFL season arrived early in Nassau this past weekend, as the second annual ESPN Fantasy Football Draft Weekend was hosted at Baha Mar. 

The event once again attracted fantasy football enthusiasts worldwide, bringing together leagues of all sizes for a weekend of competition. Participants were immersed in activities designed to replicate the full NFL draft experience. 

An NFL-style combine was held on Baha Mar’s beach, featuring drills like the 40-yard dash, quarterback throwing station, and agility station. 

“You see the drills on TV and think they look easy, but once you’re out there, you realise how tough it is. Still, it’s all about the experience, and doing it here in The Bahamas makes it unforgettable,” said Josh Miller, a participant from Florida.  Another central feature was the series of live podcasts held throughout the hotel, where analysts discussed draft strategies, insights on breakout players, and discussed the shape of the upcoming NFL season. Also present for these events were NFL players like runningbacks Tod Gurley and Jamaal Williams. 

The weekend culminated on Saturday with the much-anticipated Ultimate Fantasy Draft. Leagues from across the world gathered at Baha Mar’s convention center to commence the draft where leagues and their respective players planned their teams for the upcoming season. 

Several Bahamian media representatives drafted teams in a media league that also participated in this weekend’s event. 

Event organizer Josh Franklyn had high hopes for the future of the event. 

“The future is bright, we’re going to try to grow this event, we want more and more people to travel here do their drafts, participate in our beach combine and we want people here in Nassau, we want them to follow the media league and get jealous that they didn’t come this year,” said Franklyn. 

As the NFL season approaches and two years of success under its belt, ESPN’s Fantasy Draft Weekend at Baha Mar looks well on its way to becoming a staple of the fantasy football calendar.