Many NFL fans could not fathom going back to the days before the NFL introduced the Red Zone channel. Being able to follow every game being played in a single destination changed the way so many experienced and followed football.
Tyler Polumbus of 104.3 The Fan in Denver isn’t one of those fans. On Monday’s edition of The Drive, he made it clear that watching Red Zone isn’t the same as watching football.
“I like watching football,” the eight-year NFL veteran said. “I like watching the situations. I like seeing the schemes. I like seeing the decisions that are made.”
Red Zone is made for people with a vested interest in the game. Gamblers and fantasy football owners want and need to see how their picks are doing. It may be the way some want to watch, but there is a lot of football that is missed if all you get are scoring plays.
“I can just watch SportsCenter if I want to watch Red Zone,” Polumbus said. “I want to feel the intensity of it.”
The NFL’s TV model makes it hard to experience all of the action being offered on a Sunday. Polumbus does not fault anyone that takes advantage of Red Zone. In fact, he says that he doesn’t stay locked into a single game when he is watching.
“I’ll flip from game to game for sure, but I like watching the actual game itself.”
At the moment, the future of Red Zone and NFL Sunday Ticket remains something of a mystery. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell promises that details of a new home for Sunday Ticket will be revealed in the fall. What that means for the future of Red Zone remains to be seen.
