NFL Fan Mistakenly Watches Entire Game

Self-proclaimed NFL superfan Brad Wallace of Phoenix reportedly watched this week’s Arizona Cardinals loss from start to finish. Brad, a 25 year old retail worker and one of the millions who obsess over fantasy football each week, was shocked to experience football in something more than 15 second highlights. Brad got caught up in the back-and-forth game, somehow forgetting to constantly flip channels and obsess over his phone for fantasy stats on how many “points” his players had each minute. Each week, fantasy players watch numbers and statistics, missing the beauty of the game. For those of us over 40 who grew up before NFL Red Zone channel and Fantasy took over, remember what it’s like to feel the drama of the game. Lead changes, special teams plays, bad calls, John Madden screaming, and even injuries that meant something more than the stress of finding a running back to fill in your next week’s fantasy lineup. The NFL game is four 15 minute quarters, and about three hours of actual time. Some of us still get the joy, the emotion and the drama of every third and long, fourth and 1, and field goal attempt from 46 yards. Watching your home team is stressful, with screaming, nail-biting, throwing TV remotes, and that’s just Mom. I miss the genuine shared experience with my Dad, or buddies, sweating every play instead of comparing player stats in games happening 2000 miles away.  For all too many fans, there may be no going back…….