NFL RedZone Behind The Scenes
The old cliché about watching a game on TV is that it’s the “best seat in the house.” If that’s true, then the debut of the new NFL RedZone channel put me in the “best seat in the country.”
What a thrill on Week 1. Nine “early” games, which included Drew Brees’ six touchdown passes, Adrian Peterson looking like a man among (poor-tackling) boys, Mark Sanchez getting his first win and the thrill of the weekend – Brandon Stokley’s unreal game-winning TD catch.
All moments we showed you live in HD. Two things that stood out for me as the RedZone host:
1. We were coming off a game that just had a turnover and threw it to the Redskins-Giants showdown. I saw Jason Campbell — one of the last QBs in the league to throw an interception last season — and said, “Jason Campbell, usually careful with the football.” Of course, five seconds later, Osi Umeniyora strips him of the ball and runs the other way for a score. Perfect timing.
2. When we cut to the Broncos-Bengals game for the final 30 seconds, I said, “Kyle Orton gets into the huddle with only a wing and a prayer,” and, of course, the rest is history. It totally made me feel like we were right in the moment. I hope it made you feel that way at home as well.
Lastly, let me mention three people who you’ll probably never see on camera but who I’d want with me in an airplane if we suddenly had to land it without pilots: Coordinating producer Kent Camera (the guy who talks in my ear for seven hours), producer Jonathan Kaplan and director J.D. Hansen. They are the leaders of our team of more than 30 people who work so long and hard to bring you the best of the NFL live in HD — Every Touchdown From Every Game. They have sharp minds, cool tempers and — as the channel demands — strong bladders.
