Fansided

NFL: Becoming team agnostic

By Mike Majeski

Sep 8, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Diego Chargers center Rich Ohrnberger (74) prepares to snap the ball to quarterback Philip Rivers (17) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 18-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Diego Chargers center Rich Ohrnberger (74) prepares to snap the ball to quarterback Philip Rivers (17) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 18-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Don’t let the title worry you, I am not about to talk about religious beliefs / non-beliefs. When I say “team agnostic”, I am referring to sports fans that love a sport but do not identify with a team. Like anything in sports fandom, there could be varying degrees of “team agnosticism,” as some may still casually cheer for a particular team, but still not consider themselves a fan.

As my profile at the bottom of the page says, I consider myself a Cleveland / Ohio sports fan, but I have slowly become more agnostic with my team allegiances. Writing for this site, as well as FanSided’s NHL blog, Too Many Men On The Site, has changed the way I watch sports. I can no longer just focus on Cleveland or Ohio sports; I have to be well-versed on a variety of teams. I am no longer hyper focused on one set of teams, but the news for the entire league. This type of shift in focus is common throughout the sports media community, outside of the team specific blogs.

Sep 7, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins (6) runs the ball against Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (43) during the second half at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh won the game, 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins (6) runs the ball against Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (43) during the second half at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh won the game, 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports /

As far as the NFL goes, two things have combined to cause an increase in team agnostic fans: fantasy football and the NFL RedZone channel. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA), fantasy sports players spend an average of 8.67 hours on their fantasy teams each week. That is an entire work day devoted to a team that theoretically does not exist.

However, since you constructed the team during the draft and you set the lineup each week, in some ways you make it exist. As a fan I can cheer for my team, but I have no direct input on who starts at quarterback. The only decisions I can make before the game (hot dog vs hamburger, home vs away jersey) have no direct effect on the outcome of the game.

In fantasy sports, with the ownership of the team and the ability to set the lineup, you have a stake in the action. As I become more engrossed in fantasy football, I started to notice that I was more upset when my fantasy lineup didn’t perform, than when my actual team disappointed on Sunday. When the team you cheer for loses, it’s due to bad play or poor coaching. When your fantasy team loses, it’s your fault.

The same goes for when your teams win. The biggest concern on Sundays for most fantasy football managers is which players on their roster are scoring points. ESPN and Yahoo have their live fantasy casts, but these services simply show the raw data of your player’s efforts.

After spending hours each week analyzing and tinkering with your lineup, don’t you want to actually see your lineup in action? If you are just sticking to Fox and CBS, the halftime report can get you caught up, but you lose that “in the moment” experience. The other option is to switch to satellite TV and subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket, but that isn’t a viable option for everyone.

Fortunately, the NFL provided a way for these fans to catch all of the NFL action by creating the NFL RedZone channel in 2009. Coverage begins on Sundays at 11:30 AM EST with the NFL Fantasy Live pre-game show. At 1:00 PM, simulcast coverage begins of every NFL game on CBS and Fox. The channel attempts to show “every touchdown from every game”.

When the game being shown goes to commercial break or there is an official review, instead of watching the same play replayed over and over like the Zapruder film, the feed will switch to the next interesting game. With the increase in game stoppages and commercial breaks, even non-fantasy football playing viewers can find enjoyment in watching the RedZone channel.

Prior to playing fantasy football and having the RedZone experience, I remember going to NFL games being a fun and rewarding experience. I enjoyed watching and cheering for my local team, and was content with catching up on the other games through highlights later. However, once fantasy football became a major part of football season for me, I feel like I miss out when I actually go to a game. Stadiums are trying to remedy this by providing WiFi access, but I still find myself feeling like I missed the whole thing when I watch the highlights later. With the NFL Network and other 24 hour sports networks, coverage is no longer limited to the local teams. It is possible for fans to be well-versed on the entire league and not just be a fan of a single team.

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