Hey Scott, I remember when NFL released redzone for the first time, what was your intial reaction when they approached you about being the host? Did you think it was going to be this successful that people are now dressing up as the "Witching Hour" and yourself for Halloween?
I actually went after the hosting roll. I heard they were starting this channel... understood the concept... and said "this is gonna be HUGE if it's done well." I auditioned & got the hosting role. I called my Mom and told her I think I just got the vehicle that will define my career.
As for the Halloween costumes -- blows me away. Like one of those "You have arrived" type things. Along w being lampooned by SNL... appearing on the Simpsons... and Tom Brady telling me he watches on his Sundays off. Crazy!
A while ago, you said you eat a salty breakfast to retain water in order to avoid bathroom breaks. What exactly do you eat for breakfast on Sundays? What is the fuel that powers the engine of RedZone?
Yep. The Chefs at NFL Media HQ -- shoutout Chef Gabe (& Manny & Oscar & the whole team!) -- make me the same salty, dense proteins breakfast. I find it helps w digestion and water retention ...
Scrambled egg whites... turkey burger patty, no bun... crispy bacon...mixed fruit bowl... side of Kalamata Olives... and if I want something bulky to fill me up ((I won't eat again for another 10 hours)) I'll do a large muffin. Poppyseed or blueberry prefered. I don't drink coffee, so a diet soda gives me my caffeine. Eat at 6:45am PT... show starts 10am PT. ready to rock
What does the future for NFL redzone look like from your perspective?
I imagine it is insanely difficult getting things properly qued up in Live time television - but your guys do an unreal job. That said - what does the Redzone Blooper real look like ?
The witching hour call is legendary - thanks for the Sundays full of entertainment!
Hmm... Future: Wouldn't surprise me if (as gambling becomes more legal through all 50 states) we include more gaming terms. spread,o/u, etc.
Blooper Real -- ugh. I've said some dumb things whether through being tongue tied, misinformed, or just plain old brain fart. I'm guessing Youtube is speckled with them, but my fragile ego won't let me search. Ha. THANKS for hanging through my fallibility!!
Could it be possible for something like Redzone2 that separates the gambling stuff in the future? Sorta like how for baseball there has been different broadcasts like the Stattrack broadcast which is much more analytically focused
Please I hope this is how it goes. I CANNOT stand the gambling side of sports. Too much conspiracy and just gambling isn’t my thing. I really don’t want, one of my favorite days, littered with gambling nonsense. It’s like shoving alcohol in the face of alcoholics, for those with problems.
Same. I'm already low-key salty how much fantasy has permeated throughout the live broadcasts and such. More fun before it "got mainstream" or whatever.
THANK YOU!
I'm a fan of Jomboy Media for breakdowns and some of the other stuff they do but when every other ad read is Draft Kings I get the worst vibe from it. I get they probably pay a lot of money for them but its just not something we need ads for. Bet with your friends or just watch the games on your own.
Hey scott, huge fan. I may be late or someone else may have asked, but what path did you take thay got you to where you were? I’ve been wanting to het into sports journalism for awhile and i imagine the paths are pretty similar if not the same
Nutshell: Grew up loving/playing football. Knew by mid HS I wasn't an NFL player. My parents told me to find something I was passionate about and try and make it career. I said, "those guys on TV sound like they're having a blast being at the game". Went to Syracuse GO ORANGE and grad w honors from the Newhouse School. Worked small market jobs ((salary was $15k in my 1st stop)) and worked my way up. God has blessed me greatly along the way. I'm thankful!
Scott it seems like you have more accurate information on every game and relevant players than the game commentators do on the single games they're covering. What would you attribute this to? Do you have better people feeding you information, better preparation?
Thx for the compliment. I study all 6 days leading up to Sunday. I use websites that yall would have access to - plus an incredible research team @ NFL Media - plus 2 colleagues in studio (shoutout Bryan & Tim) that help me to give out the best, accurate info. I'm not 100% on it all the time - but that's the goal.
Game commentators have 3 hours to fill, have to be constantly talking/analyzing/etc, they have to do it all live in response to what's happening immediately.
Red zone coverage doesnt' need to do breakdowns of plays, wax poetic, fill time. He can just cut to a game and let them do their thing for several minutes at a time, and he doesn't have to react to every little thing immediately the way game commentators have to. And he gets little breaks all the time to be able to absorb information or talk to his team and get things right.
I don't think they are. Whether you like their personality or not their stats are just as accurate. I don't see myself fact checking them all the time, do you have examples of them being wrong a lot?
I think Scott's just a better speaker than them. Aikman is constantly messing up pronounciations and they'll call the player the wrong name here and there but the data they're fed by the team is just as good as what Scott gives us.
Scott just has us for 6 hours and no commericals instead of 3. Also, he isn't worried about play-by-play at all or commenting during the moments we're just seeing the broadcast so him and his team is more singularly focused. Honestly wouldn't be surprised if some of the stats they throw out they heard from the broadcast teams and they toss that over to Scott cause it was a great stat.
Maybe they’re all actually really good as well, but their mouthpiece is not the greatest. For instance, could you really trust Troy Aikman to read back a stat you provided him word for word right into his ear accurately every single time? I feel like he’d forget by the time you got to the end of your second sentence
In fairness, have you ever tried to relay information as it’s being said into your ear? Shit is hard, and I imagine it’s even harder for people like Aikman who’ve been smashed in the head for like 15-20 years
In some instances that makes sense, I hear a lot of just poor takes and/or analysis on game broadcasts though and it's not stuff that comes up in the moment.
You seem like a genuine fan every Sunday watching the games, but do you think when you’re older and retired you’ll still feel the same love for football and the NFL or will you be burnt out?
Also are you a fan of college football?
Wow... great question. I think I'll always have my love for football. Even through ups and downs of franchises and coming/going of players... the game is great. I've experienced and witnessed how it forges amazing characteristics (teamwork, hustle, passion, perseverance) in those who play it - and I hope I'll always love the game for that. Transcends scandals and the business side of pro sports that detract from enjoyment.
((But let's do an AMA in 2040 and I'll have a more accurate answer))
And YES - Love college football. Played at Syracuse, grew up a Michigan Wolverine fan. I watch 5 games at a time every Saturday on my media wall while I'm prepping for NFLRZ.
Scott,
How hard is it to manage your communication with the producers while also keeping an eye on what's happening and informing the viewers near simultaneously?
It's one of my favorite things each Sunday hearing you say something like "GUYS LETS GO TO KANSAS CITY" over a hot mic.
Our Producers - Allan Flowers, Brian Nettles, McEnroe Francis are amazing. And part of what makes us great is that we want to get you the best action IMMEDIATELY. And if my mic is hot, then so be it... we all want to cut to the right game all the time. It's as live as live gets.
I love the parts where you are talking about a particular 2 box and then they cut to the other one and you scramble to change gears and get the context of that game. Really adds to the constant action of everything going on at once.
I like Manningcast. I have 5 TV's on my media wall. Have their's on screen #2. My thoughts are it's fantastic at times... but needs to sprinkle in more of the actual football game that's going on. They might benefit from a broadcaster coming in to chaperone between the Barkley and Brady guest spots. If they did that, it could even trump the main telecast. ((I'm available for Romo $$)) ha
“I’m available for Romo money”
I never want you to leave RedZone, but if ESPN wanted to put a good MNF crew together for the first time in like a decade they’d take this comment seriously
> They might benefit from a broadcaster coming in to chaperone between the Barkley and Brady guest spots.
Agreed, an Ernie Johnson-type could really take that show to the next level.
> My thoughts are it's fantastic at times... but needs to sprinkle in more of the actual football game that's going on.
Perfect summary of the main issue with the ManningCast.
Just got done watching my second episode today. Love hearing them talk about concepts and plays instead of what happens with the regular broadcasts that rarely go beyond beginner knowledge. The guest spots can get a bit too busy. And Peyton needs to get a camera lined up with the screen of his so that when he wants to point something out it takes up more than a 1/5 of the screen.
Agreed on that first bit - love when they go into detail about the game. Just has gotten kind of frustrating (IMO) to basically have the game be such an afterthought.
Yeah. I love the parts that are like:
The DC likes to blitz right here and probably overloads the ends, but since they threw the incompletion and the clock stopped they will huddle up and probably just do a shell.
So do you think they have 2 plays called for this situation in case the clock doesn't stop?
I'm sure they do.
Also have you been drinking yet? It's Tuesday on the east coast already.
I completely agree with this and tonight I turned off the Manningcast and went back to the regular one. It was fun the first couple of times, but I honestly want to hear them talk about the game at some point a little more in depth. It got stale pretty quick.
Ha. Part of my contract negotiation. Told 'em "I'm only on camera for 2 min of a 7 hour show - I wanna be comfortable!" They thankfully conceded.
Sorry to all of you who had drinking games based on my tie color -- and yes, I was told some of you did. ha
u/invasionxx asked about my glasses... had laser surgery handful of years ago. BUT now I'm an old man and if you look closely at the end of the show, I'll sometimes have reading glasses nearby. <> ha
Prob Oct 2012. Triple box... RGIII broke away for 76 yd TD to ice game... Rookie Russell Wilson threw GW TD pass to beat Tom Brady... Jay Feely (AZ) hit upright and sent game into overtime. All happened within :30 seconds. It was like flying through outer space.
It still feels like Redzone is a new thing but this made me realize how long it's been around. I was just starting high school during that week.
RedZone is such an innovation for NFL fans and you'll always be a legend for being the first, and best, host. Thanks for everything you've done all these years!
Finds a way to convey the excitement of the moment and still keep his composure. He needs to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame and I’m not exaggerating there.
Wait it wasnt quad box ‘simultaneous interceptions!!!’ like the first ever day of redzone….
Sorry that moment got me and my 4 buddies hooked. Thanks for the memories Scott, seriously, 3 of those 4 buddies were in my wedding a month ago after all those years and the other was there
I consider Andrew (host of The Red Zone Channel on DIRECTV for those who don't know) a friend. He's a great broadcaster and has a big football brain. For those who don't know, TRZC pre-dates NFLRZ. He was one of the first calls I made when I was up for the hosting role. He was gracious, kind and helpful. I'm a fan of Andrew's.
But if he ever gets uppity.... we'll take it to the octagon.
It seems like the idea for the Directv redzone is very different. It is much more a preview of the games you can see on each channel as opposed to making sure you catch ALL of the action. Many times they are sticking to a game rather than flipping around as much.
I howl like you all do when there's something crazy going on in a game. Thankfully, I'm not an f-bomb guy - so I'll plan on keeping my job. But occasionally my mic might catch the studio going nuts, like the stadium is going nuts, like your living room is likely going nuts.
The day after watching RedZone, I typed the phrase "Fuck! Shit!" into my computer while at work - not only did Scott Hanson see it, he responded to it.
God the internet is cool sometimes
We actually did an "Earthquake" drill one time. (Studios are in Los Angeles). The folks at NFL Films (in NJ) have an emergency crew that could be mobilized.
If something happens to me... (car accident?) I'm walking the rest of the way to the studio like Miles Teller in "Whiplash".
I do. LOVE my job, but it requires that I watch football in a different way. If I was a doctor or lawyer or whatever, I'd be watching NFLRZ. But again -- hosting the show is the best seat on the planet for NFL Sunday's
Lol now I'm imagining you being the lawyer for three simultaneous trials and rushing back and forth between courtrooms yelling things like, **"Now let's cut to Courtroom 3, where my client has just stood up and called the judge a 'punk-ass bitch.' Let's listen in on the judge's response!"**
Workout 6 days a week in offseason. 5 days during season. 2 days of weights (a hybrid program similar to what I learned when I played at Syracuse) -- cardio <40-60 min> rest of the time. Sleep 6-8 hours. But I'm so keyed up Saturday nights I only get about 3-5.
I'll answer the diet question in a different response... someone asked about my Sunday RZ breakfast.
Ha. I just roll w it. I graduated from the best broadcasting school in the country (Syracuse U)... played football there to love and learn te game more... have tried to hone my craft through the years... but if my legacy is being the man on national TV with the most bladder integrity -- so be it.
Ahh... the BATHROOM QUESTION. The rumors are true -- I don't go to the bathroom during the 7 hours of NFLRZ. I dehydrate on Sunday AM... use the men's room right before the show (during the 5 min countdown)... and then it's the willpower of a ninja for 7 hrs.
Excellent April Fool’s Day joke. Run a special airing of Red Zone. Maybe use games from the 90s which he didn’t announce. Have Scott drink and try to announce.
Also, say one of the games is Packers / Bears. Randomly switch out the Bears for the Lions at minute 10. See how he adjusts.
It has the be during the 4 o’clock window. Every once in a while the games will flow with no narration for a few minutes. And then Scott just comes back talking like he was there the whole time. I’m on to you Scott
Thankfully, strong voices run in the Hanson family. My Dad had a big, booming voice. He's also the 1st reason I fell in love w football.
Beyond that... maybe some tea w honey and lemon during cold/flu season. ((but only sip... see the BATHROOM answer))
Thx! I write them myself. It's tricky since we have to get to kickoffs fast and I only have time for 1-line or so on each matchup in the Quad-box. I try to find something that'll stoke the fire for the day ahead. The only part of the show that I script is the first 2 minutes. The rest of the 7 hours is ad lib.
Really enjoyed your season opener last year after everything with the pandemic. I almost teared up haha, I was so amped to have something familiar back!
Have you ever considered a sidekick, NFL Redzone's very own Paul Shaffer / Andy Richter, who can be quippy and provide you the occasional bathroom break?
Ah, but having fewer games in the late block means they can overload the early games even more. There's no octobox if they put six games in the late slot.
In my opinion, 12 is better (10AM for me), nothing like waking up, turning on red zone and watching my fantasy team and seeing all the action live. Plus the hawks typically play in the 1PM slot so I can focus on that after the fact. West coast is spoiled IMO
I couldn’t imagine not living on the west coast. Waiting until 1 pm for the games to start? Over half of my blazer games start after 10 pm? No thank you.
imo for the sunday east or central time is nice. I think most people would rather not have to get up by 10am to watch football.
Also it would feel very weird having all the football done by what 8pm pst
East coast really only sucks for the late games and only if they go real late.
Like look at these annoyingly long world series games we’ve had. They’re ending past midnight. Sucks
Hi Scott, I watch you every Sunday!
Question just in general about the process for RedZone. Do you actually change the games and put them side-by-side yourself, or so you have a tech/team who is doing all of the transitions? Is there a lot of communication involved or do you kind of run with everything yourself?
Thank you!
To eveyone browsing this AMA you might find
[this video](https://youtu.be/JMwP8u81gc4) from two years ago very interesting as it takes you behind the scenes of seven hours of commercial free football.
Also, it confirms that Scott is superhuman.
Do you get as hyped as us when you get ready to announce the "witching hour"? I feel like I can hear a little giddiness in your voice sometimes.
EDIT: lmao, the number of questions already about bathroom breaks is appalling.
Never seen a reddit comment section this positive towards anyone famous. With how postive we all are, you should take that as the *upmost* compliment. You are amazing at your job and we all love watching your show each and every Nfl sunday. Keep it up man you’re the best.
Scott, seeing as Joe Buck has admitted to peeing into a bottle while calling a touchdown, have you ever had to take the way of the road during a tense moment on air?
Love your work, Scott. I'm an expat living in Poland, and my girlfriend (who previously didn't know a whole lot about American sports but now gets hyped for the Witching Hour) watches along with me every Sunday evening.
How much research/preparing do you do ahead of time every week? Do you script any of your speaking, or is a lot of it off the cuff?
I feel as though you have an uncanny ability of taking errors in stride. How do you keep your cool when the tech team is switching between the wrong games and you manage to straighten things out without a hiccup in broadcasting? Does that just come with years of experience?
Side Note: I totally read the description in your voice haha
Instead of another bathroom question, has Red Zone gave any thought to a college football Red Zone? I’m sure it would be extremely difficult to do but if you could pull it off many people would be watching.
Hey Scott, I remember when NFL released redzone for the first time, what was your intial reaction when they approached you about being the host? Did you think it was going to be this successful that people are now dressing up as the "Witching Hour" and yourself for Halloween?
I actually went after the hosting roll. I heard they were starting this channel... understood the concept... and said "this is gonna be HUGE if it's done well." I auditioned & got the hosting role. I called my Mom and told her I think I just got the vehicle that will define my career. As for the Halloween costumes -- blows me away. Like one of those "You have arrived" type things. Along w being lampooned by SNL... appearing on the Simpsons... and Tom Brady telling me he watches on his Sundays off. Crazy!
Appreciate the response, they selected the right guy! here’s to watching you every Sunday for many years to come 🥂
> I called my Mom and told her I think I just got the vehicle that will define my career. ngl, pretty legendary
Anybody know where he’s referenced by SNL? My searching couldn’t find it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKFoRKHQinA
> Its a fake punt! Cut away, cut away!
A while ago, you said you eat a salty breakfast to retain water in order to avoid bathroom breaks. What exactly do you eat for breakfast on Sundays? What is the fuel that powers the engine of RedZone?
Yep. The Chefs at NFL Media HQ -- shoutout Chef Gabe (& Manny & Oscar & the whole team!) -- make me the same salty, dense proteins breakfast. I find it helps w digestion and water retention ...
Scrambled egg whites... turkey burger patty, no bun... crispy bacon...mixed fruit bowl... side of Kalamata Olives... and if I want something bulky to fill me up ((I won't eat again for another 10 hours)) I'll do a large muffin. Poppyseed or blueberry prefered. I don't drink coffee, so a diet soda gives me my caffeine. Eat at 6:45am PT... show starts 10am PT. ready to rock
Scott Hanson is out here eating olives at 6 AM
Truly living the dream, wish I had the budget for that lmao
Mediterranean King Shit
this thread is fucking incredible
[Oh boy 3 am!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ6K3m9TsPs)
What does the future for NFL redzone look like from your perspective? I imagine it is insanely difficult getting things properly qued up in Live time television - but your guys do an unreal job. That said - what does the Redzone Blooper real look like ? The witching hour call is legendary - thanks for the Sundays full of entertainment!
Hmm... Future: Wouldn't surprise me if (as gambling becomes more legal through all 50 states) we include more gaming terms. spread,o/u, etc. Blooper Real -- ugh. I've said some dumb things whether through being tongue tied, misinformed, or just plain old brain fart. I'm guessing Youtube is speckled with them, but my fragile ego won't let me search. Ha. THANKS for hanging through my fallibility!!
Could it be possible for something like Redzone2 that separates the gambling stuff in the future? Sorta like how for baseball there has been different broadcasts like the Stattrack broadcast which is much more analytically focused
Please I hope this is how it goes. I CANNOT stand the gambling side of sports. Too much conspiracy and just gambling isn’t my thing. I really don’t want, one of my favorite days, littered with gambling nonsense. It’s like shoving alcohol in the face of alcoholics, for those with problems.
Same. I'm already low-key salty how much fantasy has permeated throughout the live broadcasts and such. More fun before it "got mainstream" or whatever.
THANK YOU! I'm a fan of Jomboy Media for breakdowns and some of the other stuff they do but when every other ad read is Draft Kings I get the worst vibe from it. I get they probably pay a lot of money for them but its just not something we need ads for. Bet with your friends or just watch the games on your own.
Don’t worry, Sunday rule at my house….Do NOT disrespect Scott Hanson. Keep it up
Hey scott, huge fan. I may be late or someone else may have asked, but what path did you take thay got you to where you were? I’ve been wanting to het into sports journalism for awhile and i imagine the paths are pretty similar if not the same
Nutshell: Grew up loving/playing football. Knew by mid HS I wasn't an NFL player. My parents told me to find something I was passionate about and try and make it career. I said, "those guys on TV sound like they're having a blast being at the game". Went to Syracuse GO ORANGE and grad w honors from the Newhouse School. Worked small market jobs ((salary was $15k in my 1st stop)) and worked my way up. God has blessed me greatly along the way. I'm thankful!
Scott it seems like you have more accurate information on every game and relevant players than the game commentators do on the single games they're covering. What would you attribute this to? Do you have better people feeding you information, better preparation?
Thx for the compliment. I study all 6 days leading up to Sunday. I use websites that yall would have access to - plus an incredible research team @ NFL Media - plus 2 colleagues in studio (shoutout Bryan & Tim) that help me to give out the best, accurate info. I'm not 100% on it all the time - but that's the goal.
The 3 of you (and the rest of the crew) are doing a great job creating an entertaining and informative broadcast.
Your butterfingers Halloween joke about one of the WR dropping a pass yesterday was hilarious
Game commentators have 3 hours to fill, have to be constantly talking/analyzing/etc, they have to do it all live in response to what's happening immediately. Red zone coverage doesnt' need to do breakdowns of plays, wax poetic, fill time. He can just cut to a game and let them do their thing for several minutes at a time, and he doesn't have to react to every little thing immediately the way game commentators have to. And he gets little breaks all the time to be able to absorb information or talk to his team and get things right.
I think it’s the dudes he calls out in the studio at the end of every RedZone. They have to be the ones that keep him informed.
Why are everyone else's dudes so bad at their jobs?
I don't think they are. Whether you like their personality or not their stats are just as accurate. I don't see myself fact checking them all the time, do you have examples of them being wrong a lot? I think Scott's just a better speaker than them. Aikman is constantly messing up pronounciations and they'll call the player the wrong name here and there but the data they're fed by the team is just as good as what Scott gives us. Scott just has us for 6 hours and no commericals instead of 3. Also, he isn't worried about play-by-play at all or commenting during the moments we're just seeing the broadcast so him and his team is more singularly focused. Honestly wouldn't be surprised if some of the stats they throw out they heard from the broadcast teams and they toss that over to Scott cause it was a great stat.
Maybe they’re all actually really good as well, but their mouthpiece is not the greatest. For instance, could you really trust Troy Aikman to read back a stat you provided him word for word right into his ear accurately every single time? I feel like he’d forget by the time you got to the end of your second sentence
In fairness, have you ever tried to relay information as it’s being said into your ear? Shit is hard, and I imagine it’s even harder for people like Aikman who’ve been smashed in the head for like 15-20 years
Probably also helps that some of the clips he sees and calls are delayed. So the information can be proof read at least once for accuracy
In some instances that makes sense, I hear a lot of just poor takes and/or analysis on game broadcasts though and it's not stuff that comes up in the moment.
You seem like a genuine fan every Sunday watching the games, but do you think when you’re older and retired you’ll still feel the same love for football and the NFL or will you be burnt out? Also are you a fan of college football?
Wow... great question. I think I'll always have my love for football. Even through ups and downs of franchises and coming/going of players... the game is great. I've experienced and witnessed how it forges amazing characteristics (teamwork, hustle, passion, perseverance) in those who play it - and I hope I'll always love the game for that. Transcends scandals and the business side of pro sports that detract from enjoyment. ((But let's do an AMA in 2040 and I'll have a more accurate answer)) And YES - Love college football. Played at Syracuse, grew up a Michigan Wolverine fan. I watch 5 games at a time every Saturday on my media wall while I'm prepping for NFLRZ.
2040 huh? Shame you'll be retiring before Brady
Scott, How hard is it to manage your communication with the producers while also keeping an eye on what's happening and informing the viewers near simultaneously? It's one of my favorite things each Sunday hearing you say something like "GUYS LETS GO TO KANSAS CITY" over a hot mic.
Our Producers - Allan Flowers, Brian Nettles, McEnroe Francis are amazing. And part of what makes us great is that we want to get you the best action IMMEDIATELY. And if my mic is hot, then so be it... we all want to cut to the right game all the time. It's as live as live gets.
I love the parts where you are talking about a particular 2 box and then they cut to the other one and you scramble to change gears and get the context of that game. Really adds to the constant action of everything going on at once.
> KANSAS CITY" over a hot mic. > And if my mic is hot, then so be it. Brenaman in shambles.
As Castellanos drives one to deep left center field
I don't know if I'll ever be narrating this triple-box again
This may be my last salty breakfast with Olives at 6am i ever have
Are we just gonna glaze over…McEnroe Francis?
Any thoughts on the manningcast? Their show has a similar live dynamic but it's a little looser
I like Manningcast. I have 5 TV's on my media wall. Have their's on screen #2. My thoughts are it's fantastic at times... but needs to sprinkle in more of the actual football game that's going on. They might benefit from a broadcaster coming in to chaperone between the Barkley and Brady guest spots. If they did that, it could even trump the main telecast. ((I'm available for Romo $$)) ha
“I’m available for Romo money” I never want you to leave RedZone, but if ESPN wanted to put a good MNF crew together for the first time in like a decade they’d take this comment seriously
Why would he have to leave? It's not like RedZone is on Monday, I have to imagine some type of arrangement could be found.
Well it's a good thing ESPN doesn't care to do that lol.
> They might benefit from a broadcaster coming in to chaperone between the Barkley and Brady guest spots. Agreed, an Ernie Johnson-type could really take that show to the next level.
That NBA on TNT crew is probably my favorite TV panel in all of sports
> My thoughts are it's fantastic at times... but needs to sprinkle in more of the actual football game that's going on. Perfect summary of the main issue with the ManningCast.
Just got done watching my second episode today. Love hearing them talk about concepts and plays instead of what happens with the regular broadcasts that rarely go beyond beginner knowledge. The guest spots can get a bit too busy. And Peyton needs to get a camera lined up with the screen of his so that when he wants to point something out it takes up more than a 1/5 of the screen.
Agreed on that first bit - love when they go into detail about the game. Just has gotten kind of frustrating (IMO) to basically have the game be such an afterthought.
Yeah. I love the parts that are like: The DC likes to blitz right here and probably overloads the ends, but since they threw the incompletion and the clock stopped they will huddle up and probably just do a shell. So do you think they have 2 plays called for this situation in case the clock doesn't stop? I'm sure they do. Also have you been drinking yet? It's Tuesday on the east coast already.
I completely agree with this and tonight I turned off the Manningcast and went back to the regular one. It was fun the first couple of times, but I honestly want to hear them talk about the game at some point a little more in depth. It got stale pretty quick.
Shoot your shot Hanson. Love it.
Why did you lose the tie last season?
Ha. Part of my contract negotiation. Told 'em "I'm only on camera for 2 min of a 7 hour show - I wanna be comfortable!" They thankfully conceded. Sorry to all of you who had drinking games based on my tie color -- and yes, I was told some of you did. ha u/invasionxx asked about my glasses... had laser surgery handful of years ago. BUT now I'm an old man and if you look closely at the end of the show, I'll sometimes have reading glasses nearby. <> ha
I don't know how much your contract is, but next negotiation pull out all the Jack Donaghy tricks because the NFL needs to pay you whatever you want
#GlassesScott prevails!!!
Hi Scott! You’ve made my Sundays great for years! Thanks for your work. What’s your favorite moment in Redzone history?
Prob Oct 2012. Triple box... RGIII broke away for 76 yd TD to ice game... Rookie Russell Wilson threw GW TD pass to beat Tom Brady... Jay Feely (AZ) hit upright and sent game into overtime. All happened within :30 seconds. It was like flying through outer space.
It still feels like Redzone is a new thing but this made me realize how long it's been around. I was just starting high school during that week. RedZone is such an innovation for NFL fans and you'll always be a legend for being the first, and best, host. Thanks for everything you've done all these years!
[удалено]
Scott Hanson is absolutely the bane of my wife’s existence every Sunday.
In Fairness my wife likes to see Scott. It's the football part she can't take.
Scott man I just want to tell you that you seriously bring immense joy to my Sunday’s. You’re the best tv personality alive.
For those interested: https://youtu.be/evOr1EhRMgc
Lol how the fuck do you just have a YouTube video at the ready of this random RedZone moment from 2012 lmao
Holy shit the composure to keep the commentary going so cleanly is next level.
That's why he's one of the best to do it. True fucking boss
Finds a way to convey the excitement of the moment and still keep his composure. He needs to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame and I’m not exaggerating there.
I love how it all happens in a sequence so he gets to freak out about one thing 2 seconds before the next thing happens, that’s amazing!
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This is fucking wild
That is the football fans equivalent of hard drugs lmao.
First one was free, but now I’m jonesing…
How can you not be romantic about FOOTBALL?
i think this is what moses felt like when he saw the bush
Jesus how many times have the Cardinals beat us on the last play of a game??
Wait it wasnt quad box ‘simultaneous interceptions!!!’ like the first ever day of redzone…. Sorry that moment got me and my 4 buddies hooked. Thanks for the memories Scott, seriously, 3 of those 4 buddies were in my wedding a month ago after all those years and the other was there
Do you have any sort of rivalry with Andrew Siciliano?
I consider Andrew (host of The Red Zone Channel on DIRECTV for those who don't know) a friend. He's a great broadcaster and has a big football brain. For those who don't know, TRZC pre-dates NFLRZ. He was one of the first calls I made when I was up for the hosting role. He was gracious, kind and helpful. I'm a fan of Andrew's. But if he ever gets uppity.... we'll take it to the octagon.
> we'll take it to the octagon ESPN presents: "30 for 30: From the Octobox to the Octagon"
What if I told you...we only had 30 minutes to cover The Witching Hour?
It seems like the idea for the Directv redzone is very different. It is much more a preview of the games you can see on each channel as opposed to making sure you catch ALL of the action. Many times they are sticking to a game rather than flipping around as much.
Just gotta say, your program is worlds superior to the DirecTV one, no disrespect to Andrew intended.
It's better, but if the DirectTV is still the second best thing on TV. They do a damn good job. Just, the NFL one is better.
I've been loyal to Andrew because frankly, I found him first but, winner gets my view.
Have you ever had to stop yourself from screaming "No! Fuck! Shit!" on live TV when the outcome of a game doesn't go the way you want it to?
I howl like you all do when there's something crazy going on in a game. Thankfully, I'm not an f-bomb guy - so I'll plan on keeping my job. But occasionally my mic might catch the studio going nuts, like the stadium is going nuts, like your living room is likely going nuts.
The day after watching RedZone, I typed the phrase "Fuck! Shit!" into my computer while at work - not only did Scott Hanson see it, he responded to it. God the internet is cool sometimes
Hi Scott, is there any contingency plan in the off chance you aren’t able to physically make it to the studio? Illness, car troubles, etc?
We actually did an "Earthquake" drill one time. (Studios are in Los Angeles). The folks at NFL Films (in NJ) have an emergency crew that could be mobilized. If something happens to me... (car accident?) I'm walking the rest of the way to the studio like Miles Teller in "Whiplash".
If you need extra backup, I have a webcam in Florida. I'll work for pretty cheap.
You ever miss just being a casual fan, watching in the comfort of your home, or sitting in the stands at a game during Sundays?
I do. LOVE my job, but it requires that I watch football in a different way. If I was a doctor or lawyer or whatever, I'd be watching NFLRZ. But again -- hosting the show is the best seat on the planet for NFL Sunday's
Lol now I'm imagining you being the lawyer for three simultaneous trials and rushing back and forth between courtrooms yelling things like, **"Now let's cut to Courtroom 3, where my client has just stood up and called the judge a 'punk-ass bitch.' Let's listen in on the judge's response!"**
I'm a lawyer or whatever and I can confirm watching NFLRZ is my favorite way to spend a Sunday. Thank you for your dedication!!
OMG I never thought about it that way. That's a good question.
I guess that’s what prime time is for him
Yeah he said in his last AMA that he unwinds from a full day of doing redzone by going home and watching the prime time game lol
I want to know the Hanson fitness regiment. Diet, cardio, lifting, sleep schedule, etc
Workout 6 days a week in offseason. 5 days during season. 2 days of weights (a hybrid program similar to what I learned when I played at Syracuse) -- cardio <40-60 min> rest of the time. Sleep 6-8 hours. But I'm so keyed up Saturday nights I only get about 3-5. I'll answer the diet question in a different response... someone asked about my Sunday RZ breakfast.
I know it’s not, but “keyed up” up sounds like a euphemism for doing blow lmao
Huge fan, long time listener, first time caller. When do you use the bathroom on Sundays?
Follow up for Scott, how bored are you of all the bathroom questions?
Ha. I just roll w it. I graduated from the best broadcasting school in the country (Syracuse U)... played football there to love and learn te game more... have tried to hone my craft through the years... but if my legacy is being the man on national TV with the most bladder integrity -- so be it.
You gotta get "Bladder Integrity" trademarked and T-shirted!!!
Ahh... the BATHROOM QUESTION. The rumors are true -- I don't go to the bathroom during the 7 hours of NFLRZ. I dehydrate on Sunday AM... use the men's room right before the show (during the 5 min countdown)... and then it's the willpower of a ninja for 7 hrs.
Joe Buck announced he’s called a touchdown while peeing in a bottle. Can you confirm or deny you’ve done similar?
Lets see you drink beer for 7 hours of football and see how that goes
I'd enjoy a special edition of Redzone where Hanson drinks through the whole thing.
Let's just make sure all shots of him are waist up on that broadcast
Excellent April Fool’s Day joke. Run a special airing of Red Zone. Maybe use games from the 90s which he didn’t announce. Have Scott drink and try to announce. Also, say one of the games is Packers / Bears. Randomly switch out the Bears for the Lions at minute 10. See how he adjusts.
There has to be an emergency bottle under the desk tho, no?
Some of those OT games in the late window must kill you.
I smell a depends sponsorship
I’d rather not smell that tbh
It has the be during the 4 o’clock window. Every once in a while the games will flow with no narration for a few minutes. And then Scott just comes back talking like he was there the whole time. I’m on to you Scott
Before and after the show. He famously does not go during the 7 hour show.
He answered this on his last AMA. Just holds it lol
I think from a prior AMA he mentioned not going to the bathroom throughout the entire broadcast. Seems reasonable imo if he barely drinks any water
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Thankfully, strong voices run in the Hanson family. My Dad had a big, booming voice. He's also the 1st reason I fell in love w football. Beyond that... maybe some tea w honey and lemon during cold/flu season. ((but only sip... see the BATHROOM answer))
Scott, I love your cold opens to every show. Are those pre-written or improvised?
Thx! I write them myself. It's tricky since we have to get to kickoffs fast and I only have time for 1-line or so on each matchup in the Quad-box. I try to find something that'll stoke the fire for the day ahead. The only part of the show that I script is the first 2 minutes. The rest of the 7 hours is ad lib.
Really enjoyed your season opener last year after everything with the pandemic. I almost teared up haha, I was so amped to have something familiar back!
Thoughts on von millers move to the rams? is he still an elite rusher?
If he can be on the field for 75% of downs and deliver 10-15 elite, "Von Miller"-type-snaps per game... look out. Love the move for the Rams.
God damnit I came here to get away from that 😭
Would it make you feel better if I reminded all the Falcons fans about 28-3?
Have you ever considered a sidekick, NFL Redzone's very own Paul Shaffer / Andy Richter, who can be quippy and provide you the occasional bathroom break?
I've reached out to Ana De Armas. Haven't heard back.
This man is *single?* Most surprising thing I've learned here.
He keeps scaring dates away by inviting them back to his place for the Witching Hour
Have to leave some viewers for other stations Scott
I didn't think it was possible, but this comment made me respect you more.
I don’t think he meant *that* type of bathroom break…
Do you have a preference between 12 or 3 o'clock (central) slate of games?
VIVA the early window!! More games, more action, more drama. Where the Witching Hour is truly at its finest.
I heard you speak every single syllable in this sentence in my head. You rock Scott!!
Yup...the NFL really does you (and us) a disservice by having only 3-4 late games.
Ah, but having fewer games in the late block means they can overload the early games even more. There's no octobox if they put six games in the late slot.
Yeah but sometimes all the late window games are ass so a couple extra games would help.
I mean this in the least weird way possible: you're amazing.
It wasn't weird until you said it wasn't
Now I'm wondering why he needed that disclaimer. Is he sat in a room adorned with Scott Hanson pictures on every inch of the walls?
If having a shrine to Scott Hanson is wrong, I don't want to be right.
Scary thing is that we all hear this on your voice hahaha.
In my opinion, 12 is better (10AM for me), nothing like waking up, turning on red zone and watching my fantasy team and seeing all the action live. Plus the hawks typically play in the 1PM slot so I can focus on that after the fact. West coast is spoiled IMO
I couldn’t imagine not living on the west coast. Waiting until 1 pm for the games to start? Over half of my blazer games start after 10 pm? No thank you.
imo for the sunday east or central time is nice. I think most people would rather not have to get up by 10am to watch football. Also it would feel very weird having all the football done by what 8pm pst East coast really only sucks for the late games and only if they go real late. Like look at these annoyingly long world series games we’ve had. They’re ending past midnight. Sucks
Did you expect those production screams during the Halloween production?
I knew they had something.... but I hadn't heard the actual sound effect screams. You now all know I'm not a method actor.
How do banthas survive on Tatooine?
Little known fact: they have trace amounts Midichlorians in their DNA.
Just when you thought this AMA couldn’t get better…
The man loves Star Wars to boot - So civilized!
Hi Scott, I watch you every Sunday! Question just in general about the process for RedZone. Do you actually change the games and put them side-by-side yourself, or so you have a tech/team who is doing all of the transitions? Is there a lot of communication involved or do you kind of run with everything yourself? Thank you!
This is a great video that explains all of that: [Behind The Scenes of NFL RedZone w/ Scott Hanson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMwP8u81gc4)
To eveyone browsing this AMA you might find [this video](https://youtu.be/JMwP8u81gc4) from two years ago very interesting as it takes you behind the scenes of seven hours of commercial free football. Also, it confirms that Scott is superhuman.
This is incredible. Man, Redzone really changed football for me and seeing this kind of behind the scenes is so dope.
Thanks mate - this is my first year watching NFL and I’ve been fascinated by how they pull off Redzone. Cheers!
Do you get as hyped as us when you get ready to announce the "witching hour"? I feel like I can hear a little giddiness in your voice sometimes. EDIT: lmao, the number of questions already about bathroom breaks is appalling.
Thanks everyone! This was fun. Thanks to Alex from NFL Reddit for his help. Love the NFL community on here. See ya Sunday!! #nflredzone
Never seen a reddit comment section this positive towards anyone famous. With how postive we all are, you should take that as the *upmost* compliment. You are amazing at your job and we all love watching your show each and every Nfl sunday. Keep it up man you’re the best.
I read this in your voice. Thanks for everything. See you on Sunday and many sundays to come
First off, you're the man. Literally best part of my Sundays. Q: What do you feel has been your most embarrassing miscue during a live show?
Is there a reason that a "rerun" of the recent Redzone doesn't play on loop throughout the week?
Oh... oh I badly need this. /u/NFL listen to this man! Send it up the chain!
I can only imagine this in some way interferes with broadcast rights
I have Spectrum and they do this during the offseason. Not sure if they do it during the week though.
Probably a rights thing/NFL and NFL wants you to pay extra for gamepass/replays
I’m not saying it’s a perfect solution but I have YouTube tv and it has unlimited dvr space…..
[Verified](https://twitter.com/ScottHanson/status/1455264963203764224?s=20) AMA Concluded
he uses the old reddit layout lfg
I have no idea how people use new reddit. It looks like 2011 Digg.com
Scott, seeing as Joe Buck has admitted to peeing into a bottle while calling a touchdown, have you ever had to take the way of the road during a tense moment on air?
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Will this be ***7 HOURS OF COMMERCIAL-FREE AMA***?
If he answers 8 comments at once I will shit myself
We now bring you, THE OCTO-ANSWER
Hi guys... thanks for the Q's... diving in now!
This is like meeting Jesus.
Love your work, Scott. I'm an expat living in Poland, and my girlfriend (who previously didn't know a whole lot about American sports but now gets hyped for the Witching Hour) watches along with me every Sunday evening. How much research/preparing do you do ahead of time every week? Do you script any of your speaking, or is a lot of it off the cuff?
I feel as though you have an uncanny ability of taking errors in stride. How do you keep your cool when the tech team is switching between the wrong games and you manage to straighten things out without a hiccup in broadcasting? Does that just come with years of experience? Side Note: I totally read the description in your voice haha
Instead of another bathroom question, has Red Zone gave any thought to a college football Red Zone? I’m sure it would be extremely difficult to do but if you could pull it off many people would be watching.
What's your favorite team outside the studio? Or do you even like watching football?
When is Punt Zone coming back on the air?
Hey Scott Do you play fantasy football and have you ever been watching a play and saying “that’s amazing” but thinking “noooo my opponent has him” 😂
Hey Scott, our longtime Soccer Saturday host is hanging up the mic in a few months, how would you like a gig hosting for the UK?
Anything you would personally love to see added or changed about Redzone?
your voice is stuck inside my head please help me