Listening To NFL Games Via The Radio Is Truly Underappreciated

Every NFL Sunday, football fans are glued to their TVs and/or cell phones, in constant need of highlights and updates. People are constantly subscribing to NFL Sunday Ticket and the Red Zone channel to fulfill their gigantic thirst for football. Radio has been silently reliable for generations but has been pushed to the back because of the ever-growing fast pace technology.

NFL games on the radio have been underappreciated last few decades due to the growth of the internet and cable providers. When the satellite feed goes down or a Wi-Fi connection is lost in the house, a fan enjoying a game will run to find their old radio to listen to the home broadcast. It is seen as an inconvenience rather than an enjoyment. Many fans do not understand the true value of listening to the audio of a game rather than the visual.

Back in 2016, my family purchased Direct TV and as apart of the deal, NFL Sunday Ticket was included. It was installed the day before the Week 3 slate of games. The next day I spent nine hours watching football in my basement flipping back and forth between a variety of games. The Bears capped the night losing the Dallas Cowboys 31-17. At the end of the Bears game, I turned off the TV and lights in the basement and realized my avid love for the game of football having just spent nine hours viewing it.

The following Sunday, my job had me scheduled to work from 12 pm to 10 pm shift at the airport car rental site. It was the first time ever I was going to miss a whole Sunday of NFL football. When I arrived, they informed me that they were short-staffed and that they needed me to work the security booth that allowed customers renting to leave the rental site. Before I went to the booth, I went to my car to grab my dad's old transistor radio so that I could listen to the Bears game.

Once in the security booth, I turned on 780 AM for the Bears game. Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer voice filled the booth as they called the game between the Lions and Bears. The Bears won their first game of the season winning 17-13. After the game was over, I left the Bears postgame on for an hour, before switching over to 1000 AM to see if another game was on. An update show was airing prior to the late games kicking off. I was updated about the games and players who were having big performances.

Listening to the home calls being used by the update show would inform the listeners of any big plays was awesome. With the TV broadcast having neutral broadcasters, radio broadcasters can root for the home team as much as they want. Listening to the excitement of Joniak's voice when the Bears defense forced a turnover and groan of Thayer when the Bears made an unfortunate play was so much fun to listen to.

Following the conclusion of the late games, I turned the radio off for a bit as it had been on for the past six and a half hours. Given that we were still short staff, I was brought a Pot Belly's sandwich to the booth as my boss needed me to work through my lunch. I saved the sandwich until the start of the Sunday Night game, which I tuned into 670 AM to listen to. Although the matchup between the Chiefs and Steelers was a blowout by half, I left the whole game on because it made the last few hours go quicker. Once I got back home that night, I realized the stark contrast in how I consumed NFL football from Week 3 and Week 4 and the sheer difference between the two.

This past weekend it was another six hours of watching football at home. At the end of the evening, I was asked to drive my grandpa back home. Having both T.Y. Hilton and Demarcus Robinson starting on my fantasy team, I was fearful of missing a big play. While we drove, I had the Sunday Night radio broadcast on in the car. Driving back home, I found it funny listening to one of the best offenses in the Kansas City Chiefs via the radio and not watching them. The most innovating and eye-catching offense in the league had to be described by word and it was fun.

Of course, fans will take visually watching the game over listening to the game. It is important to remember the value of radio and how it helps fans. Every Sunday, fans will need to drive during the games and have to rely on the radio broadcast. Listening to NFL games on the radio truly shows that we are never away from football. It may not be desired, but it's a great feeling sometimes to have someone describe the game to you through words.