RedZone Scores TD With Fans

The NFL Network's 'crack' channel draws viewers by making an end-run around ads

Like a pulling guard smashing his way through summer blocking drills, the commercials just keep exploding off the line of scrimmage. Pop pop pop, hit and get hit—they are relentless in their metronomic intensity, unwavering and propulsive. State Farm’s Discount Double Check. Geico gecko. Tires gripping asphalt, timber stacked in a truck bed; Built Ford tough.

While it’s anathema to make this assertion in a magazine devoted to the business of advertising, a Sunday afternoon devoted to professional football can leave even the most ardent fan feeling like a tackling dummy.

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