For nearly 90 minutes, NFL fans were treated to a live stream of San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead's show "Third & Long." During that time, Airk sat down with two of his 49er teammates, George Kittle and Javon Hargrave, as well as NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, for a fun conversation that carried over a ton of topics.
It's been a while since I've been a part of a Tidal League production livestream, and it was one of the most fun ones we've ever had. I'm new to the NFL space, but I have always known a ton of fans and have seen firsthand hand, through family and friends, how the supporters of NFL teams take their roles as "Fanatics" very seriously. These 49ers fans are no exception. Watching this community join the stream and chat with Arik and his guests and with each other was an awe-inspiring immersive experience. This team is supported through and through, with some participants on their phones standing for the entire time, watching together from outside the studio.
The conversation between the teammates was more casual and team-specific. Kittle, I learned, is a huge foodie (of course, the fans already knew this), so the questions coming at him were about his favourite fast food joints, his pre-game meal prep and what after a game looks like for him (including hot tub time with the wifey). Hargrave was similar - but this being his first year in the Bay Area from his previous North East homes in Philly and Pitsburg, the fans got to see what a difference this year has been for him (and got to hear how Arik struggled in the few months spent in his wife's hometown in upstate New York)
Even though the conversations seemed the same on the surface, as time passed, we got to see the dynamic between these guys and see clearly how much they all consider each other family - even the new guy.
With Jordan, we got to hear the insides of NFL media, the good and the bad, and after seeing the inside of some of their favourite players' lives, the fans watching got to see the inside scoops on what is happening in the League and what the next few weeks left in the season could look like. We also got a lot of intel on the Pro Bowl, who deserved to be chosen, and why.
This was another fun yet professional broadcast from our host, Arik, and an enjoyable interactive experience for the fans; I hope there are more of these planned during the offseason (or on the Super Bowl Championship Tour). To see for yourself the uniqueness of this episode, watch below.
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