The NFL Was a Sure Thing for TV Networks. Until Now

From the broadcast booth at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Jim Nantz is talking bedding. It’s midway through the fourth quarter of the Oct. 27 NFL game between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football. Along with his colleague Phil Simms, Nantz is calling the game for the NFL Network. The game’s a disaster—except for Titans fans—full of miscues, muffed punts, questionable coaching, and personal fouls. By halftime the Titans are up 27-0, and the game meanders through the second half toward a blowout. With 45 drama-free minutes of airtime left to fill, Nantz tries telling a story. He explains that every morning when Marcus Mariota, the Titans’ starting quarterback, wakes up, one thing he always does is make his bed, even if he’s staying in a hotel room. Simms responds by telling a second story, also involving sheets, pillows, and comforters.

“This is the truth,” says Simms. “I’m not trying to be funny. In college, I made my bed every single day.”