RedZone’s Scott Hanson Explains His Credential Snafu at NFL Radio Row

SAN FRANCISCO — Scott Hanson is one of the most recognizable people who works for the NFL. But even Hanson was not immune to the rigorous credentialing process required to get onto the “radio row” media floor at Super Bowl week in the Bay Area.

Hanson, the popular host of NFL Red Zone and NBC’s Olympics Gold Zone, dropped by the Front Office Sports set Tuesday and explained what happened—after missing his initial interview time because he couldn’t get in.

“I hosted Super Bowl opening night last night,” Hanson began. “Well, I had a credential, but because I’m on camera, I don’t wear my credential around my neck. So I usually have an assistant that will wear my credential. We said goodnight. He ended up with my credential around his neck—at a different hotel. And I thought, ‘Oh, that credential was for opening night. They’ll bring me a new credential for today.’ No, that was my today credential as well. You’d think I haven’t been to 17 Super Bowls and that I’m a rookie.” 

Hanson joked that he’s waiting for the league to start deploying full-on facial recognition software for entrance into the securitized areas (which the league does indeed deploy, almost scarily in how fast it identifies who you are, when picking up credentials). Ultimately, he had to run an end-around. 

“My friends at Athletes First, my reps, got me in here… [whispers] without a credential.”  

Nevertheless, Hanson, who was on radio row to promote Lowe’s, was able to laugh about it all, making a ‘stars, they’re just like us’ joke:: “Even people like Scott Hanson have to go through all of this.”