NFL schedule could thrive in a digital streaming smorgasboard

"Good evening everybody and welcome to YouTube's Mooooonday Night Fooooootball, I'm Ryan Seacrest, and alongside me is Jason Nash ..."

Hey, don't laugh, this might be the future.

I just listened to The Ringer's Bill Simmons and Bryan Curtis talk about ways NFL games could hit different digital platforms for specific fan bases, and the idea has stuck. Different people, different needs. (Wasn't that an eighties sitcom?) 

Anyway, seems like a good idea (another eighties sitcom, surely!). 

For example, if you're into betting, Amazon Prime's take on 'Game Of The Week' could offer degenerate gambler, Cousin Sal giving up worthwhile prop bets, as Simmons suggested on his podcast.

Listen, I'd go a step further, as many NFL games are now beamed around the globe and with broadcast teams tailored to specific audiences. Consider ESPN's Crocodile Dundee-style "g'days" before the last Super Bowl, an Aussie-centric broadcast, for better or worse, featuring Steve Levy, Louis Riddick and Brian Griese.

It was fine. The trio was professional, led by Levy doing his syrupy-SportsCenter best, and even tapped into Australian lingo. This all landed ... sort of ... like a Chris Rock bit on a mainstream college campus. 

After the game's halftime show, Levy even announced that "Super Bowl 55 is presented by Macca's." Look, it was all at once weird, oddly accurate, and possibly not needed, I thought, as I slowly munched on my Macca's burger. 

Still, ESPN or one of the incumbent platforms like YouTube could continue catering to the Aussie fans through its regular season selections. It's great that countries like Australia, New Zealand and UK get all the usual big games from the major broadcasters - everybody wants Nantz and Romo, and who doesn't love Ian Eagle? Glitzy graphics and loud intro songs by sparkly starlets - the world is onboard. (It's half the reason the NFL appeals to new markets!)

But for the backlot-three-people-in-the-stands-cellar-dweller-scraps, there's an opportunity to  indulge newer fan groups. There's room for more, dare we say, Big Macs.

Aussies also tend to gather in pubs around big market teams and popular brands, including the New York Giants, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, and yes, of course, the Sydney - I mean, San Francisco 49ers. 

Sure, everyone wants to see the Eagles take on the Cowboys in the marquee game, but some countries would surely love a dusty 49ers - Rams September tilt just as much. 

Similarly, if Twitter aired a Pats versus Raiders Sunday afternoon fiasco, not only would gamblers across the Asia-Pacific trip over their digital wallets, but so to would anyone who bought a Tom Brady jersey on his last family holiday to Vegas-via-LA-Austin-and-Aspen. 

5 Must-Watch Teams on NFL Game Pass

There's always a handful of teams you should bookmark on NFL Game Pass. 

Not because they're ascending to greatness like the Panthers, or because they're endlessly atop the standings like the Pats, or even because their quarterback belongs on a daytime soap like the Texans, but because they're strangely interesting. You know, in a Charlie Whitehurst sort of way.

So here are 5 NFL teams to watch on Game Pass this season:

New York Giants

It's the Big Apple. It's the beloved Big Blue, one of the most unloved teams outside of New York. That means big drama. What further reason do you need? Old Man Coughlin is on gardening leave, there's new and menacing recruits, and there's still a Manning quarterbacking. So you know, buckle up, paisano!

San Francisco 49ers

How one of the sport's most iconic teams went from Super Bowl contender to outright dysfunction is befuddling. Teams like the Niners usually find their way, right? It's in their DNA: Montana. Rice. Craig. Young. And now ... Gabbert? Well, maybe. When your second-stringer gets more headlines than your starter, you know things are about to get weird.

Miami Dolphins

Being a Fins fan in 2016 is like being slapped with a groper. Hard. Who's running this club, anyway? That cadre of scantily clad celebrities? And why doesn't the dolphin in the logo wear a helmet anymore? That's clearly the wrong message in the concussion era, isn't it? Then there's young Tannehill. Can he throw down field, yet? The answer to that one is yes, provided you have no target in mind. All that said, what a mix of story lines.

Minnesota Vikings

They have a flash new billion dollar stadium, a new creaky veteran quarterback, and the breathless hopes of frigid fan base desperate for success. It's a moving story. At least there's still that furry horn-hatted dude ripping around on a chopper to keep hearts warm. Oh, wait ...

San Diego Chargers

Like a musty old bear at the city's famous zoo, the Chargers are constantly worried about moving house. Who moves from San Diego though, outside of a crazy NBA owner? Is this even worth discussing? Just sit back and sip on a Yellowtail, and watch Rivers zip the ball into the sun splashed horizon.

Honourable mentions:

• New York Jets - FitzMagic, or fits of panic?

• Jacksonville Jaguars - Still don't get the two-tone helmet. Do you dip it in water or something?

• Chicago Bears - The offensive line has been sured up. Over to you Jay.

• Houston Texans - Will Oz play, or bail to watch his girlfriend sing in the choir?