Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
"I've never had an association in some 40 years where I really was as friendly with a talent, and yet at the same time as in awe of him, not just because of his talent, just the way he is as a human being. The last three years we had primetime football, I've left New York on Thursday morning and come back on Monday morning, and the reason I did that, aside from the fact that I thought that's where I belonged, the main reason I did it was that I had the opportunity to travel the roads of America with John Madden, and that was the greatest treat I've ever had in all the years that I've been in business."
- Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports & Olympics, 4/16/2009
"John steps away as not just the most honored or respected football announcer ever, but as the absolute best sports broadcaster who ever lived. It so happened that his fame is probably greater than anyone else's because he did it with America's number one sport."
- Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports & Olympics, 4/16/2009
"It is a sad day, but it's a happy day because, for those of you who know John, he's going out his way."
- John Madden's agent Sandy Montag, Senior Corporate Vice President, IM, 4/16/2009
"There is one thing football fans have agreed on for decades: they all love John Madden.
John was a Hall of Fame coach before becoming one of the most-celebrated personalities in sports. He had an incredible talent for explaining the game in an unpretentious way that made it more understandable and fun.
John’s respect and passion for the game always stood out. He was the ultimate football fan who also happened to be an extraordinarily talented coach and broadcaster.
As namesake of the world’s most popular sports videogame, John also introduced the game of football to generations of young fans.
It is only fitting that his last game as an announcer was this year’s Super Bowl – the most-watched TV program of all-time. He is stepping down as a true Super Bowl champion."
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, 4/16/2009
"John will always have a unique place in the history of pro football.
No one has made the sport more interesting, more relevant and more enjoyable to watch and listen to than John. There's never been anyone like him and he's been the gold standard for analysts for almost three decades.
On a personal note, I'll miss working with John on many levels. As a broadcast partner, I could always count on him -- no one ever came to work more prepared. As a friend and confidante, loyalty has always been paramount to John. And all in all, he was simply just great company.
As John said today, 'it was time." That's John -- succint, pithy and right to the point. Working with John for the last seven years has provided memories I'll always treasure. My only regret is that it wasn't 27."
NBC Sports Al Michaels, 4/16/2009
"John Madden, Al Michaels see the whole picture in Super Bowl XLIII"
"As often with Madden, his explanation, purely Maddenesque, was not the stuff of other analysts who love reminding you how much video they watch."
"For some voices, the urge is to keep reminding viewers – in this case, a huge audience – what a great game they are watching. Madden and Michaels never crossed that line. They didn’t treat us like fools. They stuck to football."
"Again, Madden provided the perfect caption. ‘He (Warner) went to the perfect guy in the perfect situation,’ Madden said."
"On a night to remember, Madden’s plain-spoken analysis, which has never been technical, was memorable. Fortunately, Michaels, who likes straying deep into analyst territory, gave his partner plenty of room."
- Bob Raissman, New York Daily News, 2/2/2009
“Al Michaels and John Madden were fantastic. Michaels was perfect for a perfect game.”
“Michaels, Madden deliver in broadcast.”
- San Francisco Chronicle, 2/5/2009
“NBC masterfully covered the high drama of the game’s final minutes thanks to Al Michaels and John Madden and superb use of replays from multiple angles.”
“And then there was keen analysis from Madden, who was at his best in the fourth quarter.”
- Barry Jackson, ProFootball Weekly, 2/4/2009
“NBC’s Big-Money talent delivers a Super Show”
“The foolish notion that John Madden has lost any heat on his broadcasting fastball surely should be given a rest following the bravura performance offered up by America's favorite football analyst and his typically brilliant play-by-play partner, Al Michaels, during the Pittsburgh Steelers' riveting 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night.”
“…the best twosome in the business.”
- Leonard Shapiro, Washington Post, 2/2/2009
“NBC’s Al Michaels and John Madden proved again why they are the best in the business. “
"I thought Michaels was on top of his game nearly the entire night, starting at the very beginning when he questioned Arizona coach ken Whisenhunt's decision to not take the ball after winning the coin toss."
"The chemistry between Michaels and John Madden was apparent throughout the night, and the latter made several interesting observations…"
- Jay Posner, San Diego Union Tribune, 2/1/2009
“Is there any way to allow NBC to do the Super Bowl every year? The network has the best studio host (Bob Costas), best studio analyst (Cris Collinsworth), the best play-by-play announcer (Al Michaels) and the best game analyst (John Madden). Throw in Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann, plus guest analysts Tony Dungy and Mike Holmgren. Add a couple of amazing technical toys like the “NBCee It” close-up replays and you have a near-perfect telecast. We can debate whether Sunday was the greatest Super Bowl ever. But there’s no debate that NBC had the best Super Bowl broadcast ever.”
- Tom Jones, Tampa Bay Tribune, 2/2/2009
"NBC masterfully covered the high drama of the game's final minutes, thanks largely to Al Michaels and John Madden, and superb use of replays from multiple angles."
"There was keen analysis from Madden, who was at his best in the fourth quarter."
-Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2/2/2009
"NBC's announcing crew of Al Michaels and John Madden called the game like they have every other game they've ever done, and that was the right thing to do because they remain the best crew in football."
"If you have a Super Bowl, you can't do any better than NBC-TV's Al Michaels and John Madden. There is very little they miss. They have a ton of experience. They work well together."
- Bob Wolfley, Sports Day, 2/1/2009
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
More from Madden |
 AP Time to say goodbye April 16: After a long deliberation, John Madden tells KCBS radio that he finally decided he was ready to retire from broadcasting. |
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 | NBCSports.com |
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.