Our favorite anecdote about John Madden is that, in the days after 9/11 when no one could fly, Madden was riding around the country with Peggy Fleming. That story boggles our mind. Of course, the reason Madden doesn't fly is because of a crash involving players at his alma mater Cal Poly in 1960. (Though he did fly until 1979, when he had a panic attack on a flight. We know he feels; when one of the stations on JetBlue isn't working, we lose our freaking mind.)

We love this shot of Madden; we forget he didn't always look so old.

By the way, this vote is for Madden himself, not Frank Caliendo's impersonation of Madden.

So: Do you like the John Madden? Do you not like the John Madden? Let's hear it.

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DISH said it filed the complaint because Madden and Barkley reps have threatened imminent legal action over the national campaign. The spots feature comedian Frank Caliendo, star of TBS series "Frank TV," impersonating the 2 (see them at www.dishnetwork.com). Other famous faces lampooned in the campaign includewww.dishnetwork.com George W Bush and Al Pacino (not mentioned in the court filing). Caliendo, who is ID'd as a comedian in the spots, appears as himself side-by-side his impersonations, who tout DISH products.

So actually what's happening here is that DISH Network is going to court to get a ruling on the commercials; a preemptive strike against any potential litigation. How will it turn out? Hey, I'm no lawyer; Last year the government declared me legally dead, and sold my house. But I'm pretty sure that the fact that, in the ads, the real Frank Caliendo is standing right next to the fake Madden, should be a tipoff to any viewer who might be confused. Is there really anyone out there thinking "Hey, John Madden wants me to get rid of my cable hookup!"

But really I don't care what happens, as long as they don't mess with this one:

Meanwhile, I would advise Caliendo to get to work on his Alan Dershowitz impersonation.

Madden, Barkley Suing Over Caliendo Dish Net Ad [SportsbyBrooks]
Madden, Barkley Join DISH's Legal Hit Parade [Cable360]

* = May not be true.

The roster is impressive. The studio show, "Football Night In America," is packed, with Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth, Sterling Sharpe and Jerome Bettis, who is from Detroit. The game crew is the same as last year: Madden and the wascally Al Michaels. Andrea Kramer is the sideline reporter, and if we know anything about this sports media world, we know that position will require her to endure upwards of four million "which athlete/coach/fellow broadcaster is she sleeping with?" rumors in the first two months. (Most of which started by bored print beat guys.)

All in all: A pretty good team, we think. Thoughts?

NBC Sunday Nights Is All Right For Football [Boston Globe]

(UPDATE: Oh, and Peter King's going to be on the show too.)

I had originally intended to include this in the Leftovers, but it's just too priceless to not get its own post. Philadelphia Will Do dug up this clip on You Tube of some of Barry Switzer's and John Madden's finest work.

Setting the scene: The Cowboys and Eagles are tied at 17 with 2:00 to play in the game. The Cowboys have the ball, 4th and 1 at their own 29-yard-line. Easy call, right? You punt, pin the Eagles back, take your chances in overtime.

Not Barry Switzer.

He opts to jam it in to the left side of the line for a loss of one. But through some shady officiating, the Cowboys get a chance to undo their mistake. Barry Switzer will hear none of that crazy talk. He does the exact same thing. And when I say the exact same thing, he not only makes the same absurd decision again, he runs the exact same play. And it goes for the exact same result.

The highlight of the clip is how incredulous John Madden is at how dumb Barry Switzer is. If you think Madden's too easy on the players and coaches in the NFL, here's a chance to re-shape your opinion.

Ah, The Glories Of Minor Eagles Triumps Of The Mid-1990s [Philadelphia Will Do]

Well, guess what? The cartoons were just nominated for a Sports Emmy. Yep. In the category of "Outstanding Achievement In Content For Non-Traditional Delivery Platform." Other nominees include ESPN.com's "Off Mikes" and "E Ticket: The Wizard At 95." Honestly? At this rate, that guy below who rapped the Eagles song should be up for one next year.

The other major category? Outstanding Sports Personality: Sports Event Analysts. The nominees? Joe Morgan, Tim McCarver, Troy Aikman, John Madden and Johnny Miller. The Sports Emmys, ladies and gentlemen!

Sport Emmys Nominees [Emmy Online]

• This Browns fan lost a bet on the AFC Championship game, which resulted in him having the Steelers logo shaved into the back of his head. All for a good cause, though. [Post-Gazette]

• "Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell have also made a bet with Pennsylvania's junior senator Rick Santorum. If the Steelers win, Santorum gets apples, salmon, and coffee. However, if the Seahawks win, his wife has to have an abortion." Excuse me while I giggle like a little girl for a few minutes. [Seattlest]

• The Las Vegas Sun takes you through some interesting prop bets. Caesars has gotten creative, allowing you to tie your Super Bowl bet with other weird stuff, such as betting on the Steelers to win the Super Bowl and the winner of the NCAA basketball tournament coming from the ACC (at 9-2 odds). Another sports book lets you gamble on the Neilsen ratings, with the over/under set at 41. [Las Vegas Sun]