Madden: Dallas truly is America’s team

It’s a dream matchup for NBC involving two of the NFL’s most popular teams: Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears, 7:15 p.m. Sunday. To hype the game NBC held a conference call this week with analyst John Madden, play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and studio analyst Tiki Barber. Here are a few of the excerpts:

Madden on the Cowboys being America’s Team: “I would say ’Oh that’s just a bunch of baloney.’
America’s team. That’s just Tex Schram making that stuff up.” But it’s not; it’s one of those things that the Dallas Cowboys have more fans than any team in the country. When you go on the road and you go to the visiting team hotel, the Dallas Cowboys lead the league in hotel lobbies. You go to some teams and there’ll be like 10 people in the lobby. You go to the Dallas Cowboys and there will be like 1,000. It’s just that wherever the Cowboys go they are stars.”

Michaels on the popularity of the Cowboys and Bears: “The Cowboys probably engender more emotion than any other team in the National Football League, whether you love them or hate them, around the country people pay a lot of attention to the Dallas Cowboys. The Chicago Bears are one of the NFL’s original franchises, and a team that just has a tremendous following and backing.”

Madden on the popularity of the Bears: “I’m always excited and feel good about coming to Chicago. There’s something about the history and tradition of the Chicago Bears and you just think of George Halas and all those great Bear teams. I always go back to the most fun I’ve ever had in a football season,1985, and the Bears were truly that year, America’s team. Everyone jumped on that and it was not only true in Chicago, but all over the country. If you didn’t have a team, the Bears became your team.”

Michaels on what the game means to the Cowboys: “If Dallas wins this one, they’re 3-0 with two road wins, probably establishing themselves as the team to beat.”

Barber on the contrasting styles of the two teams: “What’s a particularly striking story for this weekend is the contrast that these two teams present. With Dallas, their defense plays so horribly in week one, compared to Chicago’s. Then you look at their offenses. With Dallas’ offense being a powerhouse, scoring 82 points in the first two weeks and Chicago not even scoring an offensive touchdown.”

Madden on Tony Romo: ”Romo, right now, is on top of the heap as a quarterback. I mean, he’s doing everything darn near perfectly, but when you play this Bears defense, believe me, this defense is for real and they don’t give you anything. I think this game is a measuring stick for Tony Romo.”

Keith Olbermann on being out last week’s show after having his appendix removed: “In place of my appendix I had them put in some extra spleen.”

The sarcastic Olbermann will return to the broadcast this Sunday.

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