MILLEN’S PRESENCE WILL FUEL MADDEN RUMORS

We continue to be intrigued by the sudden appearance, after more than four months of exile, of former Lions CEO Matt Millen on NBC’s playoff edition of Football Night In America. After watching his interview with Dan Patrick and then seeing him sitting at the grown-ups’ table with Bob Costas and the rest of the gang, here’s our working theory. In our estimation, John Madden will retire from broadcasting after the season, Cris Collinsworth will take Madden’s place on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, and Millen will replace Collinsworth on FNIA. We’ve already been hearing rumors from media sources in the Bay Area of a Madden retirement from television, followed by possible return to the Raiders in a front-office role. We recently investigated those rumors, but couldn’t make the onion bloom. What we did learn, however, is that Madden and NBC Sports guru Dick Ebersol agreed upon the execution of Madden’s six-year contract with the network that both sides would assess the situation after three years. Upon completion of NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl XLIII, Madden will conclude his third year with the network. Millen’s presence seemed too abrupt and nonchalant to have no deeper meaning. So, yeah, we’re convinced that something’s going on. And it very well could be that, in four weeks, we’ll be seeing the last of John Madden on network television.