Now, he’s going to NBC.
Only the network is denying the latest report that John Madden, who has been the subject of more accords lately than Yassir Arafat, has reached a temporary agreement to become its No. 1 NFL analyst as well as a spokesman for General Electric.
Earlier, Madden had been rumored to be headed for ABC after spurning a Fox Network bid of $4 million a year. If the Maddencruiser landed at 30 Rockefeller Center, he most likely would replace Bob Trumpy.
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“If I were (NBC Sport President) Dick Ebersol, I’d hire John Madden if I had the opportunity, too,” said Trumpy while preparing for Sunday’s AFC title game in Buffalo. “He’s the best there is in the business. There’s no argument with that. If GE is willing to back John Madden and Madden’s willing to come to NBC, he’ll be joining the best sports division in television. And if he works with Dick Enberg, John Madden will be a better broadcaster. I don’t have any problems with that whatsoever.”
Madden said earlier in the week he wouldn’t divulge his plans until after the Super Bowl Jan. 30, but that “we’re always so into what’s going to happen next, we don’t enjoy what’s happening now. I really want to enjoy this (the NFC title game).”
Hard lessons: Also enjoying the postseason is Mike Ditka, finishing up his first-and possibly only-year as a studio analyst for NBC. “What I’ve learned is I’ve got a lot to learn,” said the former Bears coach-and TV pitchman. “When you come into this, you think you know a lot about a lot of things. But to get good, it takes time. You have to get a feel for it. You have to do your homework. The studio thing isn’t as hard to do as the analyst thing. But I’ve enjoyed my work; I’ve enjoyed the people I work with. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity.” Then why seek another coaching job? “The Jacksonville thing intrigues me because I think I can do the job,” he said. . . . NBC’s postseason numbers are up 16 percent over last year, with the Chiefs-Oilers telecast last Sunday finishing with a 27.3 rating, making it the highest-rated NFL postseason telecast (exlcuding Super Bowls) on NBC since 1982.
Not so fast: CBS Sports President Neal Pilson voiced a different opinion this week on whether he would allow contracted employees, such as Pat Summerall, to freelance on Fox’s NFL telecasts next fall. Originally, Pilson said he probably wouldn’t object.
“Where signature (on-air) people who are identified with CBS elect to go to Fox to do football, they’re really transferring to that organizaton,” Pilson said. “We haven’t determined a policy about production people. But if people are going to work a full (football) season for Fox, I don’t think they can have a major role at CBS Sports.”
In addition, Pilson rattled off figure skating, auto racing and golf as three sports CBS might use to counterprogram pro football telecasts. Word is the network also is looking into rights fees for the Canadian Football League.
“A lot of plans are underway,” Pilson said, “but no decision has been reached. We did talk to the affiliates last week, but no poll or straw vote was taken. We’ll continue to review our options. We’ll be working on the schedule when we return from Lillehammer (around March 1).”
Play ball: Between the new arrangement with The Baseball Network and WGN-Ch. 9, as many as 60 White Sox games will be available on over-the-air television this season, the most free telecasts in five years, according to club officials. WGN will carry 52 contests, starting April 5 at Toronto, while TBN (either WLS-Ch. 7 or WMAQ-Ch. 5 locally) will carry eight. SportsChannel will televise 93 games, with ESPN taking another three. Two contests will air on either WGN or SportsChannel depending on rainouts during the season. WMAQ-AM and WIND-AM (Hispanic broadcast) will do every Sox game, except when conflicts with the Bulls arise.
Cold as ice I: Mike Eruzione will join Mike Emrick and John Davidson for CBS’ hockey coverage at the Winter Olympics. Other CBS assignments: Verne Lundquist, Scott Hamilton and Tracy Wilson, figure skating; Al Trautwig, Paul Robbins and Lyle Nelson, cross-country skiing and biathlon; Phil Liggett and Jeff Hastings, ski jumping; Jim Nantz, James Brown and Park Smalley, freestyle skiing; Sean McDonough, John Morgan and Bonny Warner, bobsled and luge. . . . Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Garrison Keillor, Charles Kuralt, Ed Bradley, Morley Safer and Bob Simon have contributed pieces to CBS Sports’ Olympics Features Unit for the Winter Games. During the Olympics, eight other sports and news reporters (James Brown, Ray Gandolf, Jim Gray, Mary Carillo, Susan Spencer, Mark Phillips, John Blackstone and Martha Teichner) will be available for stories.
Cold as ice II: TNT, which will cablecast 45 hours of coverage, also has made its announcing lineups for the Winter Games: Nick Charles and Fred Hickman, hosting in Atlanta; John Naber, hosting in Lillehammer; Jim Simpson, Peter Carruthers, figure skating; Jiggs McDonald, Joe Micheletti, hockey; Ernie Johnson Jr., Leah Poulos Mueller, speedskating; Ron Thulin, Pam Fletcher, alpine events; Kevin Kiley, bobsled, luge; and Brian Drebber, nordic events.
Programming notes: In addition to NBC’s telecast, the NHL All-Star Game can be heard on WMVP-AM at 2 p.m. Saturday followed by Brian Davis’ “Blackhawk Weekly.” . . . Sam Rosen and John Davidson host “Prime Spotlight: The NHL All-Star Game” at 6 p.m. Friday on SportsChannel.