Madden Has Lots of Fans, If Not All the Facts

(NEWSER) - John Madden has called his last football game, NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol announced today, with the legendary former coach deciding to retire from broadcasting. “I’m 73 years old,” Madden said in a statement. “I still love every part of it—the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people … but I know this is the right time.” More»

NFL commentator ends 476-game streak to see the grandkids

(NEWSER) - For the first time in 28 years, sportscaster John Madden will not call a regular-season NFL game this weekend, ending an impressive run of 476 without absence, the Washington Post reports. The hiatus is expected to be short for Madden—now 72 and working NBC’s Sunday-night broadcast—who crisscrosses the country in a bus due to his fear of flying. More»

2016 could be the year of losers

(NEWSER) - XLVI—the number of Sunday's Super Bowl—may be clunky, but at least it doesn't come with baggage. The NFL is preparing for the 50th Super Bowl in 2016, which will be Super Bowl L. Insiders are wary of T-shirts emblazoned with giant Ls: It could look like fans are just big losers, the Wall Street Journal notes. The "L" hand gesture is more recognizable than ever after TV's Glee adopted it in its logo. Maybe 2016 would "be a nice time to switch over to Arabic numerals," says an ad exec. More»

Next Sunday's games will determine who advances to Super Bowl

(AP) - For Eli Manning and the New York Giants, Lambeau Field has become a familiar launching pad. After beating the Green Bay Packers at home for the second time in four years, they only hope this trip ends the same way—at the Super Bowl. Manning threw three touchdown passes and the Giants shocked the Packers 37-20 in an NFC divisional playoff game today. Manning threw for 330 yards, sending the Giants to San Francisco for the NFC championship game next Sunday night. More»

It's America's biggest game, but don't expect world to care

(NEWSER) - The Super Bowl is like America, writes Michael MacCambridge in the Washington Post —"big, convivial, gaudy, passionate and, surely, self-important." But as popular as the Super Bowl is, there are five big myths about the big game:

• It's the world's most-watched sports event. Nope, just America's. Last year's Super Bowl was the most-watched program in US television history, with 153 million viewers—a mere shadow of the 700 million who watched last year's World Cup final. For the rest of the globe, football pales in comparison to, well, football.