The Missing Piece

by: Erik Anton

This season, just like every season in the National Football League, we have seen something old and something new.

On the one hand, we are on the verge of history. With only three games left in the season, we have two undefeated teams, one from each conference. Not only that, but both teams have a fairly easy schedule over the rest of the year. The Indianapolis Colts (13-0) finish out their year at Jacksonville, at home against the New York Jets, and at the Buffalo Bills. While the Colts have already clinched home field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs and are faced with the question as to whether to pursue perfection or rest their starters, the fact remains that the Colts are three games away from a perfect season. Meanwhile in the NFC, the New Orleans Saints (13-0) are also three games away from perfection and wrap things up with home games against Dallas and Tampa Bay, before their final game of the regular season at Carolina. The Saints, are more likely to play all of their starters for the rest of the season seeing as how, even while standing at a perfect 13-0, they are only two games ahead of the Minnesota Vikings (11-2) for the best record in the NFC. The Saints can't afford to let up as the Vikings don't exactly have a difficult schedule to finish out the year. They are at Carolina, at Chicago, and finish at home against the unpredictable, sometimes hot, sometimes cold New York Giants.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. What would a season in the NFL be without the like clockwork December tank job of the Dallas Cowboys? September through November they are on top of the NFC East, but once December rolls around they are one game back of the Philadelphia Eagles, and only one game ahead of the New York Giants with three games left in the year. The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns continue to be the league door mat with a grand total of four wins and twenty-two losses between them.

Still, despite everything that has happened this season, there is one thing that stands out more than anything else: the absence of the great John Madden. Madden, who retired last year after thirty years in broadcasting, left a void that has yet to be filled. And to be frank, I doubt it will ever, or even can ever be filled. John Madden was more than just a broadcaster; he was the voice of the National Football League.

He wouldn't just tell you what just happened, he would break out his now famous pen and break down the replay and explain how it happened and why it happened. I can say without hesitance that John Madden's color commentary taught me more about the game of football than any other source.

So how bittersweet is it that we are on the verge of having two undefeated teams play each other in the Superbowl, and the most legendary announcer won't be calling this historic moment? If you close your eyes and imagine something huge happening in the NFL, anything at all, who is the announcer calling the game? Chances are, it's John Madden.

Now there is still a lot of football left to be played. The Colts and Saints need to finish out their remaining three regular season games and then make it through their two playoff games to achieve the perfect 19-0 record and walk into the Superbowl undefeated. But given their remaining schedules and the way they have been playing, it's very possible.

All I can hope for, is if this does happen, that John Madden will come out of retirement for one night and call this game. Yes, I know John Madden was let out of his contract by NBC and the Superbowl is on CBS this year. But I'd like to think that the NFL, Madden, and the networks could work something out. This is bigger than networks and contracts. We are so close to to what could be the biggest and most historic game in NFL history. It would be a crime to have anybody else at the mic.



Twitter: @esanton