NBC has its quotage for its action-packed half-hour Football Night in America pregame show for today’s AFC-NFC Wild Card Saturday doubleheader. Lots of quotage.
Check it out.
“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” NOTES AND QUOTES – WILD CARD SATURDAY SPECIAL EDITION
NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley hosts Saturday Night Live Tonight and Makes Guest Appearance Today on Football Night in America
“If he wants to make the most money, he’ll go to Miami because Miami owner Stephen Ross will outbid the Rams.” – Peter King on Jeff Fisher
“If Tebow struggles again on Sunday against the Steelers, head coach John Fox is prepared to go with Brady Quinn.” – Mike Florio
“I don’t care what you say. You’re wrong, Charles.” – Rodney Harrison to Charles Barkley after Barkley pick Lions to beat SaintsNEW YORK – January 7, 2012 – Following are highlights from a special Wild Card Saturday edition of Football Night in America. Bob Costas hosted the show live from the Superdome in New Orleans, La. Co-host Dan Patrick was live from Studio 8G at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios in New York and was joined by commentators Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Peter King and Mike Florio along with NBA Hall-of Famer Charles Barkley, who is hosting Saturday Night Live tonight.
ON COLTS:
King on Manning bonus situation: “I am hearing that Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts both may be amenable to pushing back that March 8th date on which he is owed $28 million and that option bonus.”
Dungy: “I’ve known Jim Irsay for 10 years. He’s going to make these decisions with his heart as much as his head. So I believe Jim Caldwell will be the coach. Peyton Manning, if he is healthy enough to play, he will be their quarterback. And I now believe that they will draft Andrew Luck with the first pick.”
Patrick: “Forgone conclusion, it’s always been Andrew Luck that they were going to take?”
Dungy: “When Bill Polian was there he was looking at a lot of tape on Robert Griffin, and he had gotten comfortable with Robert Griffin. He would think outside the box; he picked Edgerrin James rather than Ricky Williams. So when Bill (Polian) was there I don’t know, but now I think its Andrew Luck.”KING ON JEFF FISHER: “The hot guy on the head coaching circuit is Jeff Fisher. Fisher, to relax a little bit and consider his options, is duck hunting today in the Midwest. He will be at the Rams practice facility tomorrow to finish his fact-finding. Then Monday and Tuesday he will set about making his decision between the Miami Dolphins and the St. Louis Rams. If he wants to make the most money, he’ll go to Miami because Miami owner Stephen Ross will outbid the Rams.”
FLORIO ON BRONCOS AND TIM TEBOW: “If Tebow struggles again on Sunday against the Steelers, head coach John Fox is prepared to go with Brady Quinn. The players in that locker room are behind this, because if that’s what it takes to win this game, then that’s what it takes.”
ON PLAYOFFS BEING DIFFERENT FROM REGULAR SEASON
Dungy: The difference is the emotion and the energy. I remember our first playoff game in Tampa and we’re playing the Detroit Lions and Barry Sanders. I am nervous thinking, ‘How are we going to stop this guy?’ We walked out on the field for warm-ups, it was so loud and so noisy, I said, ‘There is no way we are losing this game.’”
Harrison: “During the playoffs, players change their weekly routine. You see guys who don’t even watch tape, they’re in there at 6:30 in the morning watching two hours of tape and I am looking at them like, ‘yeah right.’ And then you see guys that you have to actually drag into the weight room (during the regular season), now they’re doing push-ups and sit-ups. You don’t have to do all that. I’ve played in a lot of playoff games; just do your normal routine. Do what got you here.”ON HOSTING SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Patrick: “You’re not nervous hosting Saturday Night Live?”
Barkley: “No, if you screw up on TV you still have a job.HARRISON AND BARKLEY DEBATE LIONS-SAINTS:
Barkley: “I love the Detroit Lions. It’s going to be a field goal game either way but I think Detroit is going to win that game.”
Harrison: “Why are you taking Detroit? Do you think they have the best defense?
Barkley: “I think they’re both going to score. But if I can pick one defense that can have a monster game, I think that the Detroit defensive line can do that. Their defensive line can just explode.”
Harrison: “I am going to tell you this. The New Orleans Saints are a different team on the road compared to being at home. I’ve played there. That place is loud; it’s going to be rocking. (Saints) will win, I don’t care what you say. You’re wrong, Charles.”
That’s it for now.
