Without an NFL game, Football Night in America extended to 90 minutes and the show ended up being very good. Not having to rush at 75 minutes, the highlights did not seem rushed and there was plenty of time for football talk. In a perfect world, Sunday Night Football would start at 8:30 p.m., but I know NBC prefers to start at 8:20 p.m. so it can get local news on its affiliates around 11:45 and not have to extend to midnight.
Maybe going to midnight is a way to keep viewership, I don’t know. Let’s get to your quotage now.
“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA” NOTES & QUOTES – WEEK 16“It’s all about public safety.” – “Sunday Night Football’s” Al Michaels on the reason for the postponement of Vikings-Eagles“Going forward, I guess, the cities involved have some control over whether football games are going to be played or not.” – “Sunday Night Football’s” Cris Collinsworth on the precedent that was set by postponing Vikings-Eagles“Right now they’re the No. 2 seed but I don’t believe in the Bears.” – “Football Night’s” Rodney Harrison“These guys have underachieved all year.” – “Football Night’s” Tony Dungy on the Chargers“There’s a fine line between being tough and stupid. I finally need to think about my future life.” – Brett Favre as reported by “Sunday Night Football’s” Andrea KremerNEW YORK – December 26, 2010 – Following are highlights from NBC Sports’ “Football Night in America.” Bob Costas hosted the show live from Lincoln Financial Field, site of the postponed Vikings-Eagles game (Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET, nationally on NBC), and was joined on site for commentary by Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth. In addition, The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore reported from the upper deck of Lincoln Financial Field and NBC News’ Peter Alexander reported on the broader weather story from LaGuardia Airport.Co-host Dan Patrick, analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, and reporters Peter King and Mike Florio covered the news of the NFL’s 16th week live from NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios. Alex Flanagan reported from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc. on the Giants-Packers game.ON VIKINGS-EAGLES POSTPONEMENTCostas: “This game has been postponed, not so much because the conditions are unplayable – we’ve seen NFL games played in more challenging and difficult conditions than this – but because of all the public safety concerns, people coming to the game and then leaving the game.”Cantore: “The key to this whole forecast, and granted there were many unknowns, was the fact that we knew all along, before the game and after the game, from basically 3 am to midnight, we expected the worst of the weather to move in, and that’s exactly what’s happened.”Michaels: “It’s all about public safety.”Costas: “The police department tells us that already they’ve had a number of accidents, most of them we’re told, thankfully, minor. Cars going off the road, some into ditches. And that really is the concern because, as Al says, it’s part of the lore of the league, games played in conditions like this or worse than this are among the most legendary of NFL games. They could have played, if they wanted to play in front of nobody, they could have played.”Collinsworth: “My question is, what is the precedent that comes out of this? What do we take forward? Does this now mean that every time there is a forecast for 8-10 inches of snow we cancel the game, we don’t play playoff games, potentially, we don’t play in Giants Stadium (for the Super Bowl)?…Going forward, I guess, the cities involved have some control over whether football games are going to be played or not.”Michaels: “I think it’s up to the city and the municipality. Once they say [only emergency vehicles on the road] you can’t expect anybody else to be out there.”Collinsworth on the delay: “It’s an advantage for the Philadelphia Eagles.”Michaels: “Buffalo looked tropical today.”Harrison: “This is football weather. They’re grown men.”ON EAGLESCostas: “In an ordinary year, Michael Vick could already be counting on the MVP trophy but Tom Brady’s doing some wonderful things for the Patriots.”King on Mike Vick’s newest fan club member: “It’s Barack Obama. I talked to Jeffrey Lurie the owner of the Eagles this week and he said he was surprised to pick up the phone one day and Barack Obama calls him to praise the Philadelphia Eagles for signing Vick and giving him a second chance. Lurie told me that the President was passionate about the fact that it’s rarely a level playing field for prisoners once they leave jail. And he said the message was ‘what the Eagles had done with Vick was important for society.’”ON VIKINGSKing on a recent Commissioner Goodell trip to Minnesota: “They made a lot of progress, at least the league thinks, on starting a dialogue to get a new stadium for Minnesota.”Vikings LB Chad Greenway to Kremer on recent scheduling challenges: “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t difficult…The hardest part was having the three-game home stand be shifted and really only one true home game.”Kicker Ryan Longwell to Kremer: “It’s certainly been a different season. We thought we had reached the breaking point when the roof caved in but evidently there’s a few more curveballs down the line. It’s just rough.”Kremer, who spoke with Brett Favre: “He said, ‘The best thing for me is not to play.’ He said, ‘Why play? What for?’ He told me that the hit that he took last Monday night knocked him out cold, that he was unconscious for 20 seconds. He said it was the worst thing that’s happened in his career. He told me he still has numbness in his right hand, still has some headaches and hadn’t yet passed the concussion test. He said, ‘There’s a fine line between being tough and stupid. I finally need to think about my future life.’”ON CHIEFSHarrison: “To go from 4-12 to making the playoffs, Todd Haley should be Coach of the Year.”Dungy: “They are playing outstanding football, especially at home. Everybody is breathing a sigh of relief, ‘San Diego is out. We don’t have to go there.’ But it’s not going to be easy going into Kansas City.”ON CHARGERSDungy: “San Diego is a really talented team but they are not playing like it. They lost some games all throughout this year to teams sub-.500. They’re too talented for this.”Harrison on Chargers’ talent: “Somebody has to be responsible. Somebody has to take the blame for this. This team is too good.”Dungy on if Norv Turner will have to answer for the Chargers disappointing season: “I don’t think that is going to happen the way San Diego operates. I think they’re going to be business as usual.”Harrison: “Business as usual, sitting at home during the playoffs.”Dungy on how much blame goes on Norv Turner: “It has to start somewhere. These guys have underachieved all year. They’ve had uncharacteristic problems.”Florio: “I think Norv is going to be okay because his boss, GM A.J. Smith, is going to be okay.”ON RAVENSDungy on Ravens defense: “They’re not suffocating but since they’ve gotten Ed Reed back they’re getting the ball back, a lot of takeaways putting their offense in good field position.”Harrison on playing Ravens in playoffs: “I know a team that’s afraid of Baltimore and that’s probably the New England Patriots (because of last year’s playoff loss)…The Colts on the other hand have basically owned this team. They’ve beaten them the past eight straight times.”ON JETSDungy on failed fourth down fake punt: “That was the play of the game to me. They’re ahead. They’ve got all the momentum. Trust your defense.”ON GIANTSCollinsworth on last week’s loss to Eagles: “How much did that loss take out of the New York Giants?”Flanagan: “The wheels continuing to fall off for the Giants.”Dungy: “Didn’t somebody guarantee a win, wasn’t it (Antrel) Rolle?”Patrick: “The swoon continues for Big Blue.”ON BEARSHarrison: “Right now they’re the No. 2 seed but I don’t believe in the Bears…You look at what the Bears have done at home. They’ve given up 40 points to the Patriots and a struggling Jets team that’s struggling offensively. I don’t believe in Chicago…And I’m from there. (laughs)”ON COLTSHarrison on game vs. Raiders: “The real story here is Indianapolis’ defense’s ability to stop that run.”Harrison: “The most dangerous (under the radar) team has to be the Indianapolis Colts.”ON RAMSDungy: “You really have to tip your cap to St. Louis, starting a rookie quarterback and they are in a game to go to the playoffs next week.”Harrison: “Speaking of rookie quarterbacks, that’s exactly how he’s played the last month. I don’t believe in Sam Bradford. I think they’re one and done when they get to the playoffs.”ON JAGUARSPatrick: “Tough to explain the Jags here, at home, game you gotta win against a backup quarterback.”ON DOLPHINSFlorio on Stephen Ross making a coaching change: “Look for him to go back to the drawing board to get that excitement, a rock-star type of a head coach, maybe a Bill Cowher, maybe a Jon Gruden.”ON 49ERSFlorio on Mike Singletary’s job status: “Now that they’re out of it, the owner wouldn’t even address whether he’ll be the coach next week much less next year. He could be done this week.”ON STANFORD QB ANDREW LUCKKing: “I talked to Jim Harbaugh, the Stanford coach, this afternoon. He said, ‘My understanding is it’s more likely than not that Luck will return to college for his fourth year.’”
And that will do it for our Week 16 NFL pregame show quotage.
