As most of you probably know by now, John Madden announced today that he is retiring as a broadcaster for the NFL. Immediately I tried to imagine NFL weekends without the voice of John Madden being involved in one of the biggest games each weekend, and it is hard to do. For as long as I have been following the NFL, John Madden has loomed large as one of the most compelling and recognizable personalities in the sport.

I know this: I would hate to be whoever is following him into the announcer’s booth (probably Chris Collinsworth). I am sure there are plenty of other color analysts who are “technically” better than Madden (whatever that means), but few if any have his charisma, his ability to relate to the everyfan, his passion, and his incredible knowledge of and experience with the game.

There is just something inherently warm, inviting, comfortable, and entertaining about listening to a game with John Madden. As an announcer, he was like every football fan’s grandpa: a little senile and forgetful, and he sometimes botches peoples’ names, but with an incredible vault of football knowledge and always happy to explain things a way that made sense or share an old story from way back when. And if something he said was wrong or didn’t make sense, it probably made you laugh.

I mean seriously, who is going to inadvertently draw penises with the teleprompter now?

Video: John Madden Draws Penis on Teleprompter

And what will Frank Caliendo do with his incredible John Madden impression now that Madden will no longer be broadcasting? Maybe it makes Caliendo even more relevant now. Hell, why don’t they just bring Caliendo into the booth with Al Michaels. Would anyone know the difference?

Video: Frank Caliendo as John Madden

And *sob* we’re going to be without Madden’s infamous and ubiquitous “Booms!”

Video: John Madden – Boom!

And there go all of those John Madden drinking games. Anyone who took a drink every time Madden said “bootleg” during the Steelers-Seahawks Super Bowl probably got hammered pretty quickly.

Video: John Madden Loves Saying “Bootleg”

And, of course, you realize that John Madden just happened to retire during the same offseason that Brett Favre retired, right? Coincidence? Hmm…maybe not.

Video: Frank Caliendo as John Madden Professing His Love For Brett Favre

I know that some people got annoyed with John Madden from time to time, and I agree that sometimes his “insights” bordered on the painfully obvious. But there was still no one I enjoyed listening to more than Madden and Summerall or Madden and Michaels. More than anyone since Howard Cosell, John Madden’s voice was synonymous with football. Losing such a voice, and such a powerfully charismatic figure, cannot possibly be anything but a disappointment for the NFL and its fans.

But Madden sounds content with his decision, and I am sure that he will stay involved with the NFL some way. If I could say anything to John Madden today as he retires, I would simply say thank you for being such a great friend and guide to us all for so many glorious fall and winter football weekends.

Related resources:

John Madden retires after 30 years in booth — (ESPN.com)

John Madden retires from booth after 30 years — (MSNBC.com)

John Madden retires — (Forbes.com)

John Madden career profile — (Wikipedia)

John Madden Hall of Fame profile — (Pro Football Hall of Fame)

• Jay Bilas comes across as intelligent, thoughtful, and cogent; Digger Phelps comes across as (searching for a way to say this nicely…) not those things.
• Jay Bilas comes across as arrogant, with every word he speaks appearing to be the result of careful deliberation between his ego and pride; Digger Phelps is cool and laid back, the kind of guy you’d want to actually watch a game with, and he appears to just say whatever words come into his head — apparently before they have coalesced into coherent thoughts or sentences.
• Jay Bilas is like the guy in college who was a T.A. for two two different classes per semester; Digger Phelps is like the guy in college who went to two classes all semester.

And honestly, I could go on and on.

But perhaps nothing more accurately displays their differences than the ESPN College Gameday basketball commercial in which Digger Phelps dances like his brain is on fire, while Jay Bilas plays the role of a constipated, perturbed school marm. The still image above is taken from that ESPN commercial. Here is the video:

And for the record, I specifically do not want to add Hubert Davis into the discussion here. Invoking his name will make me think of him laughing, and then I won’t be able to go to sleep, haunted by — damnit, I just thought of it. My night is over.

(Seriously, just saying, does anyone else find Hubert Davis’ laugh a tad annoying? I like Hubert, and I think he has great points (sometimes), and I realize I am not breaking any news here and that this has probably been covered ad nauseum by other blogs — and I readily admit that I myself have an annoying laugh, however with the caveat that I am not on TV — but they should really try to reign Hubert in, especially the times when it seems like he is fake laughing at something that isn’t even supposed to be funny. It’s almost annoying to the point of being unwatchable.)

But I digress…

The reason I even searched for and found the above video and decided to write this post is that tonight, while scrolling through the front page of BallHype, I came across the video embedded a few paragraphs below. This delicious nugget of pure Digger ridiculousness proved to be a gateway to me finding even more reasons why Digger Phelps and Jay Bilas truly are the official Odd Couple of college basketball; and quite possibly the official Odd Couple of all of sports.

Regardless, one thing is true: Digger Phelps is, among many things, odd.

The video below, taken yesterday (February 28th) in Berkeley, California before the UCLA-Cal game, is a great example of this oddness. The picture to the right, in which Digger Phelps appears to be menacingly approaching a terrified Cal cheerleader, is a still from the Cal video.

As you will see, Digger’s “approach” is anything but menacing. Spasmic, hilarious, and disturbing? Yes. But menacing? Not so much.

Watch the video of Digger Phelps putting the dance in “Big Dance” at Cal:

I don’t really know what to say. I thought for sure that this must have just been a one time thing, a nod to the dancing in the ESPN College Gameday commercial. Yet, over in the related videos I saw that there was plenty of more of Digger dancing at college basketball arenas. The following two videos are from February 14th of this year at Wisconsin, according to the descriptions on YouTube:

———-

Sadly, that is not the last one. Here is another, from January 24th, 2009 in Digger’s old stomping grounds of South Bend:

Okay, fine. So Digger has decided to bring the dancing from the Gameday commercial to the arena, I think to myself.

Wrong.

Here is another video, from March of last year, in which Digger actually gets a little bump-and-grind on with a Kansas cheerleader that I have to asume is the hottest girl in the entire state. (This is both a compliment to her and, yes, a complete disparagement of the entire state of Kansas — to which I have never been. So take it for what it’s worth.)

I do not know if this is the entire library of videos available on the Internet that show Digger Phelps engaging in some inappropriate friendly rhythmic movement with attractive, young co-eds. But I am learning that there is an entire subsection of YouTube devoted to the entertaining antics of Digger Phelps.

Regardless of what you think of Digger’s propensity for carefree and unabashed fun (or, as one YouTube video title terms it, Digger being an “attention whore”), one thing is certain: you would never, ever see Jay Bilas doing anything even remotely similar.

Watch this video. These guys can’t even get Jay Bilas to say something funny. Now, it is perfectly possible that Jay Bilas is simply not capable of saying anything funny. In fact, it is quite possible that he has never said anything funny, and certainly cannot do so on command. But still Jay, at least have a little fun or show some semblance of a sense of humor:

At the end of the day, the obvious differences between Digger Phelps and Jay Bilas would probably best manifest themselves if both of them read this post. Digger Phelps would probably laugh, say something that made no sense to anyone, and then start gyrating to no discernible beat. Jay Bilas, on the other hand, would decry the state of education in America that a Big Ten school like Indiana could produce a nincompoop like me who would would spend two hours on a Sunday night creating such rubbish as this post.

Either way, whatever your feelings about Jay Bilas or Digger Phelps individually, you will be seeing a lot of them this month, as the March portion of “March Madness” began today. The madness portion will slowly be building to the incredible crescendo that is the NCAA Tournament, and we will have Jay Bilas and Digger Phelps, college basketball’s odd couple, leading us every step of the way.

And you know what? The differences between the two are actually probably what make them both palatable. Without Digger, the overly serious and joyless Bilas might be more than a tad off-putting. And without Bilas, Digger’s complete ridiculousness might be highlighted to the point of being unwatchable (like Hubert Davis’ laugh). Add them together, with a touch of Bob Knight’s basketball brilliance and a solid host like Rece Davis, and the ESPN College Gameday basketball crew is actually one of the more entertaining and balanced studio crews on any network.

(And you thought this post was just negative and gratuitously mean. I fooled you!)

Of course, the minute Vitale gets added to the mix, all hell breaks loose…

(FYI…careful where you watch this. It’s hilarious, but the language might not be suitable for all audiences or workplace computers. You’ve been warned.)

(Update: And sadly, while driving into work this morning, I heard that another legendary Chicago Bull, former coach and announcer Johnnie “Red” Kerr, passed away yesterday too.  Red Kerr, who had battled prostate cancer, was 76.)

According to ChicagoBreakingNews.com, the Chicago Fire Department did a wellness check after Van Lier had not been heard from since not arriving for a scheduled appearance on the network’s postgame show following the Bulls-New Jersey Nets game Wednesday night. They discovered Van Lier’s body shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon and he was pronounced dead the scene. The cause of death was not released, pending a report by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The passing of Norm Van Lier was brought to my attention by our friend The Zoner in his post R.I.P. Norm Van Lier, one of many posts to go up tonight in honor of Stormin’ Norman Van Lier, in deference to his life dedicated to the game of basketball and to his beloved Bulls.

From Zoner:

I had the privilege of working with Norm a few times and he was the real deal. A nice guy with a zest for life. Can you think of anyone that was more passionate about or loved the Bulls more than Norm? Doubtful. R.I.P. Norm. You will be missed but not forgotten.

I could not have said it better myself.

My appreciation for Norm Van Lier began early in my childhood when I became a huge Bulls fan because of some spectacular kid that wore #23. Like so many other sports fans, I was infatuated with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. I watched them anytime they were on TV, and at that time in Bloomington we got the Chicago radio station on which Norm Van Lier had an afternoon show and broadcast Bulls games. I used to love listening to him and I always grouped him in the upper-upper echelon of “homer” announcers (the best kind, of course) with Hawk Harrelson and Don Fischer (Indiana basketball). Norm was simply one of the best.

After MJ retired and the Bulls broke up I stopped following the team closely. Bloomington also stopped getting the Chicago radio stations except for certain times of the day. So I’m sad to say that most of this decade I have not had the pleasure of listening to Norm. But I always remembered how exciting he made Bulls games, and then his passion and how entertaining he was talking about them the next day.

I have no doubt that there will be a huge outpouring of love and respect of Norm Van Lier in the coming days, and it is certainly reserved.

Norm Van Lier Bio:

• Born in East Liverpool, Ohio on April 1, 1947
• Played QB in high school and was recruited by many colleges to play football, but none wanted him to be a QB, his desired position. He also received offers to play professional baseball.
• Norm Van Lier attended Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania as a 6′1 guard whose forte was defense.
• He was selected in the 3rd round of the 1969 NBA Draft by the Bulls and then immediately traded to the Cincinnati Royals.
• He led the NBA in assists in 1971 while playing for the Royals, in probably his best overall season. Van Lier averaged 16.0 points, 10.1 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game while playing 40.5 minutes per.
• After that season the Bulls reacquired Van Lier, where he played until 1978. He made the All-Star team in 1974, 1976, and 1977.
• Norm Van Lier was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team three times, the All-Defensive Second Team five times, and was named All-NBA Second Team in 1974.
• He played briefly with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1979 after being waived by the Bulls and retired with 8,770 points and 5,217 assists.
• Norm Van Lier held the record for the longest field goal in NBA history, an 84 foot shot, until Baron Davis broke the record with an 89 foot heave in 2001.

And here are some other links in the immediate aftermath of the announcement of the passing of Norm Van Lier at age 61:

Remembering Norm Van Lier — (Chicago Tribune)

“Man oh man, me and Norm were just together Tuesday night. As usual, he was expressing his love for the team and the franchise. He said, ‘Butter, a lot of times I may sound critical on TV but it’s just because I love these guys so much and I want them to win.’ People might have taken that the wrong way. But he had passion like nobody else and just wanted to be loved.

“I tell you: Norm Van Lier never took a night off. He came to play every game. Norm and Jerry [Sloan] were the two best defensive guys ever to play in the NBA together. As a one-on-one defender, he was the best. One-on-one? He would eat you up.

~former Bulls great Bob Love, a friend and teammate of Norm Van Lier

Ex-Bulls Guard, broadcaster Norm Van Lier dies at 61 — (USA Today)

Former Bulls player, commentator Norm Van Lier dies — (SI.com)

Feel free to post other links in the comment section. As The Zoner said, rest in peace Norm. You were a true gift to the game of basketball and to Chicago sports.

Update: Almost immediately after posting this I found another great link over at the Tribune, written by Rick Morrissey:

Ex-Chicago Bull Norm Van Lier, who played, lived hard, dies at 61 — (Tribune)

Includes this passage:

He loved being old school. He enjoyed talking about the bands he liked, including the Rolling Stones and Chicago. He liked to talk about toughness too. A lot. He didn’t have any use for players who weren’t hustling. That attitude had nothing to do with his age, 61, and everything to do with what he thought was right and wrong. You stepped on the court, you played hard. That was a given. It didn’t matter if you played in his era or the current one. If you played with fire, he saw it.

If you didn’t, God help you.

Being an outsider allowed him to look at the Bulls with a more discerning eye than other former members of the organization did. He was blunt, and he cared. It could be a wonderful, devastating combination on the air.

If you want to get a sense of that, go to YouTube.com and search for Norm Van Lier. There are a few classic rants about players who lack heart. Heart — he knew all about that, inside and out.

Good-bye, Stormin’ Norman.

Thanks for the suggestion on the videos Rick. Here are a couple of classic Norm Van Lier rants about the Chicago Bulls and heart:

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Wild Card Weekend of the NFL Playoffs has ended, and now its time for the final eight teams to square off in the Divisional Round.

Unfortunately, the two teams that I was rooting for in the AFC, the Dolphins and Colts, both fell short. However, both Baltimore and San Diego are exciting teams who should provide solid matchups to the top seeds, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

In the NFC, the Eagles win over the Vikings sets up the marquee matchup of the Divisional Round when Philadelphia travels to NFC East division rival and #1 seed New York. If you can only watch one game this weekend, I would think that would be the one you would watch.

Well, as we always do here at Midwest Sports Fans, we get you ready for the matchups of this upcoming weekend’s action with the TV Schedule, announcer lineups, point spreads, and over-under odds for the Divisional Round games.

As usual, the point spreads are provided by BetUs.com. And my projections for the announcer lineups were correct, as confirmed by Awful Announcing.

Divisional Round Matchups | TV Schedule – Announcer Pairings – Point Spreads

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Divisional Round Playoff Games on Saturday, January 10, 2009

Baltimore Ravens (12-5) at Tennessee Titans (13-3)

• TV Schedule: 4:30 ET on CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Point Spread: Tennessee Titans -3 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 34 1/2
• Ravens-Titans Preview and Prediction

Arizona Cardinals (10-7) at Carolina Panthers (12-4)

• TV Schedule: 8:15 ET on FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa
• Point Spread: Carolina Panthers -10 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 48 1/2

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Divisional Round Playoff Games on Sunday, January 11, 2009

Philadelphia Eagles (10-6-1) at New York Giants (12-4)

• TV Schedule: 1:00 ET on FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
• Point Spread: New York Giants -4 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 40

San Diego Chargers (9-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)

• TV Schedule: 4:45 ET on CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Point Spread: Pittsburgh Steelers -6 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 38

Wild Card weekend is now over. Follow the link for the Divisional Round Playoff Matchups, Announcer Pairings, and Point Spreads.

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I am getting excited just thinking about it. The NFL playoffs are here! And while my #1 team the Browns were nowhere close to the playoffs, I can take solace in the fact that the team I grew up rooting for, the Dolphins, made one of the biggest turnarounds NFL history and will be hosting a playoff game on Wild Card Weekend. As we always do, we will serve you up the TV Schedule, Announcer Pairings, and Point Spreads for the weekend of action in the NFL. Today, special thanks go out to Awful Announcing, who posted the announcer pairings on their site. The point spreads are courtesy of our friends at BetUs.com. So here you are, everything you need for Wild Card Weekend: TV Schedule, Announcer Pairings, and Point Spreads.

Wild Card Weekend: Saturday, January 3, 2009

__________ Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals

• TV Schedule: 4:30 on NBC
• Announcer Pairing: Tom Hammond, Cris Collinsworth, and (ugh) Tiki Barber
• Point Spread: Atlanta Falcons -2 1/2
• Over-Under: 51 1/2

Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers

• TV Schedule: 8:00 on NBC
• Announcer Pairing: Al Michaels, John Madden, and Andrea Kremer
• Point Spread: Indianapolis Colts -1 1/2
• Over-Under: 51

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Wild Card Weekend: Sunday, January 4, 2009

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Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins

• TV Schedule: 1:00 on CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Point Spread: Baltimore Ravens -3 1/2
• Over-Under: 37 1/2

Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings

• TV Schedule: 4:30 on FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
• Point Spread: Philadelphia Eagles -3 1/2
• Over-Under: 42

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Have a great weekend watching football everybody. The game of the week clearly is a rematch of old playoff foes the Colts and the Chargers. And they are perhaps the two hottest teams in the NFL right now. It should be an outstanding game. Indianapolis is favored, and probably deserve to be. You can’t favor Philip Rivers and Norv Turner over Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning in a playoff game. But like the Giants last year, the Chargers may be getting hot at just the right time. Would anyone really be surprised if they get on a roll and make a deep playoff run?

I wouldn’t. But I’d still put my money on the Colts eeking this one out…and then going on a deep playoff run of their own.

The Browns-Eagles game on Monday is just one of a host of key matchups in Week 15 of the 2008 NFL Season. With the playoff lives of so many teams hanging in the balance, the results of Week 15 will set us up for the final two week sprint to the playoff finish line.

As we do every week here at Midwest Sports Fans, we present you with the TV Schedule, Announcer Pairings, Point Spreads, and Over-Under odds for NFL Week 15. The announcer pairings are courtesy of the506.com and the point spreads and over-under odds are from Danny Sheridan at USA Today (and are subject to change before kickoff).

Remember, all times are ET. Here we go, the NFL Week 15 TV Schedule and Announcer Pairings:

New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears

• Thursday, December 11 — 8:15 ET — NFL Network
• Announcer Pairing: Bob Papa and Chris Collinsworth
• Point Spread: Chicago Bears -3
• Over-Under: 45
• Why you should watch: Both teams are clinging to playoff hopes, Drew Brees still has a good chance to break the single-season passing yardage record, and there are lots of exciting playmakers on the field (Devin Hester, Brian Urlacher, Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, etc.). Plus, it’s Thursday night — what the hell else are you going to do?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons

• Sunday, December 14 — 1:00 ET — FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger
• Point Spread: Atlanta Falcons -3
• Over-Under: 44 1/2
• Why you should watch: Both teams are batting for second place in the NFC South and for a wild card berth. Atlanta rookie Matt Ryan has developed an incredible rapport with Roddy White that goes well with the power run game of Michael Turner. Can Tampa Bay rebound from giving 6,000 yards rushing against Carolina?

San Francisco 49ers at Miami Dolphins

• Sunday, December 14 — 1:00 ET — FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan
• Point Spread: Miami Dolphins -6 1/2
• Over-Under: 42
• Why you should watch: The Miami Dolphins, 1-15 a year ago, control their own destiny in the AFC East with three weeks to go. Amazing. San Francisco has been playing much better since Mike Singletary flashed his butt cheeks to the team. This could be a very entertaining game with young stars like Patrick Willis and Frank Gore on one side, and grizzled vets like Chad Pennington and Joey Porter on the other.

Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams

• Sunday, December 14 — 1:00 ET — FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Matt Vasgersian and J.C. Pearson
• Point Spread: No line
• Over-Under: No line
• Why you should watch: You shouldn’t. They are only playing this game because the schedule says they have to.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets

• Sunday, December 14 — 1:00 ET — CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Point Spread: New York Jets -7
• Over-Under: 41 1/2
• Why you should watch: You can pretty much stick a fork in the Bills, but it will be interesting to see how the Jets rebound from two straight losses to Denver and San Francisco. Laveraneus Coles and Brett Favre seem to not be on the same page, and the Jets D is playing much less stoutly than before.

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs

• Sunday, December 14 — 1:00 ET — CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
• Point Spread: San Diego Chargers -5
• Over-Under: 46
• Why you should watch: San Diego is still clinging to very faint playoff hopes. This is a matchup of two of the greatest tight ends ever in Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. Other than that, not much here.

Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals

• Sunday, December 14 — 1:00 ET — FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa
• Point Spread: Washington Redskins -7
• Over-Under: 36
• Why you should watch: If you’re a Redskins game, this is a huge must-win game against a terrible team. Otherwise, don’t waste your time.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans

• Sunday, December 14 — 1:00 ET — CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker
• Point Spread: Tennessee Titans -3
• Over-Under: 44 1/2
• Why you should watch: A sleeper pick for game of the week. Houston is all but eliminated from playoff contention, but they have been playing better as of late. This game features two of the most exciting young players in the league in Steve Slaton and Chris Johnson. And, of course, Gus Johnson is announcing. This game could be fun.

Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars

• Sunday, December 14 — 1:00 ET — FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli
• Point Spread: Green Bay Packers -2 1/2
• Over-Under: 45
• Why you should watch: If you’re a Packers or Jaguars fan. That’s it. Both of these teams’ seasons are toast.

Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts

• Sunday, December 14 — 1:00 ET — FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
• Point Spread: Indianapolis Colts -17 1/2
• Over-Under: 45
• Why you should watch: Can Detroit get the win they need to avoid being 0-16? Can the Colts actually run the ball against someone? Indianapolis has won six straight, but questions still remain about their strength for the playoffs. This should be a nice tune-up game for them. But then again, the Cleveland game was supposed to be like that also before they got on track last weekend.

Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals

• Sunday, December 14 — 4:05 ET — FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman
• Point Spread: No line
• Over-Under: No line
• Why you should watch: Adrian Peterson is always worth watching, and the Vikings are fighting to stay atop the NFC North. Kurt Warner is trying to challenge Drew Brees for the single-season passing record, and it is always entertaining watching Warner throw to Fitzgerald, Boldin, and Breaston. This game could actually be a preview of a future first round playoff matchup.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens

• Sunday, December 14 — 4:15 ET — CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Point Spread: Baltimore Ravens -1 1/2
• Over-Under: 34
• Why you should watch: If you’re a football fan, this is a must-watch game. Pittsburgh is winning, although they are still struggling on offense. Coming into Baltimore with an offense clicking on less than all cylinders is not usually a recipe for success. Baltimore is a fun team to watch when their D is playing inspired like it is right now. Oh, and the AFC North is on the line.

Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers

• Sunday, December 14 — 4:15 ET — CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Dick Enberg, Randy Cross, and Dan Fouts
• Point Spread: Carolina Panthers -7 1/2
• Over-Under: 47 1/2
• Why you should watch: Carolina ran the ball for over 300 yards on Tampa Bay, one of the best defenses in the NFL. Denver boats one of the worst run defenses in the entire league. Can Carolina go for 400 this week? 500? No, this is the NFL, where randomness rules, so Denver will probably stuff Carolina and make us all scratch our heads. If Denver’s offense comes to play, this should be an entertaining, high-scoring affair.

New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders

• Sunday, December 14 — 4:15 ET — CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Point Spread: New England Patriots -7
• Over-Under: 40
• Why you should watch: The Patriots need a win to keep pace with the Jets and Dolphins in the AFC East. Oakland sucks, so they should get it.

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

• Sunday, December 14 — 8:15 ET — NBC
• Announcer Pairing: Al Michaels and John Madden
• Point Spread: Dallas Cowboys -3
• Over-Under: 44 1/2
• Why you should watch: Two solid teams, and a good matchup for the primetime game. Can the Giants overcome more injuries and distractions and prove that last week was aberration? Or is New York prepping for a later season swoon…like the Cowboys did last year? The Cowboys need a win to stay in the playoff hunt.

Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles

• Monday, December 15 — 8:30 ET — ESPN
• Announcer Pairing: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser
• Point Spread: Philadelphia Eagles -14
• Over-Under: 38 1/2
• Why you should watch: This game had so much potential at the beginning of the year. But with Ken Dorsey starting, a lame-duck head coach, and the Browns possessing zero belief that they can win games, this one will be nearly impossible on the road against a time playing well and fighting for its playoff life. Sure, anything can happen in the NFL — but probably not this one for the Browns.

Enjoy your weekend of Week 15 NFL football everybody. We’ll be back next week with another TV Schedule, Announcer Pairing, Point Spread, and Over-Under breakdown.

Click here for the current NFL TV schedule and Announcer Pairings for Week 15

Are you ready for some football?

One of the best times of the sports year is coming up: the college football bowl season and the stretch run in the NFL regular season, which also means the fantasy football playoffs as well.

(By the way, follow the link if you want to see the college football TV schedule for this week, including all of the conference championship games.)

As usual, Midwest Sports Fans gets you ready for your weekend of watching football with the NFL TV Schedule, Announcer Pairings, Point Spreads, and Over-Under Odds for Week 14.

All times are ET, the announcer pairings are courtesy of the506.com, the point spreads and over-under odds are courtesy of Danny Sheridan at USA Today (and subject to change), and the commentary is courtesy of yours truly.

Here you go. Have fun watching the NFL and tracking your fantasy football rosters in Week 14:

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

• Thursday, December 4 — 8:15 PM
• TV: NFLN
• Announcer Pairing: Bob Papa and Chris Collinsworth
• Point Spread: San Diego Chargers -10
• Over-Under Odds: 43
• What’s at stake: Not a whole hell of a lot after the Chargers lost to Atlanta last week. Their season is pretty much dead; and Oakland’s season was never really alive.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears

• Sunday, December 7 — 1:00
• TV: CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Point Spread: Chicago Bears -7
• Over-Under Odds: 40 1/2
• What’s at stake: A lot for the Bears, who remain only 1 game behind the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. Nothing for Jacksonville, one of the most disappointing teams of 2008.

Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers

• Sunday, December 7 — 1:00
• TV: CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Gus Johnson at Steve Tasker
• Point Spread: Green Bay Packers -6
• Over-Under Odds: 47 1/2
• What’s at stake: Nothing for Houston, but Green Bay still has a fighting chance in the NFC North if they win out and get some help. Gus Johnson is announcing this game though, so it may very well be the best game of the weekend.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

• Sunday, December 7 — 1:00
• TV: FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Dick Stockton, Brian Baldinger, Brian Billick
• Point Spread: New Orleans Saints -3 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 52
• Unfortunately, not much for the Saints in terms of a playoff berth. The pretty dug their own grave by losing last week. Atlanta, however, is very much alive for an NFC wild card and an NFC South division title if the can win at least 3 out of the last 4 — which would put a nice cap on the most surprising season of any team this year. Also at stake is Drew Brees’ pursuit of Dan Marino’s single season passing yardage mark, for which he remains on pace.

Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans

• Sunday, December 7 — 1:00
• TV: CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Don Criqui and Dan Fouts
• Point Spread: Tennessee Titans -14
• Over-Under Odds: 37 1/2
• What’s at stake: It pains me to say this as a Browns fan, but there is absolutely nothing at stake. Tennessee, I suppose, is still playing for homefield advantage, but they pretty much have it locked up already unless they completely collapse. Any chance the Browns can pull Dan Fouts out of the announcer booth to play QB? He might have a better arm right now that Ken Dorsey.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants

• Sunday, December 7 — 1:00
• TV: FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
• Point Spread: New York Giants -7
• Over-Under Odds: 44
• What’s at stake: A lot. The Giants are looking to virtually wrap up the NFC East with a win, and take one more step towards homefield advantage. The Eagles are clinging to their last chance of a playoff berth with no room for error. After the Plaxico Burress-Antonio Pierce controversy from this week I am surprised this game was not moved to the afternoon or Sunday night. Maybe it was too late to make a schedule change.

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts

• Sunday, December 7 — 1:00
• TV: CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
• Point Spread: Indianapolis -14
• Over-Under Odds: -42
• What’s at stake: Nothing for Cincy, but Indianapolis is 8-4 and fighting for a Wild Card berth in the AFC. Plus, after their putrid offensive performance last week against Cleveland, I am sure that Peyton Manning is itching to get some rhythm back in the offense. This should be a good chance to get it.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

• Sunday, December 7 — 1:00
• TV: FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan
• Point Spread: Minnesota Vikings -9 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 46
• What’s at stake: Surprisingly, a decent amount — at least from a historical perspective. Detroit is 0-12 and this may be their best chance for a win. They are at home against a team that has dealt with a lot of distractions this week and could be ripe for an upset. The Vikings have a one game lead in the NFC North and could open the door wide open for the Bears and Packers should they falter in Detroit. It won’t be a pretty game though, that’s for sure.

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (in Toronto)

• Sunday, December 7 — 4:05
• TV: CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Point Spread: Buffalo Bills -1
• Over-Under Odds: 42 1/2
• What’s at stake: A lot. The Dolphins have surprised everyone by competing for a playoff spot after a 1-15 season. If they win out, they win the AFC East — it’s that simple. The chances of that happening may not be good, but just that it’s possible is a testament to the job done by Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano. The Bills can maintain a grip on their last gasp of playoff hope with a win.

New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers

• Sunday, December 7 — 4:05
• TV: CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Point Spread: New York Jets -3 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 45
• What’s at stake: Not enough for the #1 announcing team at CBS to be calling this game. The Jets simply need to win as atonement for last week’s loss to Denver to maintain their hold on the AFC East. The 49ers, as usual in December, are playing for pride.

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

• Sunday, December 7 — 4:05
• TV: CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Bill Macatee and Steve Beuerlein
• Point Spread: Denver Broncos -9 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 48 1/2
• What’s at stake: Nothing. The Chiefs were out of it in September and Denver has the AFC West pretty much locked up. All that’s left is for Jay Cutler to show off the God-like strength of his arm. We can all watch in amazement. Is that John Elway? Brett Favre? Superman? No…it’s Jay Cutler, from Santa Claus, Indiana.

New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks

• Sunday, December 7 — 4:05
• TV: CBS
• Announcer Pairing: Dick Enberg and Randy Cross
• Point Spread: New England Patriots -4 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 43 1/2
• What’s at stake: The Patriots just to win to stay in the thick of AFC playoff race. Seattle, like the 49ers, is just playing for pride. Do you realize, though, that if Matt Cassel and Matt Hasselbeck got married, and chose to hyphenate their last names, that they would both be named Matt Cassel-Hasselbeck? Or they could fuse their last names and both be Matt Casselbeck. This is type of analysis you can only get at Midwest Sports Fans.

St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals

• Sunday, December 7 — 4:05
• TV: FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Matt Vasgersian and J.C. Pearson
• Point Spread: Arizona Cardinals -13 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 48 1/2
• What’s at stake: The Cardinals pretty much have a playoff spot guaranteed because the NFC West blows. They have not been playing well lately however, so this game is a chance to right the ship. There is much more at stake in fantasy football, where many teams (like mine) have ridden Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald to the playoffs.

Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers

• Sunday, December 7 — 4:05
• TV: FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman
• Point Spread: Pittsburgh Steelers -3
• Over-Under Odds: 40 1/2
• What’s at stake: A lot. Pittsburgh is in the playoffs, but they are looking to stay on track for a bye and a home game. The Cowboys are embroiled in the think of the NFC wild card race, with the NFC East race all but over thanks to the Giants’ stellar play. Dallas needs to win this game for their confidence after feasting on turkeys the last few weeks, and to stay ahead of the pack for the Wild Card.

Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens

• Sunday, December 7 — 8:15
• TV: NBC
• Announcer Pairing: Al Michaels and John Madden
• Point Spread: Baltimore Ravens -5 1/2
• Over-Under Odds: 36
• What’s at stake: A lot. First, there are the D.C.-Maryland area bragging rights. Then you have both teams fighting for a playoff spot in their respective conferences. And the great matchup of Clinton Portis against the Ravens run D. This should be a fun game, and meaningful to boot.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Monday, December 8 — 8:30
• TV: ESPN
• Announcer Pairing: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Tony Kornheiser
• Point Spread: Carolina Panthers -3
• Over-Under Odds: 38 1/2
• What’s at stake: Again, a lot. Football fans and the networks struck gold with primetime games that are meaningful this week (after the dreck of Jacksonville-Houston last Monday). This game will go a long way towards determining the NFC South champion and who gets a bye and a home game in the playoffs. The Panthers run it well, the Bucs stop the run well. And that is only one instance of strength versus strength in this matchup. Should be fun.

Click here for the current NFL TV schedule and Announcer Pairings for Week 15

(If you have any last minute lineup questions, head over to the Start Em, Sit Em Live Chat being held between 9:00 and 11:00 ET Sunday morning. You can go early and submit your question, just make sure to check back after 9:00 to get your answer.)

Week 11 of the NFL season begins tonight as the New York Jets battle the New England Patriots. As usual, we get you ready for all the weekend NFL action with our comprehensive listing of the TV Schedule, announcer lineup, point spreads, and other key game notes.

Feel free to jaunt over to the506.com to see the distribution map for all of Sunday’s games so you know what games will be shown in your area. Later in the weekend I’ll add updated injury reports to the listings. If you’re impatient and want injury information now, tough titties. Just kidding — go to www.nfl.com/injuries.

Also, while you’re here, you might as well participate in our Midwest Sports Fans NFL Pick ‘Em contest. If you haven’t already submitted picks, this is the last week to get started as you must pick at least seven weeks’ worth of games to eligible for whatever prize we award.

Here we go. The Week 11 NFL Schedule:

New York Jets at New England Patriots

• Thursday, November 13 – 8:15 ET – NFL Network – Bob Papa and Chris Collinsworth
• Point Spread: New England -3 1/2 | Over/Under: 41 1/2

Baltimore Ravens at New York GIants

• Sunday, November 16 – 1:00 ET – CBS – Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Point Spread: New York -6 1/2 | Over/Under: 42

Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons

• Sunday, November 16 – 1:00 ET – CBS – Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon
• Point Spread: Atlanta -5 1/2 | Over/Under: 51

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

• Sunday, November 16 – 1:00 ET – CBS – GUS JOHNSON!!! and Steve Tasker
• Point Spread: Indianapolis -8 1/2 | Over/Under: 50 1/2

Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins

• Sunday, November 16 – 1:00 ET – CBS – Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots
• Point Spread: Miami -10 1/2 | Over/Under: 38 1/2

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

• Sunday, November 16 – 1:00 ET – FOX – Joe Buck and Troy Aikman
• Point Spread: Green Bay -3 1/2 | Over/Under: 44

Philadelphia Eagles at Cincinnati Bengals

• Sunday, November 16 – 1:00 ET – FOX – Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa
• Point Spread: Philadelphia -9 1/2 | Over/Under: 42 1/2

Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Sunday, November 16 – 1:00 ET – FOX – Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan
• Point Spread: Tampa Bay -4 | Over/Under: 39

New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs

• Sunday, November 16 – 1:00 ET – FOX – Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
• Point Spread: New Orleans -5 | Over/Under: 49 1/2

Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers

• Sunday, November 16 – 1:00 ET – FOX – Ron Pitts and Tony Boselli
• Point Spread: Carolina -14 | Over/Under: 39 1/2

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

• Sunday, November 16 – 4:00 ET – FOX – Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger
• Point Spread: Arizona -2 1/2 | Over/Under: 48

St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers

• Sunday, November 16 – 4:00 ET – FOX – Matt Vasgersian and J.C. Pearson
• Point Spread: San Francisco -6 | Over/Under: 44 1/2

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers

• Sunday, November 16 – 4:00 ET – CBS – Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Point Spread: Pittsburgh -4 1/2 | Over/Under: 43 1/2

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

• Sunday, November 16 – 4:00 ET – CBS – Dick Enberg and Randy Cross
• Point Spread: Tennessee -3 | Over/Under: 39

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins

• Sunday, November 16 – 8:15 ET – NBC – Al Michaels and John Madden
• Point Spread: Dallas -2 1/2 | Over/Under: 45 1/2

Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills

• Monday, November 17 – 8:30 ET – ESPN – Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Tony Kornheiser
• Point Spread: Buffalo -4 1/2 | Over/Under: 42 1/2

Stay up to date with the latest Week 11 Fantasy Football information over at the Fantasy Sports Blog by Midwest Sports Fans.