Madden's Broadcasting Streak to End at 476 Games

In another words, would Madden be NBC's Wally Pipp, permanently replaced by the network's Lou Gehrig/Chris Collinsworth the first time he took a day off?

"I said no, absolutely not, I want you for all six years of this contract," Ebersol said he told Madden. "We are a much better organization with John and Cris. To me, it's just a week to rest my best player. It's like giving your best starting pitcher an extra day off in the rotation."

"I don't remember asking him that," Madden said, "but he did tell me he wants me for the whole six years. I mean, this is what I do. I've done it all my life. I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I've done nothing else but football. If it ever gets to the point where I don't love it, I won't do it. The travel, the film study, talking to players, going to practice. It's like my hobby. It's still exciting to me. I love it. It's a way of life for me."

Ebersol said he also was looking ahead to when the league's flex schedule kicks in during Week 11, allowing the network to opt out of its previously scheduled Sunday night game and pick a contest that may be more compelling to viewers. But on three straight flex weekends, starting with the Redskins playing the Cowboys at FedEx Field on Nov. 16, Madden may well have to make two semi-cross country trips in a 14-day span anyway.

After what should be a compelling Dallas-Washington matchup, NBC is scheduled to do another potentially blockbluster game, with Indianapolis heading to San Diego on Nov. 23. That will be followed a week later by Chicago at Minnesota, which likely will also have significant playoff implications and not be replaced by another flexed game.

Travel by bus over that stretch also could be dicey, what with winter weather a possibility, particularly crossing the Rockies to get out to San Diego, then back again to Minneapolis unless the network flexes out to a better game, which now seems highly unlikely.

"Look, I think that John is not only the best game analyst in the history of sports, he remains the best analyst on televi sion," Ebersol said. "I just think it's smart thinking to do it this way."

Collinsworth at some point way down the road may well be asked to move into Madden's analyst chair for Sunday night games when (or if) Madden decides to park the bus permanently. But at the moment, Ebersol said Collinsworth wants no part of going on the road to a football game every weekend. He has children very much involved in high school and youth sports, and Collinsworth said in an interview several weeks ago that working in the studio on Sunday allows him the joyful freedom to see them in action every week, and do a little coaching on the side, as well.

"Cris will tell you he wants his life to stay exactly the way it is right now," Ebersol said. "So let's be very clear about this. I had one goal in mind when we (NBC) got football in April of 2005, and that was to lock up the two best analysts in football. John is the best game analyst, and no one has been better in the studio than Cris Collinsowrth. We're better off having them both, and that's exactly how it's going to stay.

"You know what's so interesting about John? He reveres young people. He'd rather hang around with the production assistants and the athletes. And he gets so charged up for the football season. In the spring, he can't wait to get back into the circus, and I see no sign of that waning."

Leonard Shapiro can be reached at Len.Shapiro@washingtonpost.com.