The NFL is, to a very large degree, coated with Teflon. Dogfighting, thuggery, videotape cheating and signal-stealing really have done little to take away from the league's popularity.

NBC's Tiki Barber said Thursday not only does the game survive, but the controversies have been good for all of us.

"These are world issues," Barber said. "These are issues in our country. In some ways, the fact that they're in our game brings light to them. Who cared about dogfighting before Michael Vick got caught and it came into the national spotlight? In the long term, maybe some good will be done in continuing to fight dogfighting.

"As far as the sportsmanship issue, talking about (Bill) Belichick, and the lessons that are able to be learned (from the Patriots videotape scandal), I think it's great that the lessons are talked about, even though it was wrong, I think the right examples are being exemplified now. I think it's a service, in some ways, to our country."

John Madden, who was on the same conference call with Barber, replied immediately.

"I hate it," said Madden, "because I think it overshadows the game and I think the negative dominates the positive by so much, it's a joke. I think there's so many good things that happen in the NFL that can't become big stories because these few negative stories have. I think it stinks."

Barber was intrigued by Madden's response.

"But it's interesting," Barber said. "It's about getting eyes; it's about getting viewers. I think people are fascinated by it."

"But it doesn't get viewers," Madden countered. "I think it turns people off."

Dallas and Chicago will play on NBC's "Sunday Night Football" this week.

Tirico and friends: A good start Thursday to Mike Tirico's new show on ESPN Radio. Tirico will be joined by three co-hosts: Scott Van Pelt, Michele Tafoya and Kirk Herbstreit with Van Pelt being first among equals and filling in for Tirico when he's away.

On the show's debut, Dan Patrick called in to wish Tirico well in Patrick's former time slot.

Round and round with ratings: A few notes on what you've been watching:

n "The NFL Today on CBS beat out "Fox NFL Sunday" for the second straight week. CBS had a 3.3 rating and a 9 percent share of the audience in the battle of pregame shows, compared to Fox's 2.6 and 7.

n Sports Business Daily reports NBC is averaging an 11.0 rating and 18 share for its three prime-time NFL telecasts, down 15 percent from last year's 13.0 and 21. Last Sunday, NBC's Chargers-Patriots game drew a 9.8 rating, compared to only a 4.3 for the Emmy Awards on Fox.

n The final round of the Tour Championship on NBC, in which the FedEx Cup was awarded to Tiger Woods, earned a 3.0 rating, compared to a 0.9 on ABC.

Other notes: Brett Favre's imminent breaking of the all-time NFL record for touchdown passes will be a hot topic on Sunday's network pregame shows. CBS figures to have the inside track, however. Favre will be interviewed by the man who currently holds the record (420): Dan Marino. Panelists for Tuesday's "ESPN Town Meeting" on how the Vick dogfighting case has divided Atlanta include former Vick teammate Terrence Mathis, Atlanta radio host Neal Boortz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Terence Moore and New York Times columnist Selena Roberts.

— Jim Carlisle