Daily Madden: Giants Fans Relieved By Lincecum's Strong Start
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Tim Lincecum threw seven scoreless innings for his first win since April 28 as the Giants swept the Dodgers at AT&T Park Wednesday to move into a tie for first place.
"The Tim Lincecum story is big," John Madden told the KCBS morning crew. "I think that brings a lot of passion out in fans -- you know a guy that they really like and has done a lot for the Giants, and has a few problems and is coming back from them, and it looks like he's working his way out. So there are a lot of things there that can really excite people."
Manager Bruce Bochy went to the mound in the seventh inning, but decided to leave Lincecum in the game.
"It's more about looking in the player's eyes when you call a play or you send a guy in or you're doing something than it is a play out of the playbook," Madden said. "I've always felt that."
Green Bay Packers and former Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named the player of the year in an NFL Network poll of his NFL colleagues.
"These are things that are just manufactured by the NFL Network, and I'm not sure that all players vote on that," Madden said. "But I think they got it right in Aaron Rodgers."
The NFL's rookie orientation is taking place in Ohio this year to "build a relationship with the history of the league," according to NFL officials. Madden likes the idea.
"They'd get all these rookies (in the past) and take them to a resort. Why not take them to Canton, the heart of where football started?" Madden said. "So many of them come in and they don't know the guys that played yesterday, they don't know the guys that played a month ago, the history of what made this game what it is... (They need to) kind of feel what this game is all about." (5:00)
Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.
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