Daily Madden: Bocce Ball Trash Talk Resumes Ahead Of Charity Battle

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Practice sessions for next week's Madden-Mariucci Battle of the Bay Charity Bocce Tournament are underway.

KCBS sports anchor Steve Bitker liked teammate Dave Lewis' unorthodox one-knee-on-the-ground stance and between the legs toss. John Madden wasn't impressed. "He's a joke, the guy's a laugher," Madden said, while acknowledging his own shortcomings. "I've never thought that I walk around in splendor."

Bitker insisted Lewis has a winning style. "That will be determined in competition," Madden said. "You know we all look good in practice... Winning is a great deodorant. If he wins and he's good, then they'll applaud him for it. If he's not too good, they'll laugh at him."

Madden saw his bocce nemesis, former 49er coach and NFL analyst Steve Mariucci, in the parking lot after a practice session this week. "You know a guy who's not ready is Mooch, poor ol' Mooch," Madden said. "You know that look where someone is in the parking lot and has no idea where his car is? That's Mooch... He's just telling me how good he is and how he's focused and concentrating, and then he loses his car in a parking lot of 20 cars. When he finally saw me laughing at him, the last thing he said was, 'don't tell anyone.'" 

Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)