One of football’s greatest color commentators has decided to hang it up as John Madden has announced his retirement from NBC sports. It would be easy to say that John Madden was not only the most recognizable announcer of his generation but easily the most recognizable face in football.
Madden was the Oakland Raiders head coach from 1969-1978 and won Super Bowl XI over the Minnesota Vikings. Madden's record with the Raiders of 103-32-7 along with seven AFC west titles mark his coaching career as one of the best in NFL history. Madden's .750 winning percentage is still the highest ever for NFL head coach. He was inducted into the Pro Football HOF in 2006. However his broadcasting career sticks out the most for fans.
He was known for his off-color antics, his literal interpretation of the game, and to be honest some stuff that most of us are still trying to figure out to this day. He has been working as color analyst for CBS/FOX/NBC for thirty years. It seems to be odd that Madden is going to be absent from this year of football and he will be missed by a fair amount of fans.
Madden’s influence has reached passed his broadcasting career. The creation of the Madden video game has cost many of us a portion of our lives and he is to be thanked for that. The Madden Cruiser is possibly the most distinctive bus known to us at this time as Madden’s fear of flying incorporated a need for it. Madden’s love of food was shown every Thanksgiving day and brought most of us the knowledge and the existence of the “Turducken”
There are very few announcers who are parodied in sports, Madden was one of most parodied in sports. Frank Caliendo has made a career of making fun of Madden and his over-the-top delivery.
On some level, Madden became bigger than the game but his humility and his ability to relate to people kept him human. The football fan from Kenosha, Wisconsin could enjoy Madden’s brand of humor as well as the fan living in Miami or Seattle.
It is also ironic that John Madden’s “bromance” with Brett Favre; both are now retired. One of the greatest quarterbacks and one of the greatest announcers on some level will go hand and hand into the sunset together.
John Madden walks off into the sunset
