It’s unlikely anyone associated with professional football had more of an impact on the sport in as many ways as John Madden.
To older fans he was a long-time successful head coach of the Oakland Raiders. To fans in the next generation, he will always be remembered as the voice of the NFL along on Sunday afternoons with broadcast partner Pat Summerall. To future generations, he will always be linked to his Madden NFL video games.
While I have been around long enough to remember Madden patrolling the sidelines for the Raiders, my best memories of him were in the broadcast booth.
Madden compiled an impressive 103-32-7 coaching record with one Super Bowl trophy. He advanced to several AFC championship games. When he stepped away from coaching after the 1978 season many felt he would probably return in a season or two. He never did.
What Madden did, however, was become one of the most memorable color commentators the sports world has known. His over-the-top personality made him an almost instant hit with fans although, like anyone, he did have some detractors.
While Madden would have been great regardless of his announcing partner, his pairing with Summerall cemented his legacy even further. Those Sunday afternoon games on CBS from San Francisco or Dallas simply felt special.
Unfortunately, since the Atlanta Falcons were typically bad, Summerall and Madden were almost always elsewhere.
His end-of-the-season All-Madden teams were credible simply because his name was associated with it. If a player impressed Madden, then you know he was doing something right.
When CBS lost broadcast rights to the NFL after the 1993 season many fans, myself included, felt the greatest announcing team of all-time would be no more. However, Fox, still a relatively new network at the time, hired both of them and they continued as a team until 2001.
Madden would later broadcast Monday Night Football games on ABC before moving over to Sunday Night Football on NBC. Madden’s move to Sunday night actually made that game seem more important than the legendary the following night.
He was the perfect color commentator because his coaching background allowed fans an insight into the finer workings of the game. Current color commentator Tony Romo also excels in this area.
Madden always seems to truly enjoy what he was doing. His genuine excitement for the game, regardless of where he was week to week, was contagious and fans were captivated by his chalkboard diagrams and play breakdowns.
He was a natural actor and his life-loving style was evident in everything he did from commercials to appearances in music videos.
Professional football, at its core, is entertainment. We all watch the games to be entertained. For decades Madden was part of that entertainment each Sunday afternoon and later Sunday and Monday nights.
His voice will live on through NFL Films features as well as YouTube. The broadcast booth hasn’t been the same since he left, however, and it’s sad to say we all know it will truly never be the same now.
Chris Bridges is a former sports editor for The Covington News and The Walton Tribune. He welcomes feedback about this column at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.
