John Madden Retires

[Brock Landers]

Just announced, i wonder who will replace him on NBC?

[Bread]

But what about the wildlife that lives in his eyebrows? Where will they go???

[Brock Landers]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30246064/

[ItchyHooHoo]

i nominate JJgold to replace him. they would have to put in on hbo though...too many f bombs.

[ItchyHooHoo]

He can do the crypt dance at haltime. Awesome!

[pico]

now who is going to tell me a punt is where you kick the ball on a 4th down...

[SBR Lou]

Hopefully Cris Collinsworth lands the job.

[jjgold]

Madden was great and Cris will be a fukkin bore compared to him. I think whoever replaces him it will never be the same. Johhny was an icon and we all had great memories of the Thanksgiving games he did. I think that is what I remember most about him.

[element1286]

Good, he was awful.

[jjgold]

Good, he was awful.

I want a retraction of that statement right now or I might put you under post review.

[SamsNCharge99]

so wait, John Madden...blah blah blah BRETT FAVRE.......and uhhh BRETT FARVE....and then all of a sudden

BOOM, he retires

[MrMonkey]

Hopefully Cris Collinsworth lands the job.

Collinsworth always had to take crap in the Fox pregame show even though he knew his stuff! Not a fan favorite but good to have someone who knows what the hell is going on out there! Is anyone old enough that remembers how bad Bob Trumpy was and he got to do a Super Bowl!

MrMonkey

[SBR Lou]

Collinsworth always had to take crap in the Fox pregame show even though he knew his stuff! Not a fan favorite but good to have someone who knows what the hell is going on out there! Is anyone old enough that remembers how bad Bob Trumpy was and he got to do a Super Bowl!

MrMonkey

I don't care if he's well liked or a "draw", I agree the guy seriously knows the game of football and I think he has an excellent voice and knack for calling a game.

I mean, this is the only guy in the history of broadcasting that could ever maintain his composure calling a game next to Bryant Gumbel.

[BestPlay2day]

I enjoyed listening to John Madden. Bet those bus trips were getting really long at his age.

[big joe 1212]

BoBo the Clown could do a better job!

[smitch124]

This is a dark day for Frank Caliendo...

[jackpot269]

Going to miss the great John Madden but agree that Collinsworth is probably best replacement!!!!!!!!!!!

[BadNina]

This is a dark day for Frank Caliendo...

He could replace him.

[Poker_Beast]

Just announced, i wonder who will replace him on NBC?

[daggerkobe]

Dennis Miller.

[jjgold]

Guy goes down as one of all time greats in the NFL booth, everyone associates the NFL with him. He was one of reasons to bring the NFL to new great heights.

[slacker00]

Guy goes down as one of all time greats in the NFL booth, everyone associates the NFL with him. He was one of reasons to bring the NFL to new great heights.

I agree. The people that don't get him don't realize that he's speaking to the casual fan, not the wannabe NFLer who couldn't make it in junior college. Madden deserves a lot of respect for breaking down the game to someone absolutely new to the game. For the rest of us, we could still pick up things by reading between the lines of the cliches used by the Super Bowl winning head coach.

[wtf]

Last updated: 2:33 am
April 17, 2009
Posted: 2:09 am
April 17, 2009
TRUTH is, I'd have pre ferred to have ignored this story. Insincere tributes, after all, do neither of us any good. But who wants to write -- or read -- someone putting the knock on a fellow the day after he retires?
But it's not the kind of story a sports TV/radio columnist can ignore, thus, for better or worse, we're stuck with my version of the truth:
John Madden, who -- boom! -- packed it in yesterday after 28 years in the NFL color analyst business, ascended to a position in which he was extraordinarily disappointing. As America's lead NFL analyst -- for four networks -- he rose to never stand for anything of substance, except for chasing dough.
Madden, from his position, was in a position known to few. He had the stage and clout to change bad to good. Off air, for example, he'd claim to dislike all the show-boaters, chest-pounders, taunters, end-zone dancers -- those who were removing the sport from the sport. He didn't like the way the NFL's worst acts were being identified as its best.
And he was strong enough and respected enough to change all of that, much of that, some of that, or at least give it a shot.
But, on the air, he rarely said a word; he always played it safe. The only on-field folks he'd swipe at were the officials, although Madden seemed unfamiliar with the rules.
Madden had endorsements to protect and commercial opportunities to grow. His popular video games came to include -- and stress as a selling point -- the misconduct that he could have fought.
Fox's Jan. 7, 1996 Eagles-Cowboys playoff game telecast was representative of what Madden had become. The game was loaded with ugly late hits, garbage-talking and hassles after every play. But Madden didn't say a discouraging word.
He did, however, compliment Dallas offensive lineman Erik Williams for playing well "following that accident." He failed to mention that Williams, in "that accident," was charged with DWI.
Midway into the fourth quarter, the Cowboys up, 23-3, Deion Sanders intercepted a pass deep in Philly territory. Fall down, game over. But Sanders attempted to return it then tried a blind, brainless lateral. Madden, ex-coach, should have nailed Sanders. Instead, he pandered, praising him as "exciting."
It's not Madden's fault. Obviously, TV execs found him irresistible and indispensable, fighting hard to throw as much as $8 million at him to call 20 or fewer games a year. And then there were many millions of dollars more in commercials, video games, radio and publishing. Brand Madden.
So it's not as if looking the other way during football games -- every game for over 20 years -- was an unsuccessful formula.
But as a fellow who was in a position to have done lots or even a little to try to sustain football as a sport, Madden passed. He did nothing.

[jjgold]

Just a jealous sports writer, Madden made tons of money because he was not critical. That was his style.

The Summerall/Madden days will never be matched again.

His Night gigs can be replaced, he was a Sunday daytime Broadcaster

[slacker00]

Maybe Madden had some faults, such as pandering, but he's still the greatest NFL broadcaster of all time. Perhaps that says more about the weakness of NFL broadcasting, be that as it may, nobody was better during the past 30 years.

[Brock Landers]

Collinsworth was named his replacement, filled in for him one game last october in Tampa..

[Slim]

Great Cris Collinsworthless.

[username474]

"when its raining out the ball can get slippery"

[jgbgsox]

summerall and madden those were the good days

[Shortstop]

Madden was the best. Sad news for the NFL.

[SBR Lou]

Hopefully Cris Collinsworth lands the job.

Collinsworth was named his replacement, filled in for him one game last october in Tampa..

[Bread]

How did Brock know that John Madden retired??

[keyboarding]