Posted on 02/16/2020 9:32:08 AM PST by Rebelbase
Household NFL name John Madden stepped onto the scene in 1969 as the Oakland Raiders head coach, leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory in 1977. Following his coaching career, Madden went on to become a 16-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and the poster child for the Madden NFL video game franchise. John Madden: A Football Life examines Madden's storied football life and the legacy he has left on the game and its players.
"He was a Hall of Fame football coach. He was a gigantic television star. Why? Because the bit of advice that everybody gets that's easy to say but hard to follow: be yourself. He was able to be himself…and people loved him." – Bob Costas
Madden. What a character. God bless him!
Is Brett Favre going to TIVO it?
“Madden is on the field, he want’s to know if it is real! They said yes! Get yer big butt outta here! He does!” Bay Area announcing legend describing Madden’s, and the ref’s, reactions following the Raider’s incredible ‘Holy Roller’ play, 1978.
Just looked at video of Paul Simon’s recording “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard”...It has Mickey Mantle and John Madden in it...GREAT!!!!
He was original and genuine. That was enough.
He also has, or had, a five minute or so spot on local radio in the Bay Area where he just talks about stuff, vaguely like Andy Rooney used to do on 60 minutes, but more folksy. Mrs. Flash, who doesn’t know the front end of a football from the back end (they’re round where she comes from) knows him from these spots.
Funny memory of Madden commentary I remember was after drawing on the screen with the telepen came into fashion.
He was drawing all over the screen on a clip from the pre-game tailgate moving the brats with arrows into the buns.
“The brats go into the bun with a blitz of mustard then screen with kraut, that’s the way you do it”.
When my son was five and thought crashing into people was fun, we signed him up for football in the city rec program. I bought a children’s book explaining football by this guy I had seen on tv- John Madden. It was really informative, about football, and about Madden himself. You could picture him as a kid in an empty lot with his school chums, learning the game by doing it. The last part of the book falls apart with too much name dropping and too little teaching, but the book is still well worth it. I think it is called The First Book of Football.
Madden was doing a Packers game, and then he suddenly circles Tootie Robbins’ ass after a play and comments how big it was. I thought it was creepy!
Big glutes equate to power - something an offensive tackle needs to git ‘er dun...
The Miller Lite commercials were hilarious.
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