John Madden has decided to retire.
The announcement came Thursday morning in a news release issued by NBC. The popular NFL analyst had been paired with play-by-play man Al Michaels on that network’s Sunday night telecasts since 2006. The two also worked on ABC’s “Monday Night Football” before moving to NBC.
“It’s time. I’m 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall,” Madden said. “I have two great sons, and their families and my five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I’m home and, more importantly, when I’m not. . . . It’s been such a great ride.
“The NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion — it still is. I appreciate all of the people who are and were such an important part of the most enjoyable, most fun anyone could have. . . . I still love every part of it — the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people. But I know this is the right time.”
Cris Collinsworth will replace Madden in the booth.
Madden, who has won an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards for outstanding sports analyst/personality, has been an NFL broadcaster for 30 years. He worked NFL games for CBS, Fox and ABC before moving to NBC. Many younger fans probably know Madden better because of the fact his name is attached to one of the country’s most popular sports video games.
Before moving to the booth, Madden coached the Oakland Raiders to a 103-32-7 record. He led the Raiders to a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super XI. Madden’s .750 winning percentage is the best of any head coach in NFL history. In 2006, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a head coach.
Part of what made Madden unique was the fact he brought a coach’s mentality and work ethic to the booth, providing insights that hadn’t often been heard before his arrival.
“John will always have a unique place in the history of pro football,” Michaels said. “No one has made the sport more interesting, more relevant and more enjoyable to watch and listen to than John. There’s never been anyone like him, and he’s been the gold standard for analysts for almost three decades.
“On a personal note, I’ll miss working with John on many levels. As a broadcast partner, I could always count on him — no one ever came to work more prepared. As a friend and confidant, loyalty has always been paramount to John. And all in all, he was simply just great company.”
Said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell: “There is one thing football fans have agreed on for decades: They all love John Madden.”
Madden-ing rivalry to remember
Time will tell how the football world remembers John Madden, who retired from NBC’s Sunday night NFL broadcast booth Thursday. Hall of Fame coach? TV analyst for four major networks? Namesake of a top-selling sports video game?
The answer for Broncos fans may vary. Madden surely had a heavy hand in a rivalry with the Raiders that persists today.
In 10 years as Oakland’s coach, Madden went 14-6-1 vs. the Broncos, with a 2-0 record in 1976 as Oakland won Super Bowl XI. The next season, Red Miller took over as Broncos coach.
“My first meeting with the team . . . it was about the Oakland Raiders,” Miller said Thursday on 850 KOA radio. The Broncos beat the Raiders in the AFC title game later that season. And after the Broncos topped the Raiders twice in 1978, Madden retired from the sidelines. “He was a heck of a coach,” Miller said.
Nick Groke, The Denver Post
What they’re saying about Madden’s retirement
“I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone who loves the NFL, or cares about the NFL, more than John Madden. . . . His influence on the sport was felt by everyone — the guys in the equipment room, the players, the coaches, the owners, and most importantly, the fans. He’s going out on top — as the best we have — and the best we have ever had.”
Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner
“As a young head coach, he was very generous in letting me pick his brain about our profession, and I will always be grateful to him for that. May we all push the seven-man sled as well as he had done in his 73 years!”
Andy Reid, Eagles coach
“John’s the guy you want to sit next to during a game and, for 30 years, he essentially was. During a broadcast, you’d think he was talking directly to you. I, along with millions of other fans, will miss hearing an old friend on Sundays.”
Troy Aikman, broadcaster and Hall of Fame quarterback
“Trust me, I had many a late night waiting for one of my three boys to get home at 1 a.m. because the newest Madden game was being released at midnight. But the thing that I think of when I hear the name ‘John Madden’ is great coach, Hall of Fame coach. To me, that’s truly what defines who John is. NFL Sundays just won’t be the same.”
Howie Long, broadcaster and Hall of Fame defensive end
“I am still in shock about John’s announcement. He may well be 73, but he has the drive, enthusiasm and mental agility of a 24-year-old. John is, and has always been, a powerful force of nature. A heady mix of wisdom, football lore and boyish glee — an insatiable curiosity, and the God-given ability to utilize his teacher training skills from so long ago to impart what we see, but don’t see, on the football field.”
David Hill, Fox Sports chairman
The Associated Press
