Football Has Been Very, Very Good to John Madden
Fred Cunningham
John Madden and Pat Summerall, my favorite two-man NFL TV team. (With due respect to Al Michaels).
John Madden has called his last NFL game.
Madden says at 73 "it's time" in a written statement with his 50th wedding anniversary coming this fall. Maybe he thought it was a good idea not to be on the road in the bus on the way to a game when that date arrives.
Think about it: he coached a Super Bowl champion, was the lead color analyst for three TV networks and has the top pro football video game named after him.
All this for a guy who looked like he just walked off the set of Bowling for Dollars. (Man, I have to watch the dated references for you younger viewers/readers)
EA Sports Madden NFL Football has sold 65 million copies in 20 years according to Broadcasting and Cable.
The thing I'll like to remember most about Madden is that he was so anti-TV and became such a big star ON TV. He was heavy, hair going all over the place, could make a $5,000 suit look like he slept in it and his work with the telestrator was barely intelligible at times.
But the NFL kept a 73-year old man's name on a video game designed for kids.
That is just so awesome.
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