Madden retires

John Madden, the former Super Bowl-winning coach for the Oakland Raiders who became perhaps the most popular NFL television analyst in history, is retiring from broadcasting. "It's time," Madden said in a written statement released by the network. "I'm 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. 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.

Madden spent 30 years in broadcasting and won 16 Emmy Awards, and gained an enormous following because of his ability to make viewers both understand and enjoy games. He was known for his offbeat style and his football sound effects as well as his insight into the nuances of the sport, and for his disdain of flying that led him to crisscross the country in a bus for his TV duties. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who coached the Raiders to a regular season record of 103-32-7 and a triumph over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. He has the highest regular season winning percentage of any coach with at least 100 victories, according to the Hall of Fame. He became the Raiders' coach in 1969 shortly before his 33rd birthday, and retired from the sideline in 1979. He began his TV career that year.

The game is not going to be the same with out Coach Maddenin the booth. He had a brilliantly simple way to bring the excitement of the game to the viewers. He stood up for the non-star players like the lineman and the second stringers that make the QB’s and running backs look so good. He wasn’t the most prolific telestrator operator, but I always found that endearing. His video game single handedly changed the way video football is played and he had an odd obsession with turducken (chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey). He often used some off the wall analogies to make his point, which often didn’t make much sense. Also he had an uncanny way of making normal sayings sound dirty. Those always crack me up!

Anyway, whether you love him or hate him, you are going to miss him. He was great for the game and great for the booth. NBC has already announced his replacement, Chris Collinsworth. He has got some seriously big shoes to fill! Literally and figuratively!