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NFL Hall of Famer John Madden unfortunately passed away on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. He is an icon of the sport and his legendary career will never be forgotten. His influence, involvement and contributions spread widely across several different areas of NFL history.
John Madden spent a short time as an NFL player before becoming head coach of the Oakland Raiders. He was the youngest head coach ever hired at the age of 32 years old. He is a Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion while owning the best winning percentage of any coach in NFL history.
His accomplishments as a head coach would be legendary enough for most careers, but John Madden is more than that. His football video game franchise is one of the most successful of all time. That's probably still not what he will be remembered for most. Rather, it was the way he changed the broadcasting world forever.
John Madden's lasting impact on NFL broadcasting
John Madden will always be remembered in the broadcasting world for his unique combination of knowledge, creativity, presentation and sense of humor. His lexicon was one of a kind and he had a great understanding of entertainment value. He made any game enjoyable to watch while also educating the viewers with his extensive football knowledge in an easy way to digest.
His simple yet effective catch phrases such as "boom" and "thwack" paired perfectly with his innovative use of replays and the telestrator. He invented the infamous Thanksgiving "turducken" and the annual "All-Madden" team. His witty explanations and unique innovations paved the way for one of the greatest broadcasting careers of all time.
John Madden called NFL games for an incredible 30 years. He spent the majority of his career paired with commentator Pat Summerall but also spent time with Al Michaels, among others. In total, John Madden worked in 11 Super Bowls, won 16 Emmy awards and won two Sportscaster of the Year awards.
Across his career, John Madden was employed at various times by all four of the major television networks: ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX. His value was demonstrated by the massive contracts he was offered. At one point John Madden was making eight million dollars annually. That was more than any NFL player was making and four times as much as any other broadcaster.
John Madden is one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history but he was an even better broadcaster. He changed the game and will never be replicated due to his individuality. John Madden is a true legend of both the NFL and the entire media world.
