Madden retires after nearly 30 years in broadcast booth

April 16, 2009

CBSSports.com wire reports

 

 

NEW YORK -- John Madden is calling it quits.

 

NBC said Thursday that the burly ex-coach who has been one pro football's top broadcast analysts has decided to retire. Madden, 73, has been working for the past three seasons on NBC's Sunday night NFL game. His last telecast was the Super Bowl between Arizona and Pittsburgh.

 

Since he left coaching in 1979, the former Oakland Raiders coach has worked as an analyst for all four broadcast networks. His Madden NFL Football is the top-selling sports video game of all time.

 

Madden is reluctant to fly and often traveled to games in a specially equipped bus. He said in a statement that he still loves all aspects of the job, "but I know this is the right time."

 

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

 

Well done.. your video games kick ass!

rip, frank caliendo's career

I guess those cross-country bus rides get old eventually.

 

Funny he retires now that Favre is almost definitely gone.

Funny he retires now that Favre is almost definitely gone.

 

:lol good point. and well put with the "almost definitely"

 

I, for one, am frankly glad to hear the news that Madden is hanging up the boots. IMO he is a legend, I dont think anyone can deny that. However, towards the end of his career his rants got more and more abstract, long, obvious, and sometimes incoherent. He made sunday night football less enjoyable for me this season.

 

That being said, he has given us years and years of excellent football coaching, commentary, and video games. I don't want to disrespect him, because I am truly a fan. But IMO his retirement is not at all premature, to put it mildly.