John Madden, a Hall of Fame coach who then became a broadcasting icon in covering NFL games, died unexpectedly on Tuesday at the age of 85.
“On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every major network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.”
“Nobody loved football more than Coach,” Goodell added. “He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”
ESPN reported:
Madden gained fame in a decade-long stint as the coach of the renegade Oakland Raiders, making it to seven AFC title games and winning the Super Bowl following the 1976 season. He compiled a 103-32-7 regular-season record, and his .759 winning percentage is the best among NFL coaches with more than 100 games. …
Most of all, he was the preeminent television sports analyst for most of his three decades calling games, winning an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards for outstanding sports analyst/personality, and covering 11 Super Bowls for four networks from 1979-2009.
“The Raiders Family is deeply saddened by the passing of the legendary John Madden,” The Raiders said in a statement. “Few individuals meant as much to the growth and popularity of professional football as Coach Madden, whose impact on the game both on and off the field was immeasurable.”
NFL legend John Madden died unexpected this morning. He was 85. pic.twitter.com/FoC1mAzoF6
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 29, 2021
Trip Hawkins, the founder of EA Sports, approached Madden in 1984 about starting a video game franchise centered around Madden.
The two had the meeting on an Amtrak train because of Madden’s refusal to fly due to being claustrophobic.
ESPN added:
Hawkins was in. He and some developers boarded the train and met Madden in the dining car. Madden had a giant cigar in his mouth, and it stayed there for the next three days as they held what would become the most important video game meeting ever held. Madden never lit the cigar — he loved cigars, but not smoking them — so as the hours went on, the wet cigar began to disintegrate, one sloppy piece at a time. “It was like his own little pacifier,” Hawkins says now.
Hawkins warned him that the technology just wasn’t there yet for 11-on-11 football. “We can probably only get 7-on-7 to fit on screen,” Hawkins said.
Madden loved the idea of the football game, but he hated the idea of 7-on-7. “That’s not real football,” he said, waving a dismissive mitt through the air as a chunk of cigar flew off.
Hawkins warned that it could take years to build a game that squeezed 22 players on one screen.
“Then it will take years,” Madden said.
It took two years.
Some initial notable reactions included:
A legend in all forms of the game 🙏
John Madden. (via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/GEcWVnFW6Y
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 29, 2021
Transformational. Generational.
These words are too often used inappropriately when talking sports personalities in general. It IS appropriate to use when talking about John Madden, and there is no need to explain why. It just is what it is. He changed the game. #RIP legend.— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) December 29, 2021
First job out of college in ‘96 was as PR intern with Green Bay Packers. Meeting John Madden when he came in with CBS broadcast team was a thrill. I was literally the lowest man on the totem pole and he was always down to earth and gracious with his time. Sad day for football. 🙏
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) December 29, 2021
John Madden is the greatest, and most influential, sports broadcaster of all time. An absolute legend of sports, people will be playing the video game named after him generations to come. RIP.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) December 29, 2021