Boom! John Madden retires

[Onkel Neal]

I'll miss the big guy.

It is easily argued that Madden has become larger than life in his 30 years in television, such a huge personality that he has eclipsed his own phenomenal success as a coach. An entire generation knows him solely for his Madden video games.

Reaction has rolled in from across the media landscape after he released his announcement through his current employer, NBC, and here’s a sampling, along with some links to videos and articles that told the story of his hard-to-top career over the years:

Peter King of Sports Illustrated first lauds Madden’s overshadowed record as coach of the Oakland Raiders, then describes how his impact only grew. “He’ll not only go down as the best colorman of all time, but I think his video game is responsible for making kids who might have turned to soccer or skateboarding turn into football fans,” King wrote. “Madden didn’t invent the game, but his shtick and his persona helped make it the most popular game in America.”


Ray Ratto of CBSSports.com wrote of Madden’s ability to seem like just plain folks while being perhaps the most recognizable face in football. “Madden, though, made America his town, and at his best, his presence alone told you that the game he was doing was the most important event that day,” Ratto wrote.

Yahoo blogger Chris Chase said Madden picked the best time to retire, before he suffered a noticeable on-air decline: “To go out now is to go out with his legacy intact.”

Madden has been profiled in almost every major sports publication, including frequently in The Times. This article from Play magazine in September 2008 describes how Madden once taught a university class on the nuances of football.

Steve Rushin of Sports Illustrated detailed Madden mania, set in the days after Sept. 11, 2001, when Madden gave the figure skating legend Peggy Fleming a ride across the country in the famous Madden Cruiser. But he also hailed the remarkable success of Madden’s annual football video game. “Madden maintains an odd, crossover street cred with 8-year-olds and pro athletes alike, who have annually made his Madden NFL one of the world’s best-selling home video games. (”I’m not a good player,” says Madden. “Anybody could beat me.”) However, updating the game keeps him connected to football in the long, cold winter of the off-season.”

But he isn't out of the news yet.