My in-laws lived in the same town a Madden when he was coaching the Raiders. My FIL was the manager at the bank John used and they became acquaintances. Years later, they met at an event and Madden remembered him - "good to see you banker." John was a great guy
One of my favorite memories of Madden is when he told us he believed all the HOF busts in Canton all talked to each other when the lights were turned off. Classic John Madden
Madden and Pat Summerall were the faces of the NFL in the 1980s and 1990s. The best broadcasters of the best conference during that era. I was a kid during all of that. It’ll sound a little strange, but to me, more than anything, having them broadcast my Patriots in SB 31 and then again as winners in SB 36 and announcing them as NFL champions, was the ultimate sign that our team had arrived. We were finally a real, winning, respected NFL franchise instead of a punchline. That’s just how much John Madden *was* football.
RIP to someone who brought a lot of joy to others, and someone whom I’ve never heard anyone say a bad thing about... other than that he was a Raider.
What's also crazy in general is the fact there aren't people anywhere close to him coming up through the ranks. For those of us who are older, we got to see and listen to some unbelievable moments and calls by some unbelievable people. I know Madden hadn't called a game in many years, but it doesn't change the fact that every time we lose one, it's another reminder of how rare people like him and the few who are left (Al Michaels, etc) really are.
I just watched his documentary this week, Sad news, my brothers said he was the best broadcaster they've ever watched....My dad had nothing but good things to say about him....A sad day!!!!
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