# Anyone else think John Madden shouldn't be on the air anymore? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 27, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457 "2006-08-27T21:58:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jean\_Poutine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@Jean\_Poutine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jean_Poutine)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/1 "2006-08-27T21:58:06Z")
Ok, I know he is a legend. In his prime, with Pat Summerall, he was part of the best broadcasting team ever. But now…not so much. Now he’s like your senile old uncle rambling away at the TV, sometimes making sense, other times sounding ridiculous. I think the reason he allegedly despises the Frank Caliendo impersonation of him so much is that it’s so accurate. I honestly can’t listen to him regurgitate exactly what Al Micheals just said, usually twice- I normally turn on the Spanish SAP mode and I don’t speak Spanish. Anyone else agree that he should be taken off the air? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/2 "2006-08-27T22:19:31Z")
> [@Jean Poutine](#): > > Ok, I know he is a legend. In his prime, with Pat Summerall, he was part of the best broadcasting team ever. But now…not so much. Now he’s like your senile old uncle rambling away at the TV, sometimes making sense, other times sounding ridiculous. I think the reason he allegedly despises the Frank Caliendo impersonation of him so much is that it’s so accurate. I honestly can’t listen to him regurgitate exactly what Al Micheals just said, usually twice- I normally turn on the Spanish SAP mode and I don’t speak Spanish. Anyone else agree that he should be taken off the air? You got my vote. Rambling describes him well. I almost always turn the sound down when he is on. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/3 "2006-08-28T02:39:55Z")
I was a Raiders fan as a kid, and always liked Madden. And in his early days, he was a breath of fresh air. He USED to be great at offering insights, at predicting the next play… But he’s been nearly useless for about 10 years. He routinely makes dumb, obvious errors (like mispronouncing player names) that suggest he isn’t even doing the most basic homework before a game. I’d hoped that working with Al Michaels might jar him out of his lethargy, but no such luck. I think somebody in the front office needs to tell him, “Start saying something interesting, ot your ass is out of here. I don’t care that you’re an icon- you’ve been coasting waaaay too long.” ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/4 "2006-08-28T02:55:09Z")
I can do without him, and I wouldn’t object if he took that pompous Al Michaels with him. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/5 "2006-08-28T03:14:21Z")
Now you see, football is a game of downs. I want you to watch this guy explode through the hole his blockers made…BOOM! Yeah, he needs to go. Take Joe Theismann with you… …at least we’ve created a new thread… ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/6 "2006-08-28T04:47:52Z")
I like John Madden… and his rambling delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/7 "2006-08-28T06:07:49Z")
Anymore? I guess I haven’t been watching football enough years to remember a time when John Madden deserved to be on the air. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/8 "2006-08-28T06:34:57Z")
Madden’s got a job as long as he wants one. And you young punks get off my lawn. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/9 "2006-08-28T13:02:52Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Anymore? I guess I haven’t been watching football enough years to remember a time when John Madden deserved to be on the air. Agreed. Never could stand him–he’s not nearly as clever or glib as he seems to think he is. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/10 "2006-08-28T13:15:19Z")
At least his is blessedly free from athlete’s foot 😛 ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/11 "2006-08-28T13:40:58Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > At least his is blessedly free from athlete’s foot 😛 I can’t remember. Was it Madden or Jimmy Johnson that used to do ads for an anti-dandruff shampoo? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/12 "2006-08-28T13:55:51Z")
Madden looks more and more like a troll ever year. ---
**Author:** ![Jean\_Poutine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@Jean\_Poutine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jean_Poutine)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/13 "2006-08-28T14:19:34Z")
Another, more obscure problem I have with him is that he’s a shill for Rent-a-Center, or some rental furniture company, who for some reason are not subject to usury laws and are able to charge poor people, or people without credit, 500 bucks to rent to own a 39 dollar VCR. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/14 "2006-08-28T16:21:18Z")
I like him, of only because he is unintentionally hilarious. He will take a paragraph to say what could be said in one sentance. Example: John Madden: Now, you see what the Raiders they did here? They put their player in the endzone, and the QB decided to throw to him, and the running back made the right decision when he decided to catch it. That put some points on the board. They really need to put some points on this board if they want to win this ballgame. In the end, football is a game of points, and points win the game. Any other human being: A touchdown and six points for the Raiders. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/15 "2006-08-28T16:24:35Z")
Yeah, I’d like to see him go. I don’t know if it’s senility or laziness, or perhaps a combination of the two. At this point the Swedish Chef would be more comprehensible. But I can’t stand Joe Theismann at all. The man is just awful. Why does ESPN still pay this guy? I don’t know anyone who likes him. Both Theismann and Madden need to get over their Brett Favre man-crushes too. Sorry guys, he isn’t THAT great. The worst was when Theismann said during a game, “You know, if everyone just spent 15 minutes talking to Brett Favre, the world would be a much better place.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Swan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Swan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Swan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/16 "2006-08-28T16:31:10Z")
According to the general public, every sports announcer is an idiot, or a hack, or boring, or an idiot, or conceited, etc. Truth is, hardly any of them really do anything to take away from my enjoyment of the game. Yeah, he says some dumb stuff, but I don’t really care too much. His voice is familiar, and I associate it with football. Have I mentioned how much I love football? ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/17 "2006-08-28T18:44:12Z")
Now you see this lineman there, he has what my aunt used to call “meat sacks” for arms, every true lineman has those. When running backs see those swinging meat sacks it makes them think twice. Wham! Mike Tice was what we used to call “meat squared”, you know, you run the math through your slide rule, calculators these days, and measure Mike Tice’s arms, and you get four times the meat. Hah! That’s football! ---
**Author:** ![PharmBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@PharmBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmBoy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/18 "2006-08-29T01:37:19Z")
Madden is a great guy, but you’re right, he’s been coasting (or has early-onset demetia, not sure which).Does anybody remember the MNF game last year when he was analyzing a blocking play and was pointing out the “holes” in the block? He labeled two of them “A” and “B”, then proceeded to explain how the runner found his way through the “A hole”. I almost collapsed from laughter… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/19 "2006-08-29T01:42:58Z")
The Caliendo impression becomes less and less of a parody every year. Somtimes I think Caliendo could call an entire game as Madden and even Madden’s mother wouldn’t know the difference…especially if Brett Favre was playing. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457/20 "2006-08-29T03:11:52Z")
Yeah, time to hang it up and spend more time concentrating on video game design. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-think-john-madden-shouldnt-be-on-the-air-anymore/370457.md?page=2)