The fact that there was a tv tribute to him on Christmas Day was impeccable timing.
There may be no person who had a greater impact on football, when you consider the reach his video game franchise has. I remember playing the original version, and it is incredible to track the progress it has made from its original. Madden always insisted it be “11 on 11”, which has been the key to creating such a realistic simulation.
His announcing was fun, but also brilliant.
He actually prepped for games like the hall of fame coach he was, so he came to the game with stories from the players and coaches and his own observations from practice (I read something that said that before Madden the announcers would prepare for games by meeting the team’s PR rep at a bar and going over the roster to make sure they had the pronunciation correct. Madden was like, “no, we’ve got to watch film!”).
And in game he wasn’t afraid to bring the insider knowledge he had to the fans. That’s where the telestrator came from. Madden needed it to be able to diagram the play the same way a coach would do that for his team. Before Madden, there was a sense that fans weren’t interested in such technicalities. Because of Madden, fans’ appreciation for the subtleties and nuances of the game have been made possible, and usually anonymous guys like offensive and defensive linemen had a chance to become stars.
And he did all that with the joy and delight of somebody who truly loved the sport. Those booms and bams he used weren’t a put on; that’s how he talked.
When I was a kid, and before I ever was into watching football, i read a book he wrote called “One knee equals two feet, and everything else you need to know about football.” It was a great read, and I highly recommend it, as it talks about his coaching days, and is peppered with player stories, in addition to explaining how to get the most out of watching a game.
I’ve been sort of anticipating this for a while, but John Madden’s death is the end of an incredible era. He lived a great life.
