# There is a God (No John Madden announcing. No more) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 17, 2009, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427 "2009-09-17T08:38:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/1 "2009-09-17T08:38:49Z")
I can’t believe it. After being tortured for decades, the no-talented, wind bagged winter warlock has been put to pasture. As much as I thought I detested Chris Collingsworth, it is actually a pleasure to listen to a SNF game that doesn’t make me look for a brick to wing at my TV. Al Michaels, you’ve deserved better for years, and I’m so glad you didn’t have to die to see the fat bastard retire. I am actually going to have to think about what announcer drives me bonkers now. And that small, insignificant fact has me smiling like a butcher’s dog. Church bells should ring throughout the land! John Madden announces no more! Rejoice! It is the early Christmas present I’ve hoped for for so long. And it’s even better than I could have imagined. Glory! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/2 "2009-09-17T12:36:59Z")
It must be a tough job to be a color announcer - because so few do it well. Most of them drive me nuts but Madden made me more nuts than others. I’m glad he is gone. Of course, my vote doesn’t count because I was one of the odd ones who \*liked \*Dennis Miller… ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/3 "2009-09-17T12:59:53Z")
While it’s good that he can actually put together complete sentences and doesn’t use either “Boom” or “Brett Favre” one every 30 seconds, Collinsworth does manage to sound like a condescending prick. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/4 "2009-09-17T13:24:11Z")
I liked Madden. Sure he said stupid shit all the time but he’s been a fixture in football for my whole life. He was like a lovable but partly senile grandpa. I’ll miss hearing him. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/5 "2009-09-17T13:27:14Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > While it’s good that he can actually put together complete sentences and doesn’t use either “Boom” or “Brett Favre” LOL! > [@omgzebras](#): > > I liked Madden. Sure he said stupid shit all the time but he’s been a fixture in football for my whole life. He was like a lovable but partly senile grandpa. I’ll miss hearing him. I concur. I liked him, for whatever reason. Turduckeon, you will be missed. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/6 "2009-09-17T13:40:12Z")
Ah, but you can still hear him prattling on in the Madden NFL series of video games, encouraging you to “cover deep” when your opponent is on your 5, and suggesting a blitz on every down whether it’s 2nd and 20 or 4th and 1. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/7 "2009-09-17T13:40:51Z")
The animosity some fans have towards Madden (all in good fun I suspect) has made me wonder before if I don’t have ADD. I watch the game, there’s a couple of guys chatting, relatively innocuous input really, and any emotion the experience elicits is focused squarely on the outcome as directed by the 22 guys on the field and them alone. Then the next day everyone’s all “Madden sucks!” and I’m thinkin’ what the fuck did I miss? Am I deef? Then Theisman, Tirico and effin’ Kornheiser come along. Now I realize my ears work perfecvtly fine. Now I realize how capable I am of being offended by colossal stupidity. Call me weird but I liked Madden. A big ol’ harmless goofball that occasionally made me chuckle and often times consider things I might not have otherwise. Have a good retirement, John, and thanks for the color you added to the commentary. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/8 "2009-09-17T13:43:18Z")
What you, what you got here, is a situation where someone who used to be talking, ain’t talking any more. See, he was talking here, but over here, he’s not talking. He’s retired, and you don’t go talking any more when you’re retired. Of course, he could return for a special or something, and he could talk a little bit for that special, but after today, unless he returns, he’s not talking anymore. (I liked him, honestly.) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/9 "2009-09-17T13:47:01Z")
Heh, you sir, you have a calling that needs to be explored. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/10 "2009-09-17T14:10:03Z")
[http://forums.rotoworld.com/lofiversion/index.php/t37917.html](http://forums.rotoworld.com/lofiversion/index.php/t37917.html) I hated Madden. He was comedy relief without trying to be. He was cringeworthy during every game. He took you right out of the action wondering’ did he really just say that". ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/11 "2009-09-17T14:12:08Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Call me weird but I liked Madden. A big ol’ harmless goofball that occasionally made me chuckle and often times consider things I might not have otherwise. I agree. He said blindingly obvious things sometimes and he was a big self-caricature, but he was _not_ that bad. He did tell you some things that were worth knowing. And at least Madden made me laugh when he said ridiculous things. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/12 "2009-09-17T14:14:06Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > [http://forums.rotoworld.com/lofiversion/index.php/t37917.html](http://forums.rotoworld.com/lofiversion/index.php/t37917.html) I hated Madden. He was comedy relief without trying to be. He was cringeworthy during every game. He took you right out of the action wondering’ did he really just say that". There’s a very famous Yogi Berra-ism on that list, which makes me wonder if any of the other quotes are accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/13 "2009-09-17T14:21:45Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > What you, what you got here, is a situation where someone who used to be talking, ain’t talking any more. See, he was talking here, but over here, he’s not talking. He’s retired, and you don’t go talking any more when you’re retired. Of course, he could return for a special or something, and he could talk a little bit for that special, but after today, unless he returns, he’s not talking anymore. > > (I liked him, honestly.) This is just wonderful. Needed the laugh, thanks. (I liked him too.) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/14 "2009-09-17T14:45:06Z")
I liked Madden, and wish he would come back. Also liked Howard Cosell and Dennis Miller. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/15 "2009-09-17T15:16:26Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I liked Madden, and wish he would come back. Also liked Howard Cosell and Dennis Miller. Not that I’ll miss him, but I thought Madden & Michaels were among the better booths in the NFL. I was a little disapointed to find out that it was Collinsworth doing the call in the Madden 10 game on PS3. I also liked Tony Kornheiser once they got Ron Jaworski in there. Actually, Chuckie in the booth on MNF was a disgrace. I hope he gets better. Maybe I’m just not as driven to rage at football announcers as I am to ESPN’s Baseball booth. I’d rather have Tony Siragusa on play by play with Ty Pennington on color commentary and Carson Kressley with fasion tips for every football game than endure Joe Morgan. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/16 "2009-09-17T15:20:40Z")
> [@omgzebras](#): > > I liked Madden. Sure he said stupid shit all the time but he’s been a fixture in football for my whole life. He was like a lovable but partly senile grandpa. I’ll miss hearing him. Yep. It isn’t always easy to remember that he was once a good enough coach to win a Super Bowl, and only found his real calling later in life. He was always a reminder to relax and just have fun watching. Football isn’t war, it’s just entertainment, and Madden was as entertaining as any announcer could be. The All-Madden Team will be as badly missed as the Thanksgiving turducken and the Madden Cruiser. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/17 "2009-09-17T16:09:26Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > There’s a very famous Yogi Berra-ism on that list, which makes me wonder if any of the other quotes are accurate. Ditto. 90% bullshit. I suspect many of Madden’s detractors are youngsters who don’t know 1. How really, really good when he started in the 80s. Yes, he sagged toward the end. 2. How lame other announcers were at the time. I think he raised the bar for what NFL analysts were expected to be. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/18 "2009-09-17T16:15:02Z")
I’d take Madden over ESPN’s Pam Ward any day. I dream of the day that the Spartans will be lofty enough never to be relegated to a Pam Ward broadcast. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/19 "2009-09-17T16:22:19Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Ditto. 90% bullshit. > > I suspect many of Madden’s detractors are youngsters who don’t know > > 1. How really, really good when he started in the 80s. Yes, he sagged toward the end. > 2. How lame other announcers were at the time. I think he raised the bar for what NFL analysts were expected to be. One Yogi makes it 90 percent correct, not 90 percent wrong. I heard him say many of those stupid things. [http://www.postgamepub.com/sports-forums/nfl-general-discussion-forum/18157-favorite-john-maddenisms.html](http://www.postgamepub.com/sports-forums/nfl-general-discussion-forum/18157-favorite-john-maddenisms.html) heres more. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427/20 "2009-09-17T16:23:30Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > While it’s good that he can actually put together complete sentences and doesn’t use either “Boom” or “Brett Favre” one every 30 seconds, Collinsworth does manage to sound like a condescending prick. I agree he can sound condescending, but at least he’s knowledgeable and tells me things I don’t know once in a while, instead of telling me that whoever scores the most points wins, or that the kicker has to kick the ball with his foot. CC also isn’t afraid to rip on sacred cows like Brady, Favre, Peyton Manning if they make dumb mistakes or have a bad game. I remember that playoff game between Green Bay and Philly (the 4th and 26 game) when Favre wheeled and threw blindly down the field in OT going for the homerun, and ended up getting picked. Collinsworth went after Favre unmercifully for that, even as his partners in the booth (I no longer remember who they were that day) were trying to make the usual apologies for him. Everyone remembers the 4th and 26 conversion, but it was really Favre’s interception that cost the Packers that game, and CC was the only one in the booth who was willing to say it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-a-god-no-john-madden-announcing-no-more/510427.md?page=2)