John Madden

Coach first, pitchman second

OUR FAVORITE story about John Madden didn’t have John Madden in it: A rookie NFL player walked into the franchise’s offices—and for the life of us, we forget who it was—and announced that he’d like to avoid airplanes during his contract. He’d like to take a bus or a car to games. The frustrated GM looked at him and said, probably with some unkindness: Kid, you ain’t John Madden.

John Madden was famous for many things; being afraid of flying was just one of them.

He took over the Oakland Raiders when he was 32 years old. Nowadays, a 32-year-old head coach in the NFL wouldn’t make much news, but back then it was unheard of. You needed old men in hats and ties, who talked about four yards and a cloud of dust.

But John Madden coached the Raiders—a bunch of misfits and castoffs. John Madden’s look fit them perfectly. And get this: In 10 years, he went 103-327. That’s still the best winning percentage for coaches who’ve been through at least 100 games. Some of us are old enough to remember when he patrolled the sidelines and won that Super Bowl after the ‘76 season. And remember him on the sidelines when Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris combined for the Immaculate Reception.

Then there’s another generation who remember him for his announcing abilities. When he retired from coaching, which he always considered his first love, he spent years in the booth for four networks, calling NFL games and Super Bowls with our own Pat Summerall. He said he was good at broadcasting because it was an extension of coaching. That is, explaining.

“Boom!” he’d explain.

He did funny commercials. He wrote books. And there’s a whole ‘nuther generation who will remember him as the video game guy.

Madden NFL Football is one of the longest-selling video games ever, and athletes jockey for the honor of being on every year’s game cover. Once upon a time, they elbowed each other to get on a magazine cover. Now, it’s a video game.

John Madden died unexpectedly this week. “He was football,” the NFL commissioner said. Nobody would argue with that.