That's a tough one. There aren't many good sports broadcasters, and fewer great ones. He revolutionized the analyst role.
His on the field personality was this wild-eyed, crazed coach - pacing the sidelines, screaming, waving his arms, throwing his clipboard, wreaking havoc, leader of the outlaw Oakland Raiders. Then when he left coaching his conversion into a lovable teddy bear of a football analyst was instantaneous. People were shocked at the abrupt change. I was shocked. ''Is this the same John Madden''? He was your buddy sitting on the couch, entertainingly explaining the nuances of the game (''boom'', ''bam''). He drew in so many new fans.
Turducken for Thanksgiving and Christmas, afraid to fly so he'd take cross country trips in his tricked out bus during the week to get to the next game - his weekly broadcasts were pretty much must see TV.
There were tons of the Lite Beer from Miller commercials, with sports figures arguing whether it ''tastes great'' or it's ''less filling''. I think he was in one of the earliest ones.
&t=3s
Great post. I was never a big fan of Madden's as an analyst (loved Hank Stram), but he was a hoot.
A sorority sister of my daughter's worked as a waitress in "the" upscale steakhouse in Cincinnati back in the 90s. She had some great stories about celebrities she waited on, but her encounter with Madden was disappointing. She said he was quiet, but polite, and did nothing to call attention to himself. The upper crust clientele who frequented the place didn't get gaga over celebrities, so no one approached him. He read a newspaper, ate his meal, and left.
