The NFL lost an all-time great John Earl Madden…he passed away at the 85-years-old.

 

Madden was the head coach for the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978. A stint that placed him directly on the sidelines for iconic football plays like the “Emaculate Reception” in Pittsburgh and the “Holy Roller” in San Diego. With John Madden firmly at the helm, the Raiders franchise was commonly known throughout news cycles as the winningest team in professional sports (percentage-wise). They were also crowned the “Kings of Monday Night Football,” because of the 18-2-1 record that they boasted during their first 21 appearances on the primetime broadcast.  But nevertheless, John Madden’s coaching career was cut short because of health concerns steming from an ulcer. As great as he was a headcoach, many have suggested he was an even greater on-air personality. His post-NFL career was followed by forty years as the main sports commentator for CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC.  During which time he won 16 Emmy Awards.

John Madden will be forever revered by his colleges in the NFL Hall Of Fame and coaches all throughout the ranks of American football. As a headcoach, His greatest contribution to the game may have been the way in which he developed a plethora of Hall of Fame players, including the NFL’s only insrined Punter, Ray Guy. As a sports comentator, his signature soundbites like “Boom” were almost as legendary as his creation of the All-Madden Team. His personal handpicked roster of the most accomplished NFL players from every regular season.

The yearly honour became so renowned league-wide that it inspired the making on a video game called John Madden Football. A video game co-created by EA Sports that featured commentary from John Madden and his signature All-Madden football teams. As the years went by and an eldery John Madden slowly faded into retirement, the video game named after him became more important. Not only in the sports world but culturally. Today, it’s largely regarded as one of the greatest two-player video games of all time.