Madden retires from broadcasting today.
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NEW YORK -- John Madden, the burly former Oakland Raiders coach who has been one of the NFL's most popular broadcast analysts for three decades, is calling it quits.
Madden worked for the past three seasons on NBC's Sunday Night Football. His last telecast was Super Bowl XLIII between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
"It's time," Madden said of his retirement Thursday. "I'm 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons, and their families and their five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I'm home and, more importantly, when I'm not."
Cris Collinsworth will replace Madden, moving over from the network's studio show, NBC Sports chief kitten Ebersol said. Collinsworth filled in when Madden took a game off last October.
Madden said he still loves all aspects of the game and his job, and that's why it took him a couple of months to make the decision.
"There is one thing football fans have agreed on for decades: They all love John Madden," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement released by the league. "John was a Hall of Fame coach before becoming one of the most-celebrated personalities in sports. He had an incredible talent for explaining the game in an unpretentious way that made it more understandable and fun. John's respect and passion for the game always stood out. He was the ultimate football fan who also happened to be an extraordinarily talented coach and broadcaster.
"As namesake of the world's most popular sports video game, John also introduced the game of football to generations of young fans. It is only fitting that his last game as an announcer was this year's Super Bowl -- the most-watched TV program of all-time. He is stepping down as a true Super Bowl champion."
Madden's blue-collar style and love for in-the-trenches football endeared him to fans. His "Madden NFL Football" is the top-selling sports video game of all time.
Madden is reluctant to fly and often traveled to games in a specially equipped bus.
Longtime broadcast partner Al Michaels said Madden will have a unique place in NFL history.
"No one has made the sport more interesting, more relevant and more enjoyable to watch and listen to than John," Michaels said in a statement. "There's never been anyone like him, and he's been the gold standard for analysts for almost three decades."
Madden began his pro football career as a linebacker coach at Oakland in 1967 and was named head coach two years later, at 32 the youngest coach in what was then the American Football League.
Madden led the Raiders to their first Super Bowl victory and retired in 1979. He joined CBS later that year.
Madden worked at CBS until 1994 when the network lost rights to broadcast NFL games, leading him to switch to Fox. He left Fox in 2002 to become the lead analyst for ABC's Monday Night Football and joined NBC in 2006 when that network inaugurated a prime-time Sunday game.
Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
"I don't know that I've ever met anyone who loves the NFL, or cares about the NFL, more than John Madden," Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "As a friend, I know that John's respect and passion for the sport will be the two elements of his legacy that matter the most to him. His imprint and impact on our game were powerful and meaningful. His influence on the sport was felt by everyone -- the guys in the equipment room, the players, the coaches, the owners, and most importantly, the fans.
"He's going out on top -- as the best we have -- and the best we have ever had."
sourceSad to see him go. He was easily my favorite announcer. Gonna miss his analysis during games
Though I can still hear him in Madden '10 I guess lol.
