Reaction to John Madden‘s retirement from broadcasting:
- Madden’s broadcasting partner Al Michaels said in a statement, “[t]here’s never been anyone like him and he’s been the gold standard for analysts for almost three decades. … As John said today, ‘it was time.” That’s John — succint, pithy and right to the point. Working with John for the last seven years has provided memories I’ll always treasure. My only regret is that it wasn’t 27.”
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell noted that Madden’s last game “was this year?s Super Bowl ? the most-watched TV program of all-time. He is stepping down as a true Super Bowl champion.”
- NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol said “[w]e?ll never see or hear another man like John Madden. We will sorely miss him because he was the most fun guy ever to just hang out with.”
- FOX Sports Chairman David Hill is “still in shock about John?s announcement. He may well be 73, but he has the drive, enthusiasm and mental agility of a 24 year-old. … When we started FOX Sports, he joyously embraced the credo Same Game – New Attitude, and everything we did. Computerized scoring, the Fox Box, the close up audio – everything we brought to the mix. The first down line, which has become the most necessary part of a broadcaster?s tools, was a John Madden idea. I loved listening to him on FOX, I loved listening to him on NBC – just as I had loved listening to him on CBS. “
- FOX Sports President Ed Goren echoes others’ sentiments: “Amazingly, he?s been so dominant that he?s never been challenged. John?s impact on the way television covers the NFL is a legacy that will last well into the future. During the time I worked with him at CBS and FOX, he wasn?t just a lead analyst, John was always our ‘head coach.’“
- ESPN/ABC President George Bodenheimer: “We will all miss his signature calls, his passion for the game and seeing him in the television booth each week of the NFL season, but his impact on the league and its fans will continue to be felt. I wish him all the best in his retirement.”
