Boom! John Madden has retired from broadcasting (football fans everywhere rejoice... sort of)

by BigBlueShoe on Apr 16, 2009 11:22 AM EDT in NFL General Comment 18 comments

Boom!

I won't lie or sugarcoat this: I think John Madden pretty much stinks as a football "analyst" and as a broadcaster. His idiotic ramblings and his silly catch phrases like "Boom!" and "That's a de-cleater" were always more annoying to me than insightful. The job of the football analyst in the booth is to help me better understand the game, not try and entertain me. The game entertains me, and when it doesn't, I turn the channel.

So, I didn't really have any feelings of sadness when the news broke today that John Madden has retired from broadcasting after nearly 40 years of involvement with the NFL. He will be replaced in the booth by (groan!) Cris Collinsworth. Meanwhile, Cris Collinsworth will be replaced in the NBC Studio by (groan!) Matt Millen.

I don't know why NBC feels they need to have idiots tell us who is good or bad in the football world, but I long ago stopped trying to understand the broadcasting decisions of NBC's suits.

In general, Madden seemed like a good guy who cared about football. So, in that regard, it's sad to see him retire. When you compare him to other analysts, like the head-up-his-ass boob known to the world as Tony Kornheiser, Madden wasn't all that bad. At least he cared. I've always gotten the feeling Kornheiser doesn't. The check is the same for him whether he is covering football, baseball, or water polo. So, even though Madden's insight into football often made us fans wonder if he was borderline retarded, at least he had passion for the game. He broadcasters following in his footsteps don't.

Maybe that's why many of us fans watch games with the TV sound turned off.

Will fans miss Madden and his "coach charm" in the booth? Maybe, especially if Collinsworth says the typical useless crap he has routinely vomited at us TV viewers over the years. Remember when he proclaimed Tom Brady the "Player of the Week" prior to the 2006 regular season game against the Colts? Remember that? Brady threw 4 INTs that game, and the Colts beat the Patriots in Foxboro.

Yep, that is the guy replacing John Madden for the best, most lucrative broadcasting booth job in America. Again... groan!

Poll

Will you miss John Madden?

Yes

141 votes

No

61 votes

202 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Maybe your not a fan of his

But I really liked Madden. I though he and Michaels made a great team and were one of my top sports commentators on TV. I think it sucks but maybe for the better given his age. So long Madden.

by metal_militia on Apr 16, 2009 11:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He always seemed to have something insightful to say

then lost his train of thought mid sentence.

I got Summer hatin' on me cuz I'm hotter than the sun. Spring hatin' on me cuz I ain't never sprung
Winter hatin' on me cuz I'm colder than Y'all. And I will never, I will never, I will never Fall.
-Lil Wayne, Mr. Carter

by shake n bake on Apr 16, 2009 11:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'll miss him

just because his replacement is worse.

by shake n bake on Apr 16, 2009 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like Madden

he makes me laugh. Yes, he says ridicules (heh) things, but he is entertaining to me. Plus, he loves Peyton.

Now as far as his replacement is concerned, I can’t stand Collinsworth and his Brady mancrush. Plus he has this “attitude” which I cannot describe. I’m not happy about this, myself.

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Apr 16, 2009 11:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I like Collinsworth : )

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Apr 16, 2009 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So, there's ANOTHER thing

we don’t have in common. Although, I can’t say I’m surprised given the Brady mancrush and all. =-D

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Apr 16, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Collinsworth and Brady

It’s almost sickening. Gisele should be concerned.

by coltsfanawalt on Apr 16, 2009 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This comment

This comment from Deadspin was LOL:

Apparently Madden wanted to spend more time with Favre’s nuts.

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by BigBlueShoe on Apr 16, 2009 11:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Madden was great

I thought he had a lot of great insight and was entertaining to listen to. Sucks that he’s gone, I know I’ll miss him. One of the few that I actually liked commentating games..

by yellowsnow on Apr 16, 2009 11:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Trading Madden for Collinsworth

Is like opting to get punched in the nuts instead of kicked…both options suck.

by indy15 on Apr 16, 2009 12:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Well played

I’d rather listen to Madden, he’s at least fun to mock in his later years. Collinsworth is as worthless as it gets.

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by MrNFL on Apr 16, 2009 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Of all the broadcast teams out there...

Madden and Micheals were my favorite. Yes, John Madden rambled and he clearly has a man crush on Farve and Romo, but sometimes he said insightful things. And honestly I found his rambling much less annoying (and often somewhat funny) than Jaws’ constant need to make himself laugh, Kornheiser’s fake sentitive commentary, and Collinsworth’s smugness.

As a side note, how can networks continually turn a deaf ear to the fans? All I’ve ever heard was how much people dislike Collinsworth and they are going to put him in the booth? And don’t get me started on ESPN’s MNF lineup. Plus, who didn’t roll their eyes when they saw Matt Millen as a broadcaster? Really? With his track record we are suppose to take any of his opinions seriously? I guess that’s what happens when you have a captive audience.

by racer39girl on Apr 16, 2009 12:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Well I guess I'll be watching SNF on mute next season.

NBC chose Collinsworth to take his spot!? Collinsworth!?!? He’s probably the most hated “analyst” out there. He’s such a butthole; at least Madden loved the game. Many of those guys who call themselves “experts” are only doing it for the money. I know Madden had his ramblings, but the man knew football. He and Michaels were the best NFL booth team on TV. First the Fat Boyz break up, now this!?

by KMR24 on Apr 16, 2009 1:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I know he has a man crush on Favre, but

Madden always showed some love to Peyton, unlike those clowns over at MNF who will turn on a player in the split second (You guys remember last year’s MNF against Tenn). Kornheiser, who I like on PTI, said, “People don’t know I great Peyton Manning really is.” No shyt , Sherlock; that’s why he’s one of the top 3 QB selected in fantasy football.

by KMR24 on Apr 16, 2009 1:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He'll be missed

I am just old enough to remember when retired from coaching. He won the SB with Raiders and walked off the field, a winner, right in to the booth, Classic.
His early years in the booth may have been his best, he was one of the first broadcasters to really explain what was going on in the trenches, he really broke down the game and started the trend of ex-coaches populating the booth. He was also the first broadcastor to use that little squigqgly line thing to diagram plays.
As a coach he helped change the way the game was played and as a broadcastor he changed the way we watched the games.

note: I originally posted this in the fan post, i hope nobody mines if I paste it here.

Defense if more important then breathing.

by BetterD on Apr 16, 2009 3:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Like him or not, Madden was an institution

Fans knew what they were getting and he was ‘comfortable’ to have in the booth. See Madden anywhere and you think football. He was indeed madden-ing at times, and we’ll always remember him suggesting that Brady should “take a knee” and go to overtime in the 2001 SB, but I never minded the guy. It was like having an old uncle watching the game with you.

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Apr 16, 2009 4:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I liked Madden.

I will miss him.

And I can’t stand Collinsworth. Oh well. At least Thiesman is still gone.

by coltsfanawalt on Apr 16, 2009 8:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wow

MNF already has an unbelievably awful crew and now SNF is ruined with Collingsworth. Primetime games suck.

"I saw a commercial on late night TV, it said,'Forget everything you know about slipcovers.' So I did. And it was a load off my mind. Then the commercial tried to sell me slipcovers, and I didn't know what the hell they were."
-Mitch Hedberg

by Colts Homer on Apr 16, 2009 9:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs