John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach of the then-Oakland Raiders, has passed away aged 85. The winner of the 1977 Super Bowl would go on to have a wildly successful broadcasting career, which resulted in EA Sports signing him as the face of its American football simulations – a role he’s retained until the present day. Madden is now synonymous with video games, as well as the NFL as a whole.
In a twist of serendipity, FOX Sports broadcasted a heavily advertised documentary on Madden’s life and career on Christmas day. “Nobody loved football more than Coach,” the league’s commissioner Roger Goddell said in a statement. “There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today.”
EA Sports has also released its own tribute: “Today, we lost a hero. John Madden was synonymous with the sport of football for more than 50 years. His knowledge of the game was second only to his love for it, and his appreciation for everyone who ever stepped on the gridiron. A humble champion, a willing teacher, and forever a coach.”
While Madden’s role has been reduced in more modern NFL games from EA Sports, his presence has always been there, and more recently he’s been available as an unlockable coach in Ultimate Team. We suspect next year’s game, Madden NFL 23, will feature a fitting tribute to the footballing icon. “He will be greatly missed, always remembered, and never forgotten,” EA Sports concluded.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 19
Even people who don't like, don't care, or don't know anything about NFL have heard of Madden.
The mark of a true legend! RIP!
You won't believe my shock when I read this news, not because of the death itself but because I never knew this man was still alive!
Rest in peace, good sir!
RIP. I love listening to Madden's commentary during his broadcasting days.
He actually passed away yesterday.a legend indeed.r.ip. to john Madden and r.i.p.the kangol kid shaun shiller fequire of the iconic. Old school rap group utfo.word up son
RIP, the man who made football understandable and accessible to so many.
Can't wait for EA to 'honour' him with a set of Super Ultra Turbo Diamond Mega Platinum Madden Ultimate Team cards in Ruby Galaxy Sigma Alpha Papa Card Packs(tm) for the low price of 99,99 USD per pull (excluding taxes + tip).
R.I.P. Coach, true Icon of the game, we just watched the documentary Christmas day.
I remember playing john Madden 🏈 on the sega genesis in 1992.this game was addicted.it was so fun.i would play it the season and get to the playoffs and win the Superbowl. In the upcoming years the madden games was fun.but the older games always have a nostalgic place in my heart.i miss the 1990s r.i.p.to the 2 iconic legendary john Madden.and the kangol kid shaun shiller fequire.word up son
Never cared about, watched or played anything football related but this man was a true icon.
I remember getting John Madden ‘93 on the Megadrive as there were no decent football games on the system at the time. Now I may not have picked up any of the subsequent iterations but I remember being pretty amazed by the game at the time. R.I.P. John Madden 🙏
For those who want some backstory on the man go search out the 'autumn wind' NFL films poem on YouTube. He was a Raider. You can also search out the many hilarious impressions comedians made about Madden over the years.
Before getting into watching the sport I played his games on Sega Genesis and later PS1 and PS2. I loved listening to his commentary on game day. There were a lot of announcers that tried to imitate him later on but he is the original. God bless him, may he rest in peace.
Even if you didn't know football you knew John Madden.
It's funny cause when I was a kid he did commercials for Ace Hardware (a chain of hardware stores in the US) and one day I saw him on the cover of a football game for the SNES at my local video store. I thought why on earth would you get a guy that does commercials for a hardware store for the cover of a football game. Needless to say that was before I knew how big of Legend he was in football.
R.I.P Coach a legend that will be missed.
Voice of my childhood playing Madden NFL 2003 (still the best Madden) on my dads OG Xbox.
True legend.
We’re talking Grid Iron here right? ..lot of references to football RIP I remember this franchise. The Madden series; that is
The Madden Curse strikes again
The last game cover he was on was Madden 07 HoF edition. Prior to that was Madden 2000 during the PlayStation 1 era. Guaranteed his likeness will be on the cover of Madden 2023, as he should be.
@Tasuki @PegasusActual93 @get2sammyb Also never cared for football/sports but still heard of this guy at least...mostly because of the video game franchise that was named after him.
RIP John Madden, I truly hope you're in a better place.
It is my sincere hope that he enjoyed one last Turducken this Christmas before he passed. RIP Coach Madden.
EA will exploit his death. "MADDEN 2022: JM EDITION: play as John Madden retro throwback for the Raiders 159.99" Or some other DLC with a price ceiling for either Career Mode or Coach Team Mode using John Madden's image. TRUST me on this one!
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