John Madden retires from football broadcast booth
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SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL
John Madden retires from football broadcast booth
Friday, April 17, 2009
By Robert Dvorchak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Reed Saxon/Associated Press
John Madden
The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else. -- John Madden.
In his varied roles as a coach, a broadcaster and a pitchman, John Madden could be booming, boisterous and bumbling as a
pop culture icon who bounced his way into America's living rooms like a loose football.
But after 30 years of being one of the most recognized analysts in the broadcast booth -- entertaining and exasperating all at
the same time -- he will no longer be offering insights of NFL games with his trademark wit and candor.
The 73-year-old grandfather of five has retired to spend more time with his family, which means his last game was the
Steelers' victory in the Super Bowl, the 11th NFL championship game he called.
Mr. Madden was viewed with a provincial eye by Steeler fans. They perceived a bias because Mr. Madden never got over
the Immaculate Reception when he was coaching the Oakland Raiders. One example of these sore feelings was his opinion -said to a worldwide audience -- that James Harrison should have been ejected from Super Bowl XLIII during a special teams
play.
But at the Black and Gold Forever Shop at Fifth and Wood, where the Super Bowl is still played daily in a continuous loop,
owner John Vasquez took a higher road.
"Time goes by and people forget. He shouldn't be remembered just for that," Mr. Vasquez said. "He would say exactly what
he felt, and he used his own unique expressions to say it. He'll be missed. I don't know who could possibly fill his shoes."
Mr. Madden became coach of the Oakland Raiders in 1969, the same year Chuck Noll was hired by the Steelers. In a 10-year
coaching career that ended because of his ulcer, Mr. Madden posted 103 victories and a winning percentage of .750, a mark
that has never been equaled. He won one Super Bowl, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
He moved to the broadcasting booth in 1979, and his on-air achievements got him into the Hall of Fame in 2002. He may
have had a face that looked like an unmade bed, but the man won an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards as a sportscaster. He
punctuated his comments with expressions like "Wham!" and "Doink!" while diagramming plays on his telestrator.
He was the perfect complement to play-by-play partners Pat Summerall and Al Michaels, spicing up the telecasts with
insights such as: "If your arm gets hit, the ball is not going where you want it to." Those Maddenisms, as they were called,
later provided fodder to impersonators such as Frank Caliendo and other comics.
NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol called him "absolutely the best sportscaster who ever lived."
His antics spiced up broadcasts on NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox. In retiring, Mr. Madden walks away from a salary of $9.5
million a year.
With Mr. Madden behind the microphone on Thanksgiving Day, star players were awarded turkey drumsticks. But as an
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John Madden retires from football broadcast booth
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example of his appeal, he boosted sales of a dish called the turducken -- a blend of turkey, duck and chicken -- simply by
calling attention to it on the air.
He poked fun at himself in commercials for Miller Lite Beer. He convinced viewers to buy at a particular hardware store by
telling them Ace is the place, and he targeted athlete's foot by pitching tough actin' Tinactin.
Because of a fear of flying, he drove to cities to call games in something known as the Madden Cruiser -- a fancy recreation
vehicle that ultimately was sponsored by Outback Steakhouse.
A whole generation who may not know anything of his coaching career recognizes him as the personna behind the video
game Madden NFL. In 20 years, it became the most popular video game of all time, with 65 million copies sold.
In addition, Mr. Madden influenced the NFL by creating his All-Madden teams, stocked with personalities who thrived in
the trenches. A fair amount of Steelers were recognized.
Mr. Madden once explained his criteria for being selected this way: "It's about a guy who's got a dirty uniform, mud on his
face and grass in the ear hole of his helmet."
His way of explaining football to casual fans spilled over into his writing. One of his books is titled "One Knee Equals Two
Feet (And Everything Else You Need To Know About Football)."
In announcing his retirement, Mr. Madden said he still loved the game with a passion. But he also said: "It's time."
The voice that told a vast football audience that "winning is the best deodorant" is now quiet as far as broadcasts go. The
Madden Cruiser has been parked. Autumns will never be the same.
Bob Dvorchak can be reached at bdvorchak@post-gazette.com.
First published on April 17, 2009 at 12:00 am
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4/17/2009
RB Russell released; 4 more visit
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SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL
RB Russell released; 4 more visit
Friday, April 17, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Gary Russell, who scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII, was released by the Steelers yesterday in a surprise
move.
Russell made the Steelers as an undrafted rookie in 2007 and became their short-yardage running back midway through the
'08 season. He rushed for 77 yards on 28 carries in the '08 regular season and scored three touchdowns.
His most important score, though, came in the second quarter of the Super Bowl when he ran 1 yard for a touchdown to give
the Steelers a 10-0 lead over the Arizona Cardinals. He previously lost 4 yards when he was tackled in the backfield on a
first down at Arizona's 1 on the first series of the game.
Those were Russell's only two carries of the Super Bowl. He also scored a touchdown from 1 yard in the fourth quarter of
the Steelers' 35-24 playoff victory against San Diego.
The Steelers gave no reason for his release.
The team also officially announced the signing of backup quarterback Charlie Batch to a one-year contract. He will receive a
$745,000 salary and a signing bonus of $50,000.
•
NOTE -- Four more college players visited the Steelers yesterday: wide receiver Travis Shelton of Temple, linebacker
Spence Adkins of Miami, Fla., quarterback Nate Davis of Ball State and guard Andy Levitre of Oregon State.
Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com
First published on April 17, 2009 at 12:00 am
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Steelers release Russell - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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Steelers release Russell
By Scott Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, April 17, 2009
A busy week at the Steelers' South Side facility produced a surprising
development Thursday.
The team released Gary Russell, who scored the Steelers' first touchdown in
Super Bowl XLIII and had shown promise as a short-yardage back.
The Steelers did not give a reason for the 22-year-old Russell's release. His
agent, Brian Levy, could not be reached for comment.
Russell played in 15 games last season, including the postseason, and had five
rushing touchdowns. The 5-11, 215-pounder led the Steelers in kickoff returns
and averaged 22.3 yards per return.
Russell played parts of two seasons with the Steelers after signing with the
team as an undrafted free agent.
He rushed for 1,130 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore at the
University of Minnesota in 2005 but didn't play in 2006 after flunking out of
school.
Russell emerged as one of the surprises of Steelers training camp in 2007 and
played in four games as a rookie.
In other news, the Steelers officially re-signed veteran quarterback Charlie
Batch to a one-year contract yesterday.
They also hosted four college prospects in preparation for next weekend's NFL
draft: Ball State quarterback Nate Davis.
Oregon State offensive lineman Andy Levitre, Miami (Fla.) linebacker Spencer
Adkins and Temple wide receiver/return specialist Travis Shelton.
The Steelers have met with 27 out-of-area prospects, and they are allowed to
host 30 such visits prior to the draft. Today is the last day NFL teams are
permitted to meet with college prospects.
Scott Brown can be reached at sbrown@tribweb.com or 412-481-5432.
Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com
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FRIDAY APRIL 17, 2009 :: Last modified: Friday, April 17, 2009 12:00 AM EDT
Bires: Batch back, but Dixon could be the backup
By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
Starting Monday, an intriguing quarterback battle will begin to take shape at Steelers’ headquarters.
When the first of 14 organized team activities gets under way, Dennis Dixon will be out to prove he’s
capable of backing up Ben Roethlisberger.
It’ll be the 24-year-old kid vs. a 34-year-old veteran.
The old guy, of course, is Charlie Batch, who just signed a one-year contract.
On the surface, it would appear Batch would be automatically penciled into the No. 2 spot behind
Roethlisberger. After all, that was his role last year before breaking his collarbone in a preseason
game. Byron Leftwich, the man who replaced Batch last year, is gone. He left town in search of a
starting job in Tampa Bay.
But don’t bet the ranch on Batch just yet.
Batch may have a ton of experience, but coach Mike Tomlin and his offensive assistants are intrigued
by Dixon’s potential.
Before Dixon suffered a knee injury late in his senior year at Oregon, there were some NFL draftniks
who believed he could be taken as high as the second round of the 2008 draft. Dixon did finish fourth
in The Associated Press Player of the Year voting and fifth in the Heisman Trophy vote.
But due to the severity of his knee injury, Dixon lasted until the fifth round.
Last season, the Steelers were patient with Dixon as he adapted from Oregon’s spread offense to the
passing system used in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers were so fascinated by Dixon’s athleticism that they didn’t dare place him on the practice
squad for fear another team might steal him away.
Instead, they kept him on the 53-man active roster, even though he didn’t play a down until the last
game of the season. Finally, in a 31-0 rout of the Cleveland Browns, Dixon got to play two series. On
his first series, he completed his first NFL pass, a short toss to wide receiver Hines Ward. On the
game’s final possession, with the Steelers lined up in “victory” formation, Dixon took a knee twice.
With Roethlisberger firmly entrenched, Dixon knows he may never get a chance to start in Pittsburgh.
But he believes he can play in the NFL.
His next step would be proving he can be a backup.
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For Dixon, that process starts Monday.
Mike Bires can be reached online at mbires@timesonline.com
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FRIDAY APRIL 17, 2009 :: Last modified: Friday, April 17, 2009 12:00 AM EDT
Steelers cut running back Russell
By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
Running back Gary Russell, who scored the Steelers’ first touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII, lost his job
Thursday.
In a somewhat surprising move, Russell was released four days before the first of 14 organized team
activities. The Steelers have two of their OTAs scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
Russell earned a roster spot as an undrafted rookie in 2007.
As a rookie, Russell played sparingly, appearing in only three games and carrying only seven times
for 21 yards.
But last year after rookie first-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall broke his shoulder in a Sept. 29
win over the Baltimore Ravens, Russell became the Steelers’ short-yardage back. Russell played in
12 games during the regular season, carrying 28 times for 73 yards and three TDs.
Mendenhall has reportedly made a complete recovery from his broken shoulder and is expected to
back up Willie Parker. Mewelde Moore will be likely be the third-down back again.
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Russell cut by Steelers
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Russell cut by Steelers
Observer-Reporter
The Steelers on Thursday released running back Gary Russell to make room for the signing of backup
quarterback Charlie Batch.
Russell, a third-year player, was the Steelers' primary kickoff returer and short-yardage running back in
2008. He averaged 23.2 yards per kickoff return and gained 77 yards on 28 carries with three
touchdowns.
The Steelers signed Russell as an undrafted rookie in 2007. He scored Pittsburgh's first touchdown in the
Steelers' Super Bowl victory over Arizona.
The release of Russell saves the Steelers $535,000 on their 2009 salary cap. The Steelers needed to
make that room available in order to sign Batch, who earlier this week agreed to a one-year, $895,000
contract.
Copyright Observer Publishing Co.
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The Herald Standard - Sports - 04/17/2009 - NFL Briefs
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04/17/2009
NFL Briefs
Steelers re-sign Batch, release RB
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Backup quarterback Charlie Batch returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers by signing an $895,000, one-year contract
that includes a $50,000 signing bonus.
The move Thursday was expected because Batch has been working out with the
Steelers since missing last season with a broken right collarbone. Byron Leftwich
replaced Batch as Ben Roethlisberger's backup, but he signed a $7.5 million, two-year
deal with Tampa Bay.
Advertisement
Batch has been the Steelers' primary backup since signing with the Steelers in 2002. He
has played in 22 games since then, starting four times.
The Steelers also released running back Gary Russell, who signed with them as an
undrafted free agent in 2007. He scored a touchdown during their 27-23 victory over
the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl.
Henry pleads guilty
BILLINGS, Mont. - Former NFL running back Travis Henry pleaded guilty Thursday
to trafficking cocaine in a federal drug case that could land him in prison for 10 years
or more.
Appearing in federal court in Billings, Mont., the 30-year-old Henry admitted to a single count of conspiracy to possess cocaine with
intent to distribute.
He was arrested in Denver last October after authorities broke apart a drug ring that trafficked cocaine between Colorado and Montana.
Henry was described as the "money guy" who helped finance the operation.
U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull accepted the guilty plea and set a July 15 sentencing date. Two other cocaine trafficking charges were
dropped under the plea agreement.
Henry will remain free on $400,000 bond. Henry's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said Henry recently sold his Colorado property and will
live in Florida until his July sentencing.
Jets upset over scheduling
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - The New York Jets, upset about being scheduled for home games on consecutive Sundays in direct conflict
with Jewish holidays, sent NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a letter Thursday asking that one of the game times be changed.
The Jets' home opener is Week 2 against New England at 1 p.m. on Sept. 20, which falls during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
New York then plays Tennessee at 4:15 p.m. the following Sunday, with Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, beginning at
sundown.
In the letter to Goodell, owner Woody Johnson suggested the game against the Titans be changed to a 1 p.m. start to give Jewish fans time
to arrive home before sundown.
"I am extremely disappointed with the league's decision to schedule us to play at home on consecutive Sundays that are in direct conflict
with the Jewish High Holy Days," Johnson wrote. "There has long been an understanding that neither the Jets nor the Giants fans should
have to bear completely the brunt of this issue since we are in the largest Jewish market in the country."
The Giants are on the road for both weeks, with games at Dallas at 8:20 p.m. in Week 2, and at Tampa, Fla., at 1 p.m. in Week 3.
Browns GM keeps it to himself
BEREA, Ohio - For 35 minutes, Cleveland general manager George Kokinis stood behind the podium and addressed the upcoming NFL
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draft, trade rumors, injuries and the Browns' future.
He talked a lot.
He divulged little.
Perhaps concerned about tipping his hand before his first draft as a GM, Kokinis was guarded during just his second news conference with
local media members. He opened his remarks by saying he would not address speculation about trades or roster decisions.
"Internal business is not something I'm going to discuss," he said. "It's just not the right thing to do."
Kokinis kept his word. And then some.
Baltimore's former director of pro personnel stiff-armed the day's first question, which centered on reported deals involving wide receiver
Braylon Edwards and quarterback Brady Quinn.
"It's internal business," Kokinis said. "We'll look at every option."
Kokinis didn't break any news on Cleveland's draft intentions. The Browns have the No. 5 overall pick, two in the second round and one in
the fourth and sixth.
Kokinis did reveal that running back Jamal Lewis had offseason ankle surgery and suggested that quarterback Derek Anderson had some
procedure done on his left knee.
Kokinis was almost defiant about the incessant trade talk. He didn't dignify any of the reports, but he didn't deny them either.
Edwards has been mentioned in a possible deal with the New York Giants, who are looking to fill a major hole in their offense since
releasing troubled wide receiver Plaxico Burress. According to several reports, the Browns have discussed sending Edwards to New York
in exchange for second- and fifth-round picks in this year's draft and Giants receiver Steve Smith.
The Giants, the reports say, want to keep Smith but have offered receiver Domenik Hixon along with the picks.
Edwards, perhaps the most talented player on Cleveland's roster, has always wanted to play in a major market and New York would suit
his personality and desire to be a star outside of football. He had 55 receptions and three touchdowns last season, a dramatic drop from the
80 catches and 16 TDs he had as a Pro Bowler in 2007. Edwards also was plagued by dropped passes in 2008.
At roughly the same time Kokinis was playing word games with reporters, Giants GM Jerry Reese was shooting down the Edwards-toNew York rhetoric.
"I'm not talking about Braylon," Reese said. "That's somebody else's player. He's under contract, so I'm not talking about that. There's a lot
of chatter. A lot of false reports."
As for Quinn, who has spent most of his pro career on the bench, there has been renewed talk about the Browns' interest in seeing what
they can command for the former Notre Dame star. Before Jay Cutler was traded by Denver, he had been linked to a deal involving Quinn.
Kokinis, who was hired by the Browns after the club brought in coach Eric Mangini, was asked if the Browns had tried to acquire Cutler.
"Uh, did we try to obtain Jay Cutler?" Kokinis said. "Jay Cutler is with the Bears."
Pressed on Cleveland's cluttered quarterback field, Kokinis said the plan remains to have Quinn compete with Derek Anderson.
"Nothing has changed on our roster in terms of those two guys," he said. "They'll come in here and compete. They both can contribute.
They both have skill. They both have qualities that we like. I think competition throughout this whole team is vital."
Later, Kokinis said that Lewis underwent a "clean out" procedure on his ankle during the offseason. Lewis rushed for 1,002 yards and
Kokinis believes the soon-to-be 30-year-old is still a productive every-down back.
"I think he's still got tread there," Kokinis said. "You can't count that man out."
Soon after, Kokinis was asked about whether Anderson, who lost his starting job to Quinn midway through last season, had undergone
offseason surgery. Anderson missed the final four games with a strained knee ligament.
"Derek is 100 percent," Kokinis said, avoiding the direct question. "He's been working out. I think Derek is going to come in determined
to compete. He's 100 percent."
Kokinis was again asked if Anderson required surgery.
"Again, injuries and surgeries and stuff, I gave you Jamal," he said.
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Before concluding, Kokinis was asked why he couldn't address Anderson's status.
"Well, I just chose not to," he said.
Copyright 2009, Associated Press
©The Herald Standard 2009
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'Emotional' John Madden found 'right time' to leave NFL - USATODAY.com
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Powered by
'Emotional' John Madden found 'right time' to leave NFL
By Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY
One thing always seemed certain about John Madden and football: He'd never get enough. Ever.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer's renowned fear of flying didn't stop his ascent to becoming the ultimate big-game voice on
each of the four major broadcast networks, which continually jockeyed for him. And along the way, Madden won 16 Emmys,
called 11 Super Bowls and grew even bigger than America's biggest game.
WHO'S NEXT: Collinsworth gets his shot
PHOTOS: John Madden retrospective
Whether extolling "turducken" or Tough Actin' Tinactin — or writing best sellers including Hey, Wait a Minute! (I Wrote a
Book!) — he was the uncle built like a football whom America always wanted to see. And in selling more than 70 million
copies of his NFL video game, he proved there's at least one grandpa that millions of teenagers would buy into.
But Thursday, the last best hope for long-haul bus travel's luster announced that this fall he'll be parked at home and
surrounded by family in Pleasanton, Calif.
"I've decided to retire," Madden, 73, said Thursday on one of his regular appearances on KCBS Radio in San Francisco.
"Heck, I can't even say it, but I've decided to retire."
And with no complaints. "There's nothing wrong. ... I'm not tired of anything, but I'm going away. That's what makes it hard."
Pat Summerall, Madden's longtime sidekick on CBS and Fox, said he was shocked when Madden gave him the news
Wednesday. Said Summerall, on ESPN on Thursday, "I don't think he had any hobbies other than football and breaking down
film."
And that passion, Madden said, hadn't taken a pow. "I still love every part of it. But I know this is the right time. ... My five
grandkids are old enough that they know when I'm gone and when I'm not. This year is my 50th wedding anniversary. ... You
add everything up, and it's the right time."
He must be joking. That's what NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol assumed when Madden called with the news April 7. "I
took a pause for a good 15 seconds," Ebersol said. "I thought he was pulling my leg." Then, Ebersol said, he went into action:
"I said, 'No you're not.' "
Ebersol had to tell the rest of the story Thursday on a conference call with Madden's longtime agent, Sandy Montag. Madden
himself, beyond his regular radio spot, wasn't talking. Instead, Montag said, Madden is "doing this on his terms" and had
been as "emotional as I've ever seen him" in making the decision.
Last-minute lobbying by Ebersol
Ebersol was emphatic that Madden was not being pushed. NBC originally hired Cris Collinsworth away from Fox, where he
was the lead NFL game analyst, to be its game analyst when it landed its marquee Sunday night games three seasons ago.
But because it might as well be an official NFL rule that any announcer must step aside when Madden becomes available,
Collinsworth did just that when NBC managed to lure Madden from ABC.
Collinsworth, teamed with Al Michaels, will replace Madden. But Ebersol, who unsuccessfully tried to recruit Madden to NBC
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in the 1990s by promising him his own train from NBC parent General Electric, offered to let Madden pick and choose his
games while alternating with Collinsworth.
Ebersol flew to meet Madden at his home Wednesday and spent 11 hours trying to talk him into staying. "There's never a
time I wouldn't want John here," Ebersol said. "I would have changed everything to have some part of John."
And health, Ebersol and Montag say, wasn't an issue. Ebersol said Madden recently had his best physical in years and his
good health "actually propelled him in this direction even more." Madden is "perfectly healthy and loves everything he does
(at NBC)," Montag said. And since Madden works marquee game, "he's never home."
Montag said Madden would stay active — including continuing with his product endorsements — but "I have no idea what
else he's going to do."
Meaning, Montag said, the ultimate road warrior really does want to park more often close to hearth and home. "There is no
one thing here; there is no problem. He is healthy, he's happy, he's content. ... (He said) it's time to spend time with your
family, get on with the rest of your life."
But, like Madden favorite Brett Favre, couldn't he change his mind after an offseason of domesticity? "He doesn't change his
mind," said Montag, who has worked for Madden for 25 years. "He never does."
Madden said he'd keep his famous bus. "It's not that I'm going to stop traveling or stop doing stuff. I'm still going to do things."
But here's the pow! "I'm just not going to be doing pro football on television anymore."
Which will leave millions of Americans with a prospect they've never faced: watching pro football without John Madden in
their living rooms.
"I can't imagine anyone who has done more to connect the fans to the game than John Madden," said DeMaurice Smith,
executive director of the NFL Players Association.
From Daly City to the NFL
Madden's father, Earl, was a car mechanic who hated his job and told his son to put off working as long as possible. "When
you do," he said, "that's it."
Not all the time. Montag said Madden "always says he's never worked a day in his life."
But Madden also managed to exude an Everyman appeal. John Robinson, who grew up with Madden in working-class Daly
City, Calif., has said "the funny thing about John is he hasn't really changed (since grade school), when he cheated off my
tests. Or was it the other way around?"
But each made the grade in football. Robinson coached the University of Southern California to a 1977 Rose Bowl victory
days before Madden earned his Super Bowl ring in the same stadium. Said Robinson, who in recent years tagged along with
Madden as a spotter in NBC's broadcast booth: "Not bad for two doofuses from Daly City."
Madden was drafted in 1958 as a 21st-round pick but got hurt before he could finish his only pro training camp. That didn't
keep him from becoming a pro head coach at 32. He won the Super Bowl after the 1976 season and retired after compiling
the best winning percentage of any NFL coach with at least 100 wins.
When Madden stepped away from coaching the Oakland Raiders after the 1978 season, he might have lived off his local real
estate investments in Pleasanton, which was a sleepy outpost about 20 miles from Oakland when he first moved there and
began buying up land. But he decided against that after spending a day in line for a sewer permit.
Instead, he went into TV. One of his on-air goals: "I never wanted somebody else to make me look stupid," which he
explained to Ebersol decades ago after the then-Saturday Night Live producer asked Madden to play a circus elephant in an
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SNL skit.
That worked out in the long run. Ebersol maintains Madden became the only broadcaster who could change ratings.
"He called the game the way players and coaches like it to be called," said Mike Singletary, coach of the San Francisco 49ers
and a Hall of Fame linebacker with the Chicago Bears.
Madden brought more than trademark phrases — from exclaiming "Doink!" to helping keep "bootleg" alive in the football
lexicon — to TV.
He lobbied for the onscreen line showing where teams would get a first down and for better game audio. Said producer Bob
Stenner, who worked with Madden and Summerall for 21 years at CBS and Fox: "We started meeting with players and
coaches on Fridays and Saturdays, watched practices and game film. That wasn't done prior to John's arrival. Looking back,
it's hard to believe."
And as Madden's TV career took off in the early 1980s, it wasn't just from calling games. He said his first big ad campaign —
for Miller Lite — brought him far more attention than his coaching.
Video game adds to legacy
Collinsworth subbed for Madden on one game in Tampa last year to save him a cross-country swing. But it also prompted
speculation that NBC might be looking at making at switch. Collinsworth, however, never suggested there was any
competition, saying at the time that Madden was "my favorite guy I've met in this business" — and one who made
Collinsworth the voice of his 2009 NFL video game.
And that hit game, said Geoff Keighley, host of Spike TV's Gametrailers, will keep Madden's legacy alive. "Now that he's
retiring from commentating doesn't mean that he is disappearing," Keighley said. "I think it will be just more like the legend of
John Madden living on inside the game."
And living more with his wife, Virginia, who, despite being married to the world's most famous non-flier, once flew her own
plane. When Madden was busy coaching, she once told him about a family vacation — with sons Mike, who was a receiver at
Harvard, and Joe, an offensive lineman at Brown, and now both in their 40s — after they'd taken it.
Ebersol said the family was as surprised by the retirement as everybody else and, during his last-ditch attempt to dissuade
Madden on Wednesday, Joe told him, "We can't believe Dad is doing this."
Who can blame him? Madden hasn't taken a football season off since ninth grade.
Contributing: Sean Leahy, Gary Mihoces, Mike Snider
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4/17/2009
Collinsworth finally gets lead NBC opportunity with Madden gone - USATODAY.com
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Collinsworth finally gets lead NBC opportunity
with Madden gone
By Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY
Cris Collinsworth now finds himself the lead analyst for NBC's Sunday night NFL game.
Again.
Collinsworth had the role before but never got to perform.
The former Cincinnati Bengals receiver, who got his TV break working NFL games not deemed worthy of airing in much of
the USA, had worked his way up to lead analyst on Fox until NBC lured him back to work games on TV's most-watched night.
NBC's Sunday night games would supplant Monday Night Football as the NFL's marquee prime-time package.
Collinsworth sat out the 2005 season to wait for NBC's 2006 kickoff. When Madden became available, a prospect no network
has been known to resist, NBC suggested Collinsworth could still work the games — but doing play-by-play.
He was a gamer. But also, he adds, beyond inept. Collinsworth, recalling his rehearsals: "It would have been a career-ender.
... That first one, I watched myself for 45 seconds, turned it off — and screamed. When I die, I'll let people watch it. I want
people to laugh at my funeral."
NBC was able to land Al Michaels from ABC — partly by returning rights to an old Walt Disney cartoon character to ABC
parent Disney — and Collinsworth joined the chorus line on NBC's Sunday night studio show.
He also remained on Inside the NFL after it shifted from HBO to Showtime and was an NFL Network game analyst — a job
he'll now give up.
NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said Thursday that he didn't want to talk about the analyst who would replace the only
announcer to call Super Bowls on all four networks: "I just want to declare this 'Celebrate John Madden Week.' " But then,
Collinsworth is used to waiting.
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ESPN.com - Browns avoid questions on trade talk
ESPN.com: NFL
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Thursday, April 16, 2009
Browns avoid questions on trade talk
Associated Press
BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns general manager George Kokinis sidestepped questions about trade
rumors involving quarterback Brady Quinn and wide receiver Braylon Edwards, saying that discussion
about players on the roster was "internal business." Kokinis was hired in January to help new coach Eric
Mangini overhaul a 4-12 team.
He did reveal that running back Jamal Lewis underwent offseason ankle surgery. He would not
comment on quarterback Derek Anderson, who missed the final month of last season with a left knee
injury.
Asked whether Anderson required surgery, Kokinis would only say Anderson is "100 percent."
Anderson is expected to compete with Quinn for the starting job unless one of them is dealt.
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4/17/2009