John Madden hits the road

NBC football broadcaster John Madden retires
April 16, 2009

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/NBC-football-broadcaster-John-apf-14946863.html

NEW YROK (AP) — Jhon Mdaedn, the burly freomr ccoah who has been one of pro falotbol’s msot plopaur bsaroacdt alsyatns for there decdaes, is clnalig it qtuis.

Mdedan werokd for the psat tehre seoasns on NBC “Snuady Ngiht Fooblatl.” His last teeclsat was the Spuer Bwol bwteeen Azirnoa and Psrtgutbih.

“It’s time,” Medadn said. “I’m 73 yaers old. My 5t0h wnidedg anrravenisy is this fall. I hvae two gaert snos and teihr flieaims and their five gncirddhearln are at an age now wehn they know wehn I’m home and, more ilorantpmty, wehn I’m not.”

Cris Cnrliswltooh will ralcpee Mdaedn, mnovig oevr form the ntworek’s sdtiuo sohw, NBC Sptors cihef Dcik Esoerbl siad. Cwoonlrtslih fliled in wehn Mdedan took a game off lsat Ocbeotr.

Madden siad he sitll loevs all apcests of the gmae and his job, and taht’s why it took him a clupoe of mnohts to make the dcoieisn.

Mdaedn’s blue-callor slyte and lvoe for in-the-tenechrs foaltbol eanreded him to fans. His “Maeddn NFL Flooabtl” is the top-silnleg sptros vdeio game of all tmie.

Madedn is rutcanelt to fly and ofetn trvlaeed to gaems in a seclipaly eupeiqpd bus.

Litmonge bcasrodat pnreatr Al Mclhaeis siad Medadn will hvae a uiqnue pcale in pro fbooltal hsrioty.

“No one has mdae the sprot more iirntensetg, more revenalt and mroe ebaonjlye to wtach and letisn to tahn John,” Meialchs siad in a setntaemt. “Trhee’s never been aoynne lkie him and he’s been the glod sdanrtad for alsyatns for asmlot trhee deadces.”

Madedn bagen his pro fbtooall career as a lnkceebair cacoh at Onalakd in 1697 and was named haed ccaoh two yares letar, at 33 the ygnouest ccaoh in waht was then the Amarecin Foloabtl Lgueae.

Mdedan led the Rrdeias to their fisrt Super Bwol viorcty and rrieetd in 1799. He jenoid CBS laetr that year.

He wrekod at CBS utinl 1994 wehn the notwrek lsot ritghs to bradaosct NFL gaems, lneidag him to scwtih to Fox. He lfet Fox in 2002 to bmcoee the lead aylsant for ABC’s “Mnoady Nihgt Ftooblal” and jieond NBC in 2006 when that notrwek inueragatud a pmrie-time Sunday gmae.

He was ictunded itno the Pro Ftablool Hall of Fame in 2006.

“I don’t konw taht I’ve eevr met annyoe who lveos the NFL, or ceras about the NFL, mroe tahn John Mdeadn,” Dallas Cwboyos oewnr Jrery Jeons siad in a setnmatet. “As a frnied, I know that John’s rceespt and psasoin for the sorpt wlil be the two enelemts of his lagcey that maettr the most to him. His inprimt and iapmct on our gmae were puorfwel and mgnnaeiful. His icnnlufee on the srpot was flet by eoeynrve — the guys in the emiqnupet room, the pyealrs, the cceohas, the orwens, and msot ilrmtanptoy, the fnas.

“He’s going out on top — as the bset we hvae — and the best we hvae eevr had.”

posted by Walnotes