{"id":1390,"date":"2021-12-29T23:12:55","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T23:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/?p=1390"},"modified":"2021-12-29T23:12:55","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T23:12:55","slug":"john-madden-nfl-broadcasting-legend-and-coach-has-died-at-85","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/2021\/12\/john-madden-nfl-broadcasting-legend-and-coach-has-died-at-85.html","title":{"rendered":"John Madden, NFL Broadcasting Legend and Coach, Has Died at 85"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NFL Hall-of-Famer, broadcast legend and former Oakland Raiders coach, John Madden<\/a>, has died at 85.<\/p>\n

Madden’s passing was unexpected.<\/p>\n

Roger Goodell, the NFL<\/a> commissioner, said that Madden’s passing was unexpected but has not released his death’s cause.<\/p>\n

“On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families. We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every major network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. Goodell said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible soundboard to me and so many others. 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.” said the commissioner.<\/p>\n

John Madden had such a passion for football that he translated the game so smoothly that even new fans who didn’t have much football knowledge could follow every word and understand him. It is a truly devastating loss for anyone who was a football fan.<\/p>\n

Football<\/a> is not just a sport. It’s a way of life. John Madden lived for football and everything that it represented.<\/p>\n

Madden was the soundtrack for the NFL<\/a> for three decades. He’s one of the few people on this earth that you could identify who he was just by listening to a clip of his voice.<\/p>\n

After an unsuccessful training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles due to a career-ending knee injury, Madden switched gears and applied his love of football with his passion for teaching. He became the head coach for the Oakland Raiders, where he led the team to Super Bowl XI and won the championship title. He retired from coaching in 1979 and went on to become the greatest sports analyst ever to live.<\/p>\n

Madden’s broadcasting career included many highlights, including his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, the receiver of 12 Emmy awards, including a lifetime achievement award, and several other Hall-of-Fame inductions. He was the first person to call a Super Bowl on television, and his famous line “They are still tackling him. He is going to get up.” became part of NFL lore when Lynn Swann failed to come up with a catchphrase.<\/p>\n

As a football analyst, Madden was the best. He had an incredible ability to break down a game and make it easy for the average fan to understand. His catchphrases, such as “do you believe in miracles?” and “it’s in the game,” are still being used today. In the end, Madden’s biggest contribution to football was his impact on the game itself. He was a revolutionary coach who changed the way the game gets played.<\/p>\n

In the end, Madden was more than just a football analyst. He was an icon of American culture. His fame transcended sports, and he may be the greatest NFL legend of all time.<\/p>\n

John and his wife Virginia just celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary just two days prior to his death.<\/p>\n

Rest in peace, John Madden.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Madden was the voice of football and he will be missed by all who love the game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":645,"featured_media":1396,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nJohn Madden, NFL Broadcasting Legend and Coach, Has Died at 85<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The NFL Hall-of-Famer, broadcast legend and former Oakland Raiders coach, John Madden, has died at 85.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"John Madden, NFL Broadcasting Legend and Coach, Has Died at 85\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The 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