Coach Madden was an important figure in the Raider history and lore. He's arguably the 1-B to Al Davis' 1-A in terms of the most important figures of the Silver and Black. The resume is indisputable: most wins and highest winning percentage as a coach in team history. Coached the Raiders to six AFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XI.
Clearly, I wasn't around when Madden coached. But he was a recurring character in my late dad's stories recounting the Raiders of the 70's. He had such a recognizable voice in the booth when I casually watched the NFL as a kid. When John Madden is on the commentary team, you know you're tuning in to a huge marquee matchup. As mentioned, he changed the way audiences see the NFL. He made sure we know the names of the entire offense, defense, and special teams units, not just the QB. I watched the All Madden special on Christmas Day and players turn up their competitive nature to 110%. They want that recognition to be a part of the All-Madden Team, or want a piece of the "Turducken" on Thanksgiving Day. Nowadays, players want to be the cover athlete for the annual Madden games.
What's shocking is the timing of his death. He just made an appearance on TV a couple of days ago for the first time since 2009. And then a couple of days after, he passed on. The All Madden special just seems like a way for every NFL player, personnel, and Sports broadcasters who have broadcasted on the NFL to say their final goodbye to a legend. The only thing we can take solace in is that Coach Madden lived a long, fruitful life and he touched many people. His name will forever be engraved in the game of American football. RIP.
