Legendary NFL Broadcaster John Madden Passes Away, The Sports World Reacts

The sports world has lost a titan.  ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports that Hall of Fame NFL coach and iconic broadcaster John Madden passed away at the age of 85 Tuesday morning (Dec.28), the NFL announced. A statement from the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reads:

“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.

“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board 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.”

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Madden was 32-years-old when legendary Oakland Raider owner Al Davis hired him to coach the team. He would lead the organization to a 103-32-7 regular-season record and victory in the Super Bowl after the 1976 season before he began his career as an analyst in 1978. During his tenure, the Raiders never had a losing record, won seven division titles, and made the playoffs eight times. John Madden’s career in the NFL came to an end because of his fear of flying. It turned out to be a blessing because now he is the gold standard when it comes to being in the broadcast booth calling NFL games. Madden received his yellow jacket when he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Madden also became a legend in the world of video games thanks to his John Madden Football game developed by EA Sports. It would eventually be renamed Madden NFL and is now the only officially licensed football video game out. Landing on the cover of the game has become an honor and a curse depending on who you ask. John Madden’s impact on the world of football and sports broadcasting will be remembered forever by sport’s fans. You can peep reactions to his passing in the gallery below. Photo: Focus On Sport / Getty

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