Bam! John Madden Retires From Broadcasting

A sad week for sports fans

Final telestrator sign off?

Earlier this week, Philadelphia sports legend Harry Kalas died of heart failure. Current and former players Nick Adenhart and Mark Fidrych also died. Minus the tragedy of death, another sports legend has moved on - John Madden has retired from National Football League broadcasting. There will be a hole that no personal loan of sports knowledge can fill; no way to repair credit with the fans who will miss what he brings to their homes.

Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle recently discussed what Madden and Kalas have meant to the development of sports broadcasting. While their styles were quite different, both earned the admiration and respect of millions for how they elevated their own love of the game into homes, night after night. Both were true American personalities who changed the way broadcasters relate to fans.

Boom! You’ve got Cris Collinsworth

But he will never replace Madden. Where Madden was both an announcer and a personality, Collinsworth is more firmly the former. As a former player, he can pass him knowledge of the game on to viewers, but he won’t pack the same punch. In a sense, there will be a cultural void. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Bam! John Madden Retires From Broadcasting"