No one has had a bigger impact on the way football is presented on television than John Madden. It makes total sense then that in the NFL would take time out during the first games after his death to pay tribute.
Moments of silence were held in every stadium where games were played in Week 17. Fans watching at home saw a variety of tributes as well. Madden worked for all four networks during his TV career, so nearly everyone in a booth or in the studio had something to say.
No network owes its sports presence to the influence of John Madden more than FOX. The network replaced its own logo on Sunday with the drawing of Madden used on his video games and as the promotional image for the recent All Madden documentary.
Both of the network’s pregame shows also paid tribute to the Hall of Famer.
There may be no booth in history as beloved as Madden and his longtime partner Pat Summerall. While no one can replace that duo, Jim Nantz and Tony Romo may hold the “most beloved” distinction today. The CBS duo paid their respects, talking about Madden’s impact on both the network and sports television.
FOX had a tribute to Madden as a broadcaster as well.
One of the most impactful tributes came from Al Michaels. He and John Madden were partners on ABC’s Monday Night Football and then worked together on NBC when the network won the rights to Sunday Night Football.
In a video essay, Michaels described Madden as “a thoughtful listener” and “a terrific teacher” both on the field and behind the mic.
While John Madden never worked for ESPN, he was part of Monday Night Football from 2002 until 2005. Between the regular broadcast and ESPN2’s Manningcast, it is certain that there will be more tributes to the late coach and broadcaster when the Steelers play host to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17’s final game.
