Madden Gone - A Nation Mourns

 John Madden Audio Tribute @benztownradio

It's just so hard getting through this NFL season as a Raiders fan. With a coach resigning under scandalous accusations, a top player let go after involvement in a fatal automobile accident, and a pandemic still causing havoc on the game and players, you'd think it can't get any worse.

Then comes the unexpected loss of one of our great Hall of Fame inductees, a man whose name is synonymous with Raiders Football. On seeing the breaking news caption of John Madden's death crawl across the bottom of the tv screen, I could only give a hurt yell before deeply inhaling, then exhaling in grief. Our former head coach, and ambassador of NFL football was no longer with us.

You could probably say it was John Madden who put Raiders Football on the sports map. Sure, there was the vibrant owner, the renegade players and the intimidating uniforms, but it took a charismatic coach like Madden to corral it all into a championship team. You might say that his successor, Tom Flores, winner of two championships, was better at coaching by the numbers. But you can't name another coach who showed as much fight for his players, love for the game and will to win. Players trusted Madden, and he trusted them to "play like hell" come game day. He was a teacher of the game; for players and fans.

Madden's passion for football literally jumped off the screen, making viewers instant fans. He was the John Candy of football coaches; big, loud and unconcerned with sideline attire. You could easily picture him as captain of your Friday night bowling league team, passionately encouraging teammates to play through adversity. Then settling down to a pitcher of cold beer and fries while relaying a big fish story. Madden was an exceptionally gifted storyteller.

Today is a day of mourning for Raider Nation and the SF Bay Area. We mourn his loss, but at the same time honor the man and his accomplishments. On media throughout the bay are discussions about what John Madden meant to folks. It's odd that you don't hear people talking about his winning coaching record so much as just the type of man he was and his passion for football. We liked Madden because he was just Madden; no self-aggrandizing, no flash, no filler, just a big guy who loved football and marched to his own drum.

Younger generations are reflecting on the Madden video game and how it was a force in their young lives. It seems everybody has a Madden story to tell, and all will miss him.

Here is a link to a blogpost I wrote when John Madden was enshrined into the NFL Hall of Fame. 

Finally, Coach John Madden is Officially a Hall of Famer

Thanks for the memorable, memories Coach.