Boom! Legendary NFL commentator John Madden is walking away from the broadcast booth after nearly 30 years.
"It's time," Madden said in a statement issued by NBC Sports, where he has worked since 2006 as an analyst on Sunday Night Football, and for whom he called the most recent Super Bowl. "I'm 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons and their families and my five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I'm home and, more importantly, when I'm not.
"I still love every part of it — the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people... but I know this is the right time," Madden said.
The former Oakland Raiders coach has called games for all four of the major broadcast networks. He joined ...
read more
At Monday's Sports Emmys, HBO led all networks, taking eight trophies. Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel was honored along with its Ghosts of Flatbush documentary and the network's boxing coverage.ESPN scored seven total Emmys (including three for ESPN.com) and Fox picked up five Emmys. CBS and NBC won three statues apiece.It was a big night for NBC's football coverage. Sunday Night Football's Al Michaels won best play-by-play honors and his boothmate John Madden took top analyst honors. Football Night in America co-host Cris Collinsworth was named best studio analyst. James Brown won best studio host for CBS' The NFL Today.Other Emmys went to Fox's Fiesta Bowl coverage along with NASCAR on Fox. ESPN's College GameDay won best weekly studio show, and TNT's Inside the NBA snared the Emmy for best daily studio show. —J.R. Whalen
read more
He’s baaack! Dennis Miller once again steps away from politics for the slightly less controversial world of sports. "Last time I was in sports, I lasted for two years on Monday Night Football, and then John Madden left Fox [for ABC]. And when John Madden wants your job in football and you’re the stand-up comedian in the booth, he’s going to get your job," Miller says of his 2000-02 stint on MNF. His new weekly series, Sports Unfiltered with Dennis Miller (premiering tonight at 10 pm/ET on VS), features a familiar lineup of trademark rants, monologues, interviews and reviews of the top sports headlines. Here's a preview.
TV Guide: Why a sports show?
read more
For additional NFL preview, read "Brett Favre's Back and Chasing New Records" and "Big Name QBs Under Fire".
And you thought Memorial Day weekend was the time to be in Indy? Tonight, the racing capital is football central. John Mellencamp, Faith Hill and Kelly Clarkson provide the music for the NFL Opening Kickoff 2007 (NBC and NFLNET, 8 pm/ET), and then the defending Super Bowl champion Colts host the New Orleans Saints on NFL Football (NBC, 8:30 pm/ET). “I was always impressed with baseball and the way they celebrated the opening day,” says Peacock analyst John Madden. “Now we’ve got the great opening as well.”
QB
read more
ESPN on Wednesday unveiled its Monday Night Football broadcast team and, as speculated, Al Michaels isn't on the list. USA Today confirms that the veteran sportscaster, whose original plan was to follow MNF from ABC to the cabler, instead was able to be released from his ESPN deal so as to join John Madden's eyebrows on NBC's Sunday-night NFL coverage next season. So who is in ESPN's booth? Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann and Pardon the Interruption's Tony Kornheiser. Mike, you make us Orangemen proud. The next slice at Varsity is on me.
read more