Candid Cam: Full disclosure on Madden

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Apr 16, 2009 | by Cam Inman

John Madden sounded weary instead of his usual cheery self as he talked about retiring Thursday from a legendary broadcasting career.

That wasn't surprising. I've gotten to know the big lug pretty well the past couple years, and I've grasped how much football means to him.

I understood his mixed emotions. He just stepped away from a role that he dominated externally as much as he cherished internally.

The NFL is losing its ultimate spokesman. For three decades, he educated us with football knowledge while also entertaining us with offbeat topics like turducken on Thanksgiving.

Newspaper protocol called for a straightforward article to relay news of Madden's retirement for Friday's newspaper. With that task completed, here are some personal reflections on Madden and his farewell from game-day broadcasts.

* * * Thursday's announcement * * *

As the sun rose Thursday morning over Madden's home in Pleasanton, a statement declaring his retirement appeared on NBC Sports' Web site. Just after 8:15 a.m., Madden explained his rationale further on his daily radio show on KCBS 740-AM, starting off by saying: "I recided, I decided to retire. Heck, I can't even say it."

There was no satellite hookup or no glamorous press conference, be it here or in New York, where he maintains a second home (with a third in Carmel and a fourth in San Francisco).

There was no Madden sighting, not even at his Pleasanton office, where phone calls flooded in from well-wishers.

Madden took a low-key approach in exiting one of the most high- powered careers ever in sports broadcasting. That's so Madden, so common-guy like.

"I haven't talked to a lot of people," Madden said. "I've gotten a lot of calls and a lot of texts though."

* * * Raiders/49ers connections * * *

Madden made sure to point out that he reached this decision before the NFL released its schedule this week. That schedule revealed no games in California for "NBC Sunday Night Football," meaning Madden likely would spend yet another season away from home (unless the Raiders and 49ers do something remarkable to warrant a switch to that prime-time show thanks to NFL's flex scheduling.)

"The main problems here, unfortunately, the Raiders, the 49ers and football on the West Coast is not as strong as it was," Madden's agent Sandy Montag said in a media conference call. "And John, who lives in the Bay Area, never gets home during the season. When you're 73 years old, your priorities change.

"He has a life, he has a family, he has a great wife, great grandkids, great kids, and he wasn't seeing them. At 73, you decide I want do some other things. When you don't fly and can't get home between games, you can't do all those things. The world of football will miss John Madden. He's meant a lot to different generations."

For Raiders fans in the 1970s, Madden-coached teams meant a shot at the Super Bowl. The Raiders won their first when he guided the 1976 team past the Minnesota Vikings at the Rose Bowl, a moment Madden classified as his greatest during that 1969-78 run as Raiders coach.

Al Davis, who met Madden when he was San Diego State's defensive coordinator in 1966 and hired him as the Raiders first linebackers coach in 1967, would benefit a lot if Madden felt compelled to return to the Raiders in an advisory capacity.

But as helpful as Madden might be with scouting talent or running the downtrodden franchise, he isn't planning on taking on that task.

"No, uh uh," Madden replied when asked if he's interested in becoming a consultant for the Raiders.

As for succeeding Davis and owning the Raiders: "No, uh uh. As an owner, no. As a fan, I'll be able to go to more games."

* * * Family time * * *

Madden loves being with his family, and he always has a smile when talking about his five grandchildren. So, again, it's not surprising he's ready to seize his patriarch role and set down the NBC microphone.

One obvious way he can stay in touch with football is by watching his son Mike coach the Foothill High School freshman team. But don't except father to become his son's assistant (a la the Kiffin family at the University of Tennessee).

"I'll be more active in it," John said. "I'll be at all the games and catch a couple practices. As far as coaching, that's his deal."

Speaking of Mike, I saw him and his two sons at a Pleasanton fast- food joint a couple weeks ago, and, no, there was no mention of John's imminent retirement. But the grandkids impressively blurted out details of their grandpa's coaching career with the Raiders, from nicknames of players to insightful descriptions of plays. Ah ha, maybe they'll carry on their grandfather's broadcasting legacy.

John and his wife Virginia will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 26, and now they won't be spending it in Washington D.C. on the eve of NBC's scheduled matchup between the Redskins and Cowboys. (Personal note: My wife and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary tomorrow. She just gave me a new plasma television as a gift, to which I jokingly responded: "But haven't you heard John Madden isn't on TV anymore.")