Madden Retires

John Madden is retiring. Yea!

He will be replaced by Cris Collinsworth. No!

Actually, I should be nice. Madden needed to retire more than Bret Favre, but he certainly brought a lot to the game. I do not question or claim his knowledge of the game or his insight. Honestly, I learned a lot about football from Madden.

This fall will be the first time since Madden's freshman year of high school that he won't be involved in football as a player, coach or analyst. That was, apparently, in the Mesozoic.

Unfortunately, in recent years, it seems harder and harder to watch him. There has been a lot more wandering, meandering, non-sensical ramblings, and less actually paying attention to the game.

Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University says this: "I would not call John the most articulate or analytical mind, but he brought to a football broadcast knowledge and fun that worked even if you didn't care about the game. He was a vaudevillian in the booth."

Not to mention the ridiculous food, or the turducken, which gives me the heeby-jeebies.

As for his replacement, perhaps the least flamboyant wide-receiver in the NFL and the most bland color commentator in the business...

I will sure miss Madden.