Stepping away from fantasy today to very briefly talk about John Madden. Maybe the most iconic and impactful professional football ambassador of the past 50 years. And I really want to hear your thoughts, so please share below any impact he's had on you.
I started watching the NFL every week in 1985. Eating a late lunch on the floor and watching Madden and Pat Summerall call games, with Summerall's typically understated style aligned perfectly with Madden's hungry voice and "This matters!" attitude. I'd watched football occasionally the previous few years. But in 1985 it became something between a ritual and an obsession. And Madden taught me more about the game than anyone else. Every play told a story, and every player was a hero in that story.
In 1985, Madden was only 49, but seemed much older. In a couple months I'll be 49, and probably should be feeling much older.
It's bittersweet to lose someone who continually brought three-dimensionality to two-dimensional television screens. Someone who created an entire alphabet out of X's and O's. Someone who shared knowledge and insights freely--not to seem smart, but to ignite in the rest of us a love and appreciation for a sport he clearly loved and appreciated.
It's bittersweet because while it's sad he's gone, it's also comforting that his legacy is now firmly anchored. Far from shore. But always visible. A reminder of childhood, newfound pastimes, and the inspiring people who connect us to worlds beyond our home.
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- PFN fantasy site -- www.profootballnetwork.com/fantasy-football/
- PFN fantasy podcast -- podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-mood-for-fantasy-football/id1580114372
- Free fantasy advice newsletter -- www.getrevue.co/profile/pfnfantasy
I started watching the NFL every week in 1985. Eating a late lunch on the floor and watching Madden and Pat Summerall call games, with Summerall's typically understated style aligned perfectly with Madden's hungry voice and "This matters!" attitude. I'd watched football occasionally the previous few years. But in 1985 it became something between a ritual and an obsession. And Madden taught me more about the game than anyone else. Every play told a story, and every player was a hero in that story.
In 1985, Madden was only 49, but seemed much older. In a couple months I'll be 49, and probably should be feeling much older.
It's bittersweet to lose someone who continually brought three-dimensionality to two-dimensional television screens. Someone who created an entire alphabet out of X's and O's. Someone who shared knowledge and insights freely--not to seem smart, but to ignite in the rest of us a love and appreciation for a sport he clearly loved and appreciated.
It's bittersweet because while it's sad he's gone, it's also comforting that his legacy is now firmly anchored. Far from shore. But always visible. A reminder of childhood, newfound pastimes, and the inspiring people who connect us to worlds beyond our home.
---
- PFN fantasy site -- www.profootballnetwork.com/fantasy-football/
- PFN fantasy podcast -- podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-mood-for-fantasy-football/id1580114372
- Free fantasy advice newsletter -- www.getrevue.co/profile/pfnfantasy