Boom! Madden retires

John Madden retired from broadcasting Thursday, abruptly ending a career that altered the tone and content of sports analysis and made him an iconic, cross-generational media star.

Why now? NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol, who flew cross-country Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to talk Madden out of it, said he knew his effort would fail when he heard the words, “It’s time.”

Cris Collinsworth will replace Madden beside Al Michaels for NBC’s Sunday night NFL games.

“It’s tough,” Madden said during an emotional appearance on KCBS radio in San Francisco. “But I strongly feel this is the right time.”

Madden said he “vacillated” over the past two months, but wanted to make his decision in advance of the NFL schedule being released last week. He first informed Ebersol on April 7.

Sandy Montag, Madden’s agent and close friend for 25 years, said Madden, who turned 73 last Friday, is in excellent health and was in the middle of a six-year contract.

Madden is believed to have earned about $5 million per season.

Madden said in a news release that nearing his 50th wedding anniversary and with his five grandchildren at an age “when they know when I’m home and, more importantly, when I’m not,” it was time to give up a career that began in 1979 and included stops at all four major broadcast networks.

His grandchildren range in age from 3 to 8.

“I still love every part of it – the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people,” he said.

“I’m not tired of anything, but I’m going away,” Madden said on KCBS. “That’s what makes it hard.”