John Madden Retires

Legendary analyst John Madden announced his retirement from broadcasting today. He holds the distinction of having served as lead football analyst on all four major broadcast networks, CBS, FOX, ABC, and NBC.

John Madden is retiring from football announcing, where his enthusiastic, down-to-earth style made him one of sports' most popular broadcasters for three decades.

The Hall of Fame coach spent the last three seasons on NBC's "Sunday Night Football." His final telecast was the Super Bowl in February.

"You know at some point you have to do this -- I got to that point," Madden said on his Bay Area radio show Thursday. "The thing that made it hard is not because I'm second guessing, 'Is it the right decision?' But I enjoyed it so damn much.

"I enjoyed the game and the players and the coaches and the film and the travel and everything."

Cris Collinsworth will replace Madden, moving over from the network's studio show, NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol said. Collinsworth filled in when Madden took a game off last October.

Madden spent most of his broadcasting career calling NFC games so there were not many memorable Jets games. One that comes to mind is the 2004 AFC Wild Card Game at San Diego. As the Chargers appeared to be driving for the winning score on a gassed Jets defense in overtime, they stopped attacking upon reaching the fringes of field goal range. Madden correctly took them to task for it, recalling the famous Ghost to the Post game in Baltimore in which he coached. He noted how the Jets were selling out on the run, and Antonio Gates could have walked into the end zone had San Diego run a play action pass. The Chargers ran it, settling for a long field goal attempt which their rookie kicker missed. The Jets won it on a field goal on the ensuing drive.

Madden had his share of flaws, but when he was captivated by a game as he was on that night in San Diego four years ago, nobody was more insightful.