Reflections on the Passing of Broadcasting Legend--and All-Star Catcher--Tim McCarver

It is natural and common for a sports fan to fervently insist that the golden age of sports coincides with his childhood. My earliest sports memories date back to the mid-1970s, and many of my fondest sports memories are from the 1980s. For me, the period from the mid-1970s through the late-1980s is the golden age of sports, and that time period is memorable not only because of the splendid athletes who were in their primes--including but not limited to Julius Erving, Pete Maravich, George Gervin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird-Michael Jordan triumvirate, Mario Andretti, Bjorn Borg, Pete Rose, Eric Davis, Reggie Jackson, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, and Bo Jackson--but also because of the insights provided by TV analysts such as Hubie Brown, John Madden, and Tim McCarver. On the play by play side, Al Michaels, Dick Enberg, Dick Stockton, and Marv Albert were the cream of the crop.

Brown coached the Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 ABA title, Madden coached the Oakland Raiders to a win in Super Bowl XI, and McCarver played for two World Series champions in the 1960s. All three understood what it takes to win at the highest level of sport, and all three had the gift of conveying that understanding to viewers within the flow of the game. When Brown, Madden, or McCarver did an NBA, NFL, or MLB game respectively, you knew that it was a big game--and you knew that you were going to be blessed with intelligent analysis.

Brown still occasionally works NBA games for ESPN/ABC, but he has not been a lead analyst for many years. Madden passed away on December 28, 2021. McCarver passed away yesterday. Michaels now does Amazon's Thursday night NFL games and he is still excellent, if perhaps not quite at his peak. Enberg passed away in 2017. Albert and Stockton retired in 2021, though they both appeared as guests during the NBA's 75th Anniversary Celebration Game.

Intelligent sports commentary has never been plentiful, but a gaping void exists in the NBA, NFL, and MLB that may never be filled. That is not to say that there are not some very good commentators working today--but will any of the commentators who are in their primes now be considered all-time greats?

McCarver served as the national TV analyst for a record 24 World Series on three different networks (ABC, CBS, Fox). Joe Buck, McCarver's play by play partner for 18 years, said on Thursday, "I learned really fast that if you were in his inner circle, he would be a fierce defender of you and for you. He taught me how to deal with criticism because he had been criticized his whole broadcast career. And sometimes it was because he was a teacher of the game. If some player or manager didn't manage or play the way he thought the game should be played, he let a national audience know it. He was always the first one in the clubhouse the next day. If that person had something to say back to him, he would engage and stood his ground, but it was fair. He taught me a lot about the game, but he taught me as much or more about how to broadcast on a on a national level." In 2012, McCarver received the Baseball Hall of Fame's prestigious Ford C. Frick award for broadcasting excellence.

McCarver's deep understanding of baseball strategy was always evident during his broadcasts, but perhaps the most famous example of his combination of knowledge and prescience happened during game seven of the 2001 World Series. As the left-handed Arizona batter Luis Gonzalez stepped to the plate to face the Yankees' legendary closer Mariano Rivera, McCarver declared, "The one problem is, Rivera throws inside to left-handers. Left-handers get a lot of broken bat hits into shallow outfield, the shallow part of the outfield. That is the danger of bringing the infield in with a guy like Rivera on the mound." Not long after McCarver uttered those words, Gonzalez won the game--and the World Series--with a bloop hit to the shallow part of the outfield. 

I never understood people who criticized McCarver for talking too much. His job was to explain what was happening on the field, and he did his job very well. I have always followed basketball and football more closely than I followed baseball, but prior to the 1995 baseball strike I was an avid baseball fan who very much enjoyed listening to McCarver's insights (and I still enjoyed listening to McCarver call the World Series after 1995, even though I did not follow MLB as closely as I previously had).

Before McCarver won three Emmys as MLB's premier TV analyst, he earned two All-Star selections, a second place finish in the 1967 NL MVP race, and a pair of World Series rings with the St. Louis Cardinals (1964, 1967). McCarver is the only catcher post-1900 to lead either league in triples (13 in 1966). He was the preferred catcher for two different Hall of Fame pitchers (Bob Gibson with the Cardinals, and Steve Carlton with first the Cardinals and then the Philadelphia Phillies).

McCarver played in four different decades (1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s), and he served as a broadcaster from 1980-2019. He exemplifies the term "baseball lifer."

John Madden: An American Original

Terms such as "legend," "icon," and "American Original" are thrown around so loosely and thoughtlessly that there is a danger that those concepts lose meaning and relevance. John Madden, the Super Bowl-winning Hall of Fame coach, 16-time Emmy Award winner, and face/likeness of perhaps the most successful sports video game ever, without question earned the right to be classified as a legend, icon, and American Original. 

Madden, who passed away yesterday at 85, reached the pinnacle in three distinct arenas: coaching, broadcasting, cultural touchstone. 

I am too young to remember Madden's coaching career, though I became well-versed about his accomplishments as part of my sports history self-education. I never played Madden Football, as in general I am not a big video game enthusiast. Thus, my greatest personal familiarity with Madden pertains to his lengthy and decorated broadcasting career during which he was the lead color NFL commentator for CBS, FOX, ABC, and NBC, but before reflecting on those years I will briefly discuss the other two facets of Madden's legacy.

Madden posted the highest winning percentage all-time among NFL coaches who coached at least 100 games (.759). He coached the Oakland Raiders for 10 years, winning seven division titles and never finishing worse than second in the division. Madden's Raiders lost once in the AFL Championship, and they lost five times in the AFC Championship, including three defeats at the hands of the Steel Curtain Pittsburgh Steelers and one to the powerhouse Miami Dolphins. Madden's greatest season was 1976, when the Raiders went 13-1 before routing Minnesota 32-14 in the Super Bowl. Madden's fear of flying plus health issues that he experienced as a result of the stresses of the job convinced him to retire in 1978 when he was just 42. If he had never done anything else of note the rest of his life he would have still been remembered as a Hall of Fame coach who was spectacularly successful during a highly competitive decade.

Starting in 1988, Madden not only lent his face and likeness to football video games produced by EA Sports but he was actively involved as a creative consultant for the games. Madden viewed the games not only as fun, but also as a way for fans to become educated about football's strategic nuances. Madden has not had a publicly active role in the NFL as a coach or broadcaster for more than a decade, but his name still appears on the video games, and that will probably continue to be true for a long time, a tribute to his lasting impact on the sport and the way that his name resonates deeply with the public.

My most vivid memories of Madden date back to the 1980s, when he and Pat Summerall provided the soundtrack for powerhouse teams such as the San Francisco 49ers, the Washington Redskins, the Chicago Bears, and the New York Giants. Madden and Summerall were the number one broadcasting team for CBS, the network which then owned the broadcast rights to NFC games. After CBS lost NFL broadcasting rights, that same duo did the big NFC games on Fox in the 1990s. Madden and Al Michaels teamed up on Monday Night Football on ABC from 2002-2005 before Madden and Michaels moved to NBC for the network's new Sunday Night Football package. Madden retired as a broadcaster after the 2008 season, and his last game was Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

Madden was folksy and down to earth, which contributed to his popularity, but make no mistake that he understood football strategy at a deep level. He could make the complex things seem simple, which is the touchstone of his greatness (and the touchstone of greatness in general: the great ones make the complex things seem simple, while the average ones make the simple things seem complex).

In Competitive Greatness: Why Tom Coughlin Should Always be More Respected Than Tony Dungy, I recounted a situation that reveals much about Madden, Coughlin, and Dungy:

The NFL Network series "A Football Life" is a wonderful tribute to Steve Sabol's visionary genius. The Tom Coughlin episode includes a great story about the final game of the 2007 season. Coughlin's New York Giants could not improve their playoff position but instead of resting his starters Coughlin played the game straight up. The New England Patriots defeated the Giants 38-35 to clinch the only 16-0 record in NFL history but Coughlin's approach earned him a powerful phone message from Hall of Fame Coach John Madden: "Yeah, Tom, this is John Madden calling on Sunday morning just to congratulate you and your team for a great effort last night--not good, but great. I think it is one of the best things that has happened to the NFL in the last 10 years and I don't know if they all know it but they should be very grateful to you and your team. We were getting too much of that 'Well, they're going to rest their players because they don't need it.' That's not sports and that's not competition. Anyway, I'm a little emotional about it but I was so damn proud of what you guys did. It is something that we all ought to thank you for because, believe me, the NFL needed that. Congratulations." Coughlin saved that phone message and played it for his entire team; Coughlin explained to the NFL Films interviewer, "When John Madden calls you, that brings it right to mind again that that's really what football is: it's sport--and what is sport all about? We're trying to win. That's what this league is about, competitive greatness and always putting your best foot forward." The Giants eventually beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Tony Dungy's well-rested Indianapolis Colts watched New England defeat San Diego in that season's AFC Championship Game; instead of truly competing in the final week of the 2007 regular season, Dungy made sure that Reggie Wayne won the receiving yardage title and then Dungy shut his whole team down. Every time Dungy pulled this stunt his team lost in the playoffs; despite their great regular season records under Dungy, the only time his Colts won the Super Bowl was the one season that the situation forced Dungy to actually act like every game really matters. Sports is not about trying your best some of the time or acting like some games matter while other games don't matter; Tony Dungy may be a wonderful human being but he should never, ever be ranked alongside Tom Coughlin--or New England's Bill Belichick--as a head coach.

I wrote John Madden: Style and Substance after he officially announced his retirement as a broadcaster:

...It was a treat listening to Madden talk about what made a young Bill Parcells a good coach or why Walter Payton was so special. Although Madden was always very energetic and enthusiastic during telecasts, if you paid attention to what he was saying you could learn something about the game: he had a keen, quick eye for what was happening on the field and his folksy way of expressing himself should not delude you into forgetting just how much he knows about the sport's strategies.

Madden also understood the human element of the game. Whenever he did Super Bowl telecasts, at the end of the game he would always say something to the effect that for the winning coach this was the greatest feeling in the world, something that no one could ever take away from him.

It was always hilarious to hear Madden carrying on during the annual Thanksgiving game about the "turducken." I first thought that he had just made the whole thing up but there actually is such a thing as a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck stuffed with a de-boned chicken. Madden obviously had a lot of fun during the broadcasts but I respect the fact that he did his homework thoroughly before games, meeting with the coaches and key players so that he knew exactly what to expect from a strategic standpoint.

The All-Madden teams honored players who Madden felt played the game the right way and it was always interesting to hear his take about that.

During his coaching career, Madden had just three rules for his players:

1) Be on time.
2) Pay attention.
3) Play like hell on Sunday.

Micromanagers often lose sight of the bigger picture, and thus never achieve their most important goals. Madden understood that punctuality, attention to detail, and supreme effort are the three most important prerequisites for success, and he brought that same perspective to his broadcasting career, which elevated the production value not only where he worked but across the industry. 

When Madden did a Super Bowl broadcast, he seemed to take special, personal joy when the winning coach was doused with Gatorade and/or lifted up by his players. Madden typically said something to the effect of, "This moment is the greatest feeling in the world, and it is a moment that no one can ever take away from you for the rest of your life." Madden experienced that moment in 1977, and then he shared his perspective on such moments during a broadcasting career lasting more than 30 years. I will never forget his insights, his humor, and his passion not just for football but for life. John Madden is very much a legend, icon, and American Original.

Competitive Greatness: Why Tom Coughlin Should Always be More Respected Than Tony Dungy

The NFL Network series "A Football Life" is a wonderful tribute to Steve Sabol's visionary genius. The Tom Coughlin episode includes a great story about the final game of the 2007 season. Coughlin's New York Giants could not improve their playoff position but instead of resting his starters Coughlin played the game straight up. The New England Patriots defeated the Giants 38-35 to clinch the only 16-0 record in NFL history but Coughlin's approach earned him a powerful phone message from Hall of Fame Coach John Madden: "Yeah, Tom, this is John Madden calling on Sunday morning just to congratulate you and your team for a great effort last night--not good, but great. I think it is one of the best things that has happened to the NFL in the last 10 years and I don't know if they all know it but they should be very grateful to you and your team. We were getting too much of that 'Well, they're going to rest their players because they don't need it.' That's not sports and that's not competition. Anyway, I'm a little emotional about it but I was so damn proud of what you guys did. It is something that we all ought to thank you for because, believe me, the NFL needed that. Congratulations." Coughlin saved that phone message and played it for his entire team; Coughlin explained to the NFL Films interviewer, "When John Madden calls you, that brings it right to mind again that that's really what football is: it's sport--and what is sport all about? We're trying to win. That's what this league is about, competitive greatness and always putting your best foot forward." The Giants eventually beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Tony Dungy's well-rested Indianapolis Colts watched New England defeat San Diego in that season's AFC Championship Game; instead of truly competing in the final week of the 2007 regular season, Dungy made sure that Reggie Wayne won the receiving yardage title and then Dungy shut his whole team down. Every time Dungy pulled this stunt his team lost in the playoffs; despite their great regular season records under Dungy, the only time his Colts won the Super Bowl was the one season that the situation forced Dungy to actually act like every game really matters. Sports is not about trying your best some of the time or acting like some games matter while other games don't matter; Tony Dungy may be a wonderful human being but he should never, ever be ranked alongside Tom Coughlin--or New England's Bill Belichick--as a head coach.

John Madden: Style and Substance

John Madden is retiring after 30 stellar years as an NFL commentator for four networks. He started out at CBS in 1979, staying there until that network lost its NFL contract in 1994. He then moved to Fox. In 2002, Madden joined Al Michaels in ABC's Monday Night Football booth and since 2006 he and Michaels have done Sunday Night Football games for NBC.

Depending on your age/predilections, your most vivid image of Madden could be as a Super Bowl winning coach, as a highly animated TV commentator yelling "Boom!" and talking about "turduckens," as the name behind a hugely popular NFL video game--or even as a fixture in Miller Lite commercials:



As a kid, I got a big kick out of those Miller Lite ads. Isn't it something how back then writers knew how to be funny without being crass? Those Miller Lite spots are 100 times funnier than most of the "avant garde" ads from recent years.

I am not quite old enough to remember John Madden's coaching career, though as a student of the game I became quite familiar with it; my earliest recollections of Madden are of him teaming up with Pat Summerall on CBS: it always seemed like they broadcast the biggest games, first featuring the Dallas Cowboys and later featuring teams like the 49ers, Redskins, Bears and Giants. It was a treat listening to Madden talk about what made a young Bill Parcells a good coach or why Walter Payton was so special. Although Madden was always very energetic and enthusiastic during telecasts, if you paid attention to what he was saying you could learn something about the game: he had a keen, quick eye for what was happening on the field and his folksy way of expressing himself should not delude you into forgetting just how much he knows about the sport's strategies.

Madden also understood the human element of the game. Whenever he did Super Bowl telecasts, at the end of the game he would always say something to the effect that for the winning coach this was the greatest feeling in the world, something that no one could ever take away from him.

It was always hilarious to hear Madden carrying on during the annual Thanksgiving game about the "turducken." I first thought that he had just made the whole thing up but there actually is such a thing as a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck stuffed with a de-boned chicken. Madden obviously had a lot of fun during the broadcasts but I respect the fact that he did his homework thoroughly before games, meeting with the coaches and key players so that he knew exactly what to expect from a strategic standpoint.

The All-Madden teams honored players who Madden felt played the game the right way and it was always interesting to hear his take about that.

It is very important to not let Madden's outsized persona make you forget that he was a great, Super Bowl-winning Hall of Famer who became the Oakland Raiders head coach at just 33 years of age in 1969. He posted a 103-32-7 regular season record and guided the Raiders to seven conference championship game appearances in 10 seasons, including 1976 when the Raiders went 13-1 in the regular season before drilling the Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl XI. Madden's Raiders won seven division titles, never had a losing season and never finished lower than second in their division.

The Raiders have always been infamous for welcoming all kinds of characters onto their roster but Madden shaped and molded people who others might have considered misfits into winners. Madden often explained that he only required three things of his players:

1) Be on time.
2) Pay attention.
3) Play like hell on Sunday.

Gus Alfieri, the point guard on St. John's 1959 NIT Championship team, once told me that his Hall of Fame basketball Coach Joe Lapchick did not believe in having a lot of rules for his players; Lapchick thought that if he made too many rules then he would paint himself into a corner in terms of having to punish players and thus lose the flexibility to handle situations on a case by case basis. Alfieri noted that Bobby Knight has great respect for Lapchick and that Knight used a similar approach in that regard during his Hall of Fame coaching career (though the mild mannered Lapchick and the foul mouthed Knight had completely opposite demeanors in terms of how they interacted with people). Many coaches get so caught up in regulating minutiae that they lose sight of the fact that their job is not to control every waking moment of their players' lives but simply to lead and inspire their teams to maximize their potential.

John Madden was a winner on the football field and during his three decades as a TV commentator he added immensely to my enjoyment and understanding of pro football. I hope that he has a long and happy retirement.

John Madden is Not Impressed by Chad Johnson

The 4-7 Cincinnati Bengals face the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers tonight at Heinz Field. The Bengals need to run the table to have any realistic chance to make the playoffs, while the Steelers are trying to maintain their AFC North lead over the 7-4 Cleveland Browns and possibly catch the 9-2 Indianapolis Colts in the overall AFC playoff race. Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson says that his squad has an "excellent chance" to win five straight games but Hall of Fame Coach John Madden, who will be calling the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati game for NBC, is not impressed: "This isn't a talk league, this is a do league and it's not only a do league but it's when you do it. With all due respect to Chad Johnson, it doesn't make a difference what they say, they have to go to it. They have to go do it in the fourth quarter of the season." The Pittsburgh Steelers are a tough minded, physical team that has been dominant at home this season (6-0), while the Bengals are a mentally weak team that is 1-4 on the road. That means that tonight you are much more likely to see another Chad Johnson temper tantrum directed at quarterback Carson Palmer and/or the coaching staff than a Cincinnati win.