It was at San Diego, in November 1966, that Madden first encountered Davis, a meeting that would change the course of football history. For an hour they talked strategy and schemes. Only much later — long after Davis had hired him in 1967 to oversee the Raiders’ linebackers and then promoted him to head coach two years later — did Madden realize that he had in effect sat for an interview.Their relationship was complicated. At times it was fraught with tension and pressure, with Madden navigating the whims of his demanding boss while combating the perception that Davis, not he, deserved credit for the team’s success. But Davis valued Madden’s ability to manage his players’ diverse personalities and mold them into a cohesive — and winning — team. In 2006, Davis introduced Madden at the Hall of Fame.
Partners in the Booth
It seems difficult to imagine, but when Madden first experimented with broadcasting to satisfy his football cravings, he was stiff and uncertain, far from the polished professional who would set the standard for future analysts; reacting to his popularity, networks searched for the next Madden. He expected members of his production team to know their football, and if they did not, he was known to glance at the heavens and apologize to Lombardi and Halas for the indiscretion.At CBS and Fox, his frenetic style meshed smoothly with the minimalism of Pat Summerall, his broadcast partner of 21 years. Al Michaels later complemented him in a different way, with an opinionated style, though not overbearingly so, and a knack for leading Madden into stimulating discussions. Working with Madden, Michaels said, was like “singing a song, and we had the musical notes in front of us. Away we went.”Their last game together was Super Bowl XLIII, in February 2009. Two months later, Madden left the broadcast booth, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.Madden and his wife had two sons, Joseph and Michael, and a number of grandchildren. Complete information on his survivors was not immediately available.Even in retirement, Madden remained active in football, serving as a consultant to the N.F.L. commissioner, Roger Goodell, and on committees for player safety and competition.