Seminal NFL figure Madden dies aged 85

NEW YORK • John Madden, a Super Bowl-winning coach who became the pre-eminent sports commentator and was the brand name for the leading American football video game, died on Tuesday at the age of 85.

"There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today," National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell said.

Madden, outsized and gregarious, first earned fame during his 10 years as the no-nonsense head coach of the Oakland Raiders, starting in 1969.

His regular-season record was 103 wins, 32 losses and seven ties, the best winning percentage among the league's coaches with at least 100 career victories.

"Few individuals meant as much to the growth and popularity of professional football as 'Coach' Madden, whose impact on the game both on and off the field was immeasurable," said his former team, now known as the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders captured their first championship in 1977, while Madden was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

By the time of his induction, he had become American football's best known colour commentator.

He started with CBS in 1979, delighting fans with his trademark interjections to punctuate good or awful plays: "Boom!", "Whap!", "Bang!" and "Doink!". Later he worked for Fox, ABC and NBC as the various networks won the rights to broadcast NFL games and persuaded Madden to join them.

He retired in 2009 from TV broadcasting, winning 16 Emmy awards during his three decades as a broadcaster.

Madden also pioneered use of the telestrator, a device that allowed him to superimpose light-pen diagrams over video footage to illustrate plays.

He also created a personal Hall of Fame - the "All Madden" team - to honour athletes he thought played football the right way, that is, his way.

The larger-than-life Madden endeared himself to fans by travelling from game to game by bus or train to deal with a fear of flying. He was so likeable, he became a pitchman for a variety of products, including Ace Hardware, Miller Lite, Outback Steakhouse and Tinactin.

Among younger fans, he was best known for the long-running EA Sports blockbuster video game series Madden NFL, which remains a regular bestseller with every new edition.

The games, introduced in 1988, were so popular that they spawned TV shows featuring competitions of players.

BLOOMBERG