Madden Retires from Booth

(NEWSER) - John Madden’s outsize presence in the world of football will be hard to fill, Alex Marvez writes for Fox Sports. Personality aside, the Hall of Fame coach—who announced his retirement today—was meticulous about preparing for his TV commentary. “Madden made football fun for the casual fan with every-guy humor,” Marvez writes, but he also “appeased the hardcore football junkie by delving into Xs and Os like no one ever had.” More»

Aging voice of the NFL still flashes brilliance along with slip-ups

(NEWSER) - John Madden's on-air analysis isn't always right—zealous fact-checkers will attest to that—but the elder statesman of NFL commentators is usually on the money, writes Matthew Futterman in the Wall Street Journal. "I know there's talk he's lost a step," his former boss acknowledges, but the onetime Raiders coach remains a force in the broadcasting world—and in video games. More»

Joined 'Monday Night Football 's' first broadcast team

(AP) - Don Meredith, one of the most recognizable figures of the early Dallas Cowboys and an original member of ABC's Monday Night Football broadcast team, died yesterday in Santa Fe after suffering a brain hemorrhage and lapsing into a coma. He was 72. Meredith played for the Cowboys from 1960-1968, becoming the starting quarterback in 1965. More»

Gave big bucks to McCain team last election—and little to Obama

(NEWSER) - Though Obama outraised McCain 5-1, 20 college and NFL head coaches gave to Republication candidates in 2008—and only 3 gave to Democrats. One coach led the Pledge of Allegiance at a Sarah Palin rally; another spoke at the GOP convention. The scales are clearly tipped to the right, reports the Wall Street Journal, and shared philosophies seem to explain why. More»

Amid layoffs, some worry pricey publicity could backfire

(NEWSER) - The recession has loyal Super Bowl advertisers hesitating to buy spots, worried the $6 million-a-minute publicity could backfire. FedEx is concerned it looks “wrong” to drop the dollars while “asking employees to do more with less,” the Wall Street Journal reports. NBC sold most ad spots by early September, but hasn't filled the remaining eight since the economy really tanked. More»