With Madden Exit, Less BOOM! in NFL

(NEWSER) - John Madden has called his last football game, NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol announced today, with the legendary former coach deciding to retire from broadcasting. “I’m 73 years old,” Madden said in a statement. “I still love every part of it—the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people … but I know this is the right time.” 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»

A legendary night in Canton

(AP) - Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith can stop the chase now. Linked as the NFL's leading receiver and rusher, two of the greatest players football has seen entered the Hall of Fame last night. Both admitted their destinies are fulfilled. "This is finally it," Rice said. "There are no more routes to run, no more touchdowns to score, no more records to set. That young boy from Mississippi has finally stopped running." Canton's Class of 2010: More»

To fill seats, league holds local TV broadcasts hostage

(NEWSER) - High ticket prices and the recession are taking their toll on attendance at pro football games. But if you can’t afford the stadium, at least you can watch at home, right? Wrong. The NFL is sticking to its “blackout” policy—no local broadcast if the stadium doesn’t sell out 3 days before a game—designed in 1973 to keep attendance up, Time reports. But if no one can afford the seats, does a blackout make sense? 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»