12-28-2021, 10:23 PM
Coach Madden was the coach of the first NFL team I loved---the early 70's Oakland Raiders. One of the Raiders' defensive backs, Rodger Bird, was from my hometown. So, naturally I pulled for the silver and black(up until the mid-seventies when I became a loyal Bengals' fan). In addition to Rodger, I loved George Blanda, who played at UK, and Darryl Lamonica. I despised Hank Stram and the KC Chiefs, who were the Raiders' fiercest rival back then. Coach Madden was something else on that sideline. So fiery... so passionate about the game. Kinda like Vitale is about college basketball.
Coach Madden was incredibly impactful to the sport of professional football. Very few men were as important or impactful to the pro game than Madden.
RIP coach...
Coach Madden was incredibly impactful to the sport of professional football. Very few men were as important or impactful to the pro game than Madden.
RIP coach...
