Posted in: Electronic Arts, Games, Madden NFL, Video Games | Tagged: EA Sports, Electronic Arts, john madden, Madden NFL

EA Sports Pays Tribute To John Madden After Passing

Published Tue, 28 Dec 2021 20:42:10 -0600

by Gavin Sheehan

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In the wake of John Madden passing away this evening, people are pouring out tributes online for the former NFL coach and broadcaster. A good portion of the tributes coming out this evening are from people associated with the sports world, reflecting on the profound effect he had on their careers, the game of football, and sports in general. Joining them this evening was a quick tribute from EA Sports, who took to their Twitter feed to post this message.

Today we lost a hero. John Madden was synonymous with the sport of football for more than 50 years. His knowledge of the game was second only to his love for it, and his appreciate for everyone that ever stepped on the gridiron. A humble champion, a willing teacher, and forever a coach. Our hearts and sympathies go out to John's family, friends, and millions of fans. He will be freatle missed, and always remembered, and never forgotten.

EA Sports Pays Tribute To John Madden After Passing — Credit: EA Games

EA Sports and Electronic Arts in general have a lot to thank Madden for as his name is what helped make and carry their franchise NFL title for the past 33 years. It almost didn't happen as EA originally was going to have Joe Montana be the face of their game, but Montana ended up having a deal with Atari, which led the company to get the former coach of the then Oakland Raiders in 1988. The Madden series was also one of the first to have pre-recorded comments in a sports title, so even if it was a video game, it felt like you were watching a real game on TV being played out. At one point it was estimated that Madden himself earned about $3m a year from the company using his name and likeness as recently as Madden NFL 20. Now the word Madden is so intertwined with both the game series and the sport, it has become another legacy that will most likely live on for decades.

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