from cnn-si.com:
NEW YORK (AP) — John Madden, the burly former coach who has been one of pro football’s most popular broadcast analysts for three decades, is calling it quits.
Madden worked for the past three seasons on NBC “Sunday Night Football.” His last telecast was the Super Bowl between Arizona and Pittsburgh.
“It’s time,” Madden said. “I’m 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons and their families and their five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I’m home and, more importantly, when I’m not.”
Cris Collinsworth will replace Madden, moving over from the network’s studio show, NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol said. Collinsworth filled in when Madden took a game off last October.
Madden said he still loves all aspects of the game and his job, and that’s why it took him a couple of months to make the decision.
Madden’s blue-collar style and love for in-the-trenches football endeared him to fans. His “Madden NFL Football” is the top-selling sports video game of all time.
Madden is reluctant to fly and often traveled to games in a specially equipped bus.
Longtime broadcast partner Al Michaels said Madden will have a unique place in pro football history.
“No one has made the sport more interesting, more relevant and more enjoyable to watch and listen to than John,” Michaels said in a statement. “There’s never been anyone like him and he’s been the gold standard for analysts for almost three decades.”