Agreed, John Madden was a great coach, but one of the all-time best as a TV football commentator. His explanations – with onscreen illustrations – of how an offensive line could make or break a play were unequaled. He made it easy for interested fans, who never played organized football, to understand what really was going on. Other TV announcers may have understood the game, but they never could explain the game like Madden. They usually resorted to jargon that meant little to the average viewer.
Whenever John Madden & Pat Sumerall (later Al Michaels) announced a televised game, it meant that game, and those two teams, were the best. Fans of any team were always glad when Madden covered their favorite team. Even seasoned NFL players counted the games they played in when Madden did the telecast. That was the best compliment to him. RIP