BAM!: John Madden, the NFL Explosion, and the Video Game that Changed Sports with Scott Howard-Cooper (Diversion Books, 2026)
John Madden retired abruptly from coaching in 1979, five months after receiver Darryl Stingley suffered a paralyzing injury against his Raiders. The tragedy would never leave him. He had no intention of entering broadcasting. Yet, within a decade—BAM!—he had become the most recognizable voice in football and a driving force behind America’s most powerful sports league.
Veteran sports journalist Scott Howard-Cooper reveals how Madden recast himself at exactly the right moment. Television was transforming sports, and the NFL needed a translator to turn complex strategy into entertainment…
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