Madden Decides to Put Down His Microphone

By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Published: April 16, 2009
John Madden retired from calling professional football on Wednesday, leaving a craft that he revolutionized for 30 years with a coach's eye, a collection of comic book sound effects and a refined taste for Thanksgiving turducken.

He will be replaced on NBC's Sunday night games by Cris Collinsworth, who has been the network's lead analyst on the "Football Night in America" pregame program.

Madden became a near immediate hit as a broadcaster and commercial pitchman after retiring as a Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders in 1979. His second career began at CBS, moved to Fox and ABC, and ended at NBC.

A younger generation discovered Madden as the name and inspiration for EA Sports's "Madden NFL Football," the best-selling sports video game ever.

"There's nothing wrong with me," Madden, 73, said on his regular appearance on KCBS Radio in San Francisco. He had three years left on a six-year contract with NBC that paid him $5 million a year. He isn't tired of traveling the country in a plush bus but missed his wife, Virginia, of nearly 50 years, his two sons and his five grandchildren.

"I missed a lot of my sons' growing up," he said. Now, with the grandchildren between the ages of 4 and 8, he said, "They know when I'm here, and they know when I'm gone." Part of his desire to curtail his bus rambling emanates from his inability to call any local games from the Bay Area; the continuing struggles of the Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers have precluded them from playing at home on NBC's Sunday schedule.

My Thoughts: The greatest Ever!! Already was debating whether or not to watch sunday night footall..this does it..who is tony kornheiser??

G-20 protesters break into Royal Bank of Scotland

LONDON – G-20 protesters clashed with riot police in downtown London on Wednesday, breaking into the heavily guarded Royal Bank of Scotland and smashing its windows. Earlier, they tried to storm the Bank of England and pelted police with eggs and fruit.

At least 4,000 anarchists, anti-capitalists, environmentalists and others jammed into London's financial district for what they called "Financial Fool's Day." The protests were called ahead of Thursday's summit of world leaders, who hope to take concrete steps to resolve the global financial crisis that has lashed nations and workers worldwide.

Some protesters spray-painted the side of the RBS building with the phrases "class war" and "thieves." Others pushed against columns of riot police who swatted them away with batons.

Demonstrators shouted "Abolish Money!" and clogged streets in the area known as "The City" even as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama held a news conference elsewhere in the British capital.

At least eight people were arrested but there were no serious injuries reported.

Royal Bank of Scotland is at the center of protesters' anger because it had to be bailed out by the British government after a series of disastrous deals brought it to the brink of bankruptcy. The bank is now majority-owned by the British taxpayer.

Despite that, its former chief executive Fred Goodwin — aged just 50 — managed to walk off with a tidy $1 million annual pension for life, while unemployment in Britain now tops 2 million and is heading towards 3 million by the end of this year. Goodwin has been vilified by the British press.

RBS posted a British record loss of 24.1 billion pounds for 2008. The British government has invested 20 billion pounds in propping up the bank.