By JOE REEDY | Related Press
John Madden’s love of soccer and household got here via essentially the most on Thanksgiving.
On Thursday, NBC will proceed to honor Madden’s legacy when it opens its broadcast earlier than the nightcap between the Miami Dolphins and Inexperienced Bay Packers.
The 2-minute open options the unique Madden Cruiser touring from the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in Canton, Ohio, to Lambeau Subject final week. It has remained in Inexperienced Bay and also will be featured throughout the sport.
Lambeau Subject was all the time one in every of Madden’s favourite stadiums, which made this yr’s Thanksgiving sport on NBC sport much more particular.
“It’s been unbelievable to see the way John’s legacy is still so important and prevalent,” mentioned Ellie Wright, who produced the opening and was on the journey final week.
The concept of bringing the bus out of retirement first got here up throughout NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” manufacturing conferences in early June. Madden donated the Madden Cruiser to the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in 2018.
The Corridor was all in on the thought of the cruiser taking one last trip across the Midwest. It’s a featured attraction throughout enshrinement week actions, however many of the yr, it’s saved in a warehouse in northeast Ohio.
On its journey via the Midwest, the cruiser additionally went via Chicago, the place it made a quick cease at Soldier Subject and a Boys & Ladies Membership in Wisconsin earlier than reaching Lambeau Subject.
J.J. Johnson, who drove for Madden for the ultimate six years of his broadcast profession (2003-08), drove the cruiser final week and narrated the opening.
“As I was driving between locations, the crew would ask me questions, or I’d share stories, and it just brought back so many fond memories. And, for me, it’s honoring John in this way,” Johnson mentioned.
After having a panic assault on a flight earlier than calling a sport at Tampa Bay in 1979, Madden would journey to video games by way of prepare earlier than Greyhound donated the primary bus in 1987.
The primary Madden Cruiser traveled greater than 600,000 miles. It was changed with an upgraded one in 1994 when Madden went from CBS to Fox.
There ended up being 5 Madden Cruisers. The Madden household has entry to the final two, whereas the whereabouts of the opposite two are unknown.
Madden will probably be honored throughout all three video games on Thursday. It’s the third yr the NFL has had the “John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration” after the Corridor of Fame coach and iconic broadcaster died in December 2021.
Madden referred to as 20 Thanksgiving video games on CBS and Fox from 1982 via 2001. He went to ABC for “Monday Night Football” in 2002 and joined NBC in 2006 when “Sunday Night Football” began, however neither community had a sport on Thanksgiving.
CBS has the primary sport, between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, and Fox has the late afternoon matchup between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
The NFL expanded to a few Thanksgiving video games in 2006. NBC took over broadcasting the night time sport in 2012.
That is the second time Inexperienced Bay has hosted the night time sport and the primary since 2015.
Despite the fact that Madden retired from broadcasting after Tremendous Bowl 43 on the finish of the 2008 season, his affect on NBC’s video games continues to resonate.
“Sunday Night Football” coordinating producer Rob Hyland, who was Madden’s replay producer when NBC obtained again NFL rights in 2006, mentioned Madden had a big function in his growth by way of being a storyteller, not solely with soccer however in producing the Kentucky Derby and prime-time protection of the Olympics.
“John Madden was the most curious person I’ve ever worked with, and I think his curiosity has definitely rubbed off on anyone that’s worked with him,” Hyland mentioned. “How a player’s ankles are taped may look different than the previous week. He would question a lot, and I discovered a lot because of his curiosity.”
In line with different Madden Thanksgiving traditions, NBC will award turkey legs to the sport’s most precious gamers and turduckens to the profitable group.
Corridor of Fame security Leroy Butler, who performed for the Packers for 12 seasons, has grow to be an completed chef and can put together the turkeys and turduckens, with some being carried out on the bus.
“One of our production trucks has a dedication to John on the outside of it. And when it comes to Thanksgiving, when we step out the door, we’re going out to do our jobs on game day, we think of one person, we think of John, and it’s Thanksgiving, and you have to smile,” mentioned Johnson, who drives one of many “Sunday Night Football” manufacturing vans. “Love of football and the love of Thanksgiving and now we’re here in Lambeau Field, one of his favorite locations. I mean, this is a game he would love to broadcast. And we just go out with pride to do the best job we can in honor of John.”
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