On every episode we choose a celebrity who died between 1 and 10 years ago. We then go through a series of structured categories. We start by rating the first line of their NYT obituary on a scale of 1–10. We then look at their life stats, we speculate on their inner lives, and we ultimately answer the question "Would I want that life?" Each category helps weigh the desirability of a given life. Our approach is that of an empathetic biography. Our dead celebrities cross many categories of fame, including film, TV, sports, music, politics, literature, and more. Our goal is to make serious topics fun.
http://famousandgravy.com
episode 42: Game Changer (John Madden)
This person died in 2021, age 85. He had an irrepressible way, and a distinctive voice. Fox snagged him in the mid-1990s to establish credibility. His Electronic Arts video game evolved into a cultural phenomenon. His influence, steeped in everyman sensibilities, made the NFL. more interesting, more relevant and more fun for over 40 years. Today’s dead celebrity is John Madden.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. For updates on the show, please sign up for our mailing list at famousandgravy.com. Also, play our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 33 “October Error” (Bill Buckner) and Episode 4 “Ringside Gentleman” (Mean Gene Okerlund).
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for John Madden
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
Dead or Alive Quiz Game
John Madden page on NFL Hall of Fame website
“The Genius of John Madden” from The Ringer
Frank Caliendo impression of John Madden
EA Sports official page for Madden game
An exclusive tour inside the Madden Cruiser
Chuck Klostermann article in GQ about future of football
John Madden’s chair at Chuy’s in Van Horn, TX
John Madden once met Nelson Mandela
Residents of the Dakota Building in NYC
HPB.com
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