• Variety, Friday, April 17, 2009 9:30 AM

John Madden, whose plainspoken, straightforward style set the standard for football analysts, is retiring after 30 years in the broadcast booth. Most recently, he appeared on NBC Sports' "Sunday Night Football."

Madden surprised NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol with the decision this week, and he declined Ebersol's efforts to persuade him to continue working part time. Cris Collingsworth will move from the pre-game "Football Night in America" show to the "Sunday Night Football" booth to replace Madden.

Madden is the only sports broadcaster to serve as the lead football analyst for each of the Big Four broadcast nets. He's earned 16 Sports Emmys as a sports analyst/personality. His last game was the Feb. 1 Super Bowl. Madden is well-known for his reluctance to fly, even in a job that requires frequent travel. He was famous for traveling to game sites in a custom-built RV; the strain of all of that travel may have contributed to his decision to retire.

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