John Madden: Thanks for the Memories....

If you haven't heard the news by now, and I know you have, John Madden has decided to hang up the microphone.

Whether it was the NFL or Pop Warner, Madden changed the way we look at the game of football.

With a swift stroke of his magic wand, and a teleprompter as his canvas, Madden painted a picture of the pure beauty that coincides with the brutality of professional football.

His X's and O's showed the average fan how a player thinks and reacts in a split second during a game and he opened our eyes to the little things we as fans may miss during the heat of competition.

Madden was a teacher to so many of us, and the football field was his blackboard. As you know, every station that broadcasts pro sports will have some sort of tribute to Madden. His Hall of Fame career speaks for itself, and his impression on the world of professional football, as well as video games, will be ever lasting.

So I tried to figure out the best way for me to show my appreciation to the man that has guided me throughout my years as a fan of the NFL. I had the find the one thing that came to mind, that I felt was his crowning moment. Then I came across this:

So thank you Mr. Madden for 30 years of teaching and brightening up our homes on four different television networks every Sunday during the football season. Thank you for taking three hours of your life and making it some of the most entertaining and informative three hours of our sports life.