Madden & Summerall

This is the story of how John Madden and Pat Summerall got to CBS, and although very different, how they became the greatest broadcast team of all time. It is told by Rich Podolsky, who worked alongside them both at CBS, and also shares his own personal stories about them. Separately, they were great. Together, they were the greatest ever. Madden & Summerall is about two stalwarts of the game, but their story is not without controversy. Summerall was a five-sport star who became a broadcaster by accident. Uncharacteristically, he was a morning drive-time radio host before he found his path on TV. Madden was a bigger-than-life Super Bowl-winning coach, and he easily could have been a stand-up comedian. We all remember the great story-telling John Madden, who won 16 Emmy Awards, but we don't remember how much he struggled his first two years on the air to find his way. In fact, he was almost fired after his first season, but a rousing appearance at a pre-Super Bowl luncheon changed his life, and helped CBS executives see Madden in a new light. But it wasn't until he was paired with Summerall, that it all clicked. They were so different, yet so perfect together--like peanut butter meeting jelly for the first time. The book follows the intimate stories of their lives from childhood to death; before and during their great 21-year partnership. Never-before told insider stories (some fun, some scathing) from friends, family members and dozens of ex-colleagues pepper these chapters. But they weren't without their controversies: Summerall won every battle he was ever in, except one--against alcoholism--and he eventually won that one, too. Madden waited nearly 25 years to get the one thing he cherished most--entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And it took someone who editorialized against his admission for years to convince the others to vote him in. Summerall was the Voice of Autumn, the Voice of the NFL. Madden was America's nutty football professor--both goofy and brilliant. Together they were loved by millions, for 21 beautiful years.