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.
Rich Podolsky has been an established writer and reporter since the 1970s, covering the Miami Dolphins and writing for The NFL Today. He has been a staff writer for CBS Sports, and has written for The Philadelphia Daily News, The Palm Beach Post, The Wilmington News-Journal, and ESPN. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Keystone Press Award for writing excellence from the Pennsylvania Publishers Association. He has written about the business of sports on television many times including his recent book, You Are Looking Live--How The NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting. He is also a guest columnist for Sports Broadcast Journal.com. CBS' documentary version based on his book was broadcast to more than 1.1 million viewers. His passion for music of the '60s and '70s fueled his desire to write about it. In Don Kirshner: The Man with the Golden Ear (foreword by Tony Orlando), and Neil Sedaka, Rock 'n' Roll Survivor (foreword by Elton John), he tells the inside story of their success.
"Ask any sportscaster, ask any fan who was the best NFL announce team ever. They will all tell you Madden and Summerall. They changed how we watched. Rich Podolsky was there. He'll tell you why."--Tony Kornheiser, host of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption "Buckle up and get ready to feel like you are riding the Maddencruiser! Rich Podolsky has once again graced us with his unique, high-energy storytelling, to bring us along for a wondrous ride with Pat and John. I had the honor of knowing both of them. What a thrill it is to go behind the scenes with the best broadcast team of all time!"--Jim Nantz, member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame "John Madden and Pat Summerall narrated my career. And I don't know that it gets any better than that." --Troy Aikman, Hall of Fame quarterback "Pat and John provided the soundtrack on so many of the most memorable games of the 80s and 90s. Rich Podolsky takes us on a terrific trip down memory lane that brings to life what so many of us remember so vividly in our mind's eyes and ears."--Al Michaels, legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster "Pat Summerall and John Madden. For a generation, two names and two voices synonymous with the biggest games in the NFL. Their differing personalities and differing strengths as broadcasters, made for a uniquely perfect and unforgettable collaboration."--Bob Costas, member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame
