“Knowing his coach likes him is more important to a player than anything else. To me, it was important to be able to chew out a player for screwing up and for him to accept it because he knew I liked him anyway.”

American professional football coach and sports commentator

John Earl Madden was an American professional football coach and NFL sports commentator. He coached the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978 and became known for guiding the team through one of its most successful eras. Under Madden, the Raiders reached eight playoff appearances, won seven division titles, and played in seven AFL and AFC Championship Games, including the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XI. He never finished a season with a losing record, and he holds the highest winning percentage among NFL head coaches who coached at least 100 games.