Hall of Fame John Madden to retire

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/16/john.madden.retirement/index.html

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Legendary football coach and broadcaster John Madden is retiring, he announced Thursday.

"It's been such a great ride ... the NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion -- it still is," he said in a statement released by NBC Sports.

Madden, 73, was a Hall of Fame coach for the Oakland Raiders, but is best known to millions as an ebullient football commentator.

He won 16 Emmy awards for outstanding sports analyst/personality, NBC said.