Washington coach Ron Rivera is among those looking forward to celebrating John Madden’s life Monday night in Oakland at the Coliseum.
Ron Rivera wandered into the ice cream parlor on Monterey’s Cannery Row like any other teenager in the 1970s.“Coach was there with his family after the Super Bowl,” Rivera recalled about John Madden in a recent phone interview. “I happened to see him, so I went up and introduced myself.Rivera, the Washington Commanders’ coach, and a slew of other football luminaries will come to Oakland’s Coliseum on Monday night to celebrate the life of Madden, who passed away Dec. 28 at age 85.
Others coveted him for his enthusiastic and common-sense approach as an Emmy Award-winning broadcasting. His notoriety grew as an advertising pitchman, and a new generation learned the Madden name via an EA Sports video game. His philanthropic endeavors, especially around the East Bay and his hometown of Pleasanton, continue even with this his memorial service, where proceeds from the $32.14 ticket go toward local youth.
Back in 2013, early in Rivera’s nine-year term as the Carolina Panthers’ coach, he sought advice from Madden. Actually, Rivera sought reassurance for doing things “by the book.” Rivera never played for him, but the Cal product did impress Madden during his linebacker days with the Chicago Bears . When Rivera confided to Madden that he was playing through a fractured tibia in the 1990 season’s playoffs, Madden spread the word. “It was non-weight bearing, but he says something and now you’re branded a tough guy,” Rivera recalled.