Written by The week between Christmas and New Years Day is a time of quiet reflection on the past year. It’s a time where the world seems to slow down after the buildup to the holiday and takes a few days off before starting all over again in January.
As I reviewed 2021, I was starting to think that the year wasn’t so bad. Sure, it got off to a horrible start. But, for the most part, it was a lot better than 2020. Then, when I had almost convinced myself of this fairy tale, a notification came on my phone.
BOOM!
Like Lawrence Taylor devouring a would-be blocker and destroying a quarterback, the news of John Madden’s passing knocked me from my feet and reminded me that we are living in rough times. Just because this year sucked less than last year, it doesn’t make it a good year.
That evening, I watched the new documentary on his career as a coach, broadcaster, and video game pioneer. It was a beautiful tribute to a person who made a unique contribution to America’s most popular sport. Madden loved football, and he loved people. He connected people to the sport.
Above all else, Madden was a teacher. His gift was breaking complicated things down by removing extraneous details and focusing on what truly matters. By doing this, he could deliver a message with the power of a Taylor sack. His messages influenced many people in my generation. I was lucky to witness his career and learn from the lessons he taught.
Madden taught us how to build and nurture a winning culture. The Raiders teams he coached were unique. They had a swagger and did not follow any conventional norms. In an era where old-school coaches like Chuck Knoll, Don Shula, Tom Landry, and Bud Grant dominated, Madden’s teams provided an alternative.
Rather than running a team like it was a branch of the military, the Raiders embraced the culture of the city it represented. They were tough and rebellious. Madden’s only rules were to show up on time, pay attention, and play hard. Combining a simple but crystal clear set of values and highly talented players resulted in victories. No coach had a better winning percentage.
Too many teams today fail to follow this philosophy. They have a particular set of expectations for how their players behave. You hear them talk about bringing in the “right type of players” to the team. When they inevitably fail, the implication is that the cause was their players not fitting into their culture. They refuse to understand their responsibility to create an environment conducive to winning, one in which players put the team’s interests ahead of their own. Bad teams repeat this cycle continuously.
Madden took every type of player and made them into winners. They brought in the fastest, nastiest, most talented players they could find. Fitting in was a result of a healthy culture, not a prerequisite. Madden understood that it was his job to convince the players to buy into their culture, not theirs. He understood that nurture was more important than nature.
Later on, Raiders owner Al Davis made “Just win, baby” a famous phrase. It was the motto of the Raiders. Davis had the vision, and Madden nurtured it with his teams in the 70s. Davis saw the potential in Madden when he hired him, and Madden encouraged his players to fulfill their potential. Every player was a fit if they followed their three simple rules.
By retiring from coaching at 42, Madden taught us how to prioritize our values. His chosen career created a conflict. Like many of us, Madden valued his role as a husband and a father. However, he was devoting all of his time to his job at the expense of his family.
Madden left a job he loved and was very good because he saw that he wasn’t living out his values. He was willing to take a risk. He did the right thing and trusted that he could be successful in his career with an acceptable balance of time allocated to work and family.
This situation is familiar. We want to have it all but feel trapped and lack the courage to do the right thing. How many of us failed to make the choice Madden did when we were 42, resulting in burn-out and regret?
Madden had a vision of growing the game he loved by making it accessible to more people. Rather than catering to jocks who used to play and nerds who followed the game’s intricacies, he connected with the everyday fan. He brought people in with his charisma and made them feel welcome. He educated us on the game and earned our buy-in, just like he did as a coach with his players. As NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell put it, “He was football.”
Too often, the owners, coaches, and players in professional sports get caught up in their zero-sum game of protecting their interests. Madden always saw opportunities to grow the game and look for new ways to engage with players and fans. He made offensive linemen like Nate Newton into stars. When offered the opportunity to be a part of a video game, he jumped at the chance to teach people how to coach a team.
As a coach, broadcaster, and pitchman, John Madden saw potential where others did not. He was on time, he paid attention, and he worked hard. But at his heart, he was a teacher. Hopefully, his legacy will be that someday we learn his lessons.
If we hurry up, 2022 can be a great year.