We lost John Madden this week, one of the most influential figures in my football lifetime, so let’s enjoy this final week of fantasy football even more than usual for him, as he was one of the biggest cheerleaders for the sport that we have ever seen. His Thanksgiving Day tirades about turduckens were legendary, and Thanksgiving games still don’t feel the same without him around.
His impact on the game of football is just a start, and the Madden NFL Football video game series devoured days upon days of my life during my high school years especially. There’s very little doubt that my interest in fantasy football began from starting franchises with my brother and friends on the Playstation 2 and drafting teams from scratch through a fantasy draft. Madden’s passing brings up so many fond memories that it is hard to be sad, as he clearly lived a full life and brought so much to the sport and those around him. John Madden will be missed, and we won’t see another like him any time soon.
Week 17 of The List brings us to your fantasy championship with Josh Allen on the cover, a player whose style no doubt would have delighted Madden in a similar way as Brett Farve‘s play so famously did. Keep an ear out for the Sit/Start Podcast for my full thoughts on the weekend, and go win a championship for Madden!
Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)