John Madden will be doing the commentary on his 11th Super Bowl today

I love Madden, going all the way back to when he coached the Raiders – including to a Super Bowl win.

Madden is now 72 (!). Here's a really nice short piece –

This is a day to appreciate John Madden, the voice that Super-sized the NFL

Today is a football celebration. It's also a day to celebrate Madden. This will be his 11th Super Bowl as a broadcaster. Madden is the only analyst to work the game for four (CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox) networks. If you're watching with the sound on, listen and appreciate. No one knows how long this bus ride will last.

Long ago, Madden transcended the sport of professional football. No voice, not by design but through sheer personality, has done as much to popularize the game he broadcasts. This might be news to friend and foe alike, but the NFL logo painted on the football field in Tampa is only a reasonable facsimile. The real NFL logo will be sitting in NBC's broadcast booth.

By no means does this make Madden's motives altruistic. The man, through his broadcast and commercial work and, of course, that video game, has made a fortune. Regardless, his passion comes through like the talk-show caller who, in the heat of July, wants to discuss the Jets' second-string offensive tackle.

The fanatic still sees Madden as one of them. That's what has made Madden Madden.

Someone asked if he wants to be in the booth for NBC's next Super Bowl telecast in 2012. Madden, quieter now, offered his often used "it doesn't get any bigger than this" line before saying: "Working with Al has been very, very enjoyable. This is our third one (Super Bowl). And four sounds pretty good."