Cris Collinsworth Replaces Madden

John Madden's retirement became a little less tear-filled today when NBC announced that Cris Collinsworth will be his official replacement on Sunday Night Football, joining Al Michaels in the booth.

This is according to a statement from NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol.

"[Cris] will step into the role with Al [Michaels] immediately," Ebersol said on a conference call with reporters.

Now, I don't want to celebrate this move and thereby detract from Madden's retirement; Madden was the voice of football for many years across every major television network (at one point in time) and it's sad to see him go.

But Collinsworth's move from the studio with Bob Costas to the booth with Michaels is a tremendous win for anyone that enjoys primetime football. Not only is Collinsworth -- in my opinion -- the best announcer in the game, period, but he and Michaels immediately become the best 1-2 combo in a football booth that we've seen in years. It's a nostaligically difficult day for football, but it's also important to recognize the "new beginning" factor here, because Sunday night just became a lot more enjoyable.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

4-16-2009 @ 1:13PM

tien said...

Psst...it's "Cris".

4-16-2009 @ 2:04PM

Brinson said...

Yeah. I just fired my secretary. Apologies on that one.

4-20-2009 @ 11:21PM

Mickey said...

I disagree with the author. If Chris Collinsworth is going to be announcing, then there are a lot more tears to shed about this whole thing. He sucks. I won't be watching.

4-16-2009 @ 1:14PM

Adam said...

Collinsworth doesn't have the same entertainment value of Madden, but he has an eye for picking plays apart and explaining why something worked or why it didn't. He also doesn't seem to be enamored with a certain player or team, so his analysis is usually fair and on point. Good move by NBC; they probably have the best football broadcast of all the networks.

4-16-2009 @ 1:15PM

cphickey1 said...

collinsworth is better than what most say about him, but to suggest that this softens the blow of Madden retiring is ridiculous. Collinsworth is serviceable, but by no means is he enjoyable to listen to.

4-16-2009 @ 1:53PM

demzrdopes said...

Madden was great in his day, but he definitely lost a step. I'd like to see Rick "Doc" Walker in the booth somewhere, he calls the game like it ought to be called. PS ESPN, please get rid of Peter Gammons, God bless the man for surviving a stroke, but he is unwatchable..

4-16-2009 @ 2:33PM

jeffclowns said...

Cris is a biased, face lifted annoyance. The top half of his face never moves. His voice grates, especially when he announces a game involving one of his favorite teams. This is why I attend my home team games--it avoids having to listen to him at least half the season!!

4-16-2009 @ 3:17PM

soulcitysigma1914 said...

i agree. i've watched collinsworth throughout the years and he's a smart, analyitical announcer, but he's got so much bias. one of my favorite examples was during the eagles/panthers nfc championship a few years back when mcnabb went down but it wasn't immediately obvious that he was down by contact (as other announcers made clear through replays) and so a panther defender tagged on him to make sure he was down. COLLINSWORTH WENT NUTS screaming about late hit this and there should have been a flag that and was so biased against Carolina that he couldn't entertain what all other unbiased reviewers saw: there was no reason for that defender to believe mcnabb was down by contact. i felt bad that move injured mcnabb but it was a legal part of the game and good no flag.

collinsworth demonstrates clear bias against certain teams, among them the panthers and the browns.

And EA better not come out w/ "Collinsworth Football"!!

4-16-2009 @ 3:04PM

Brian said...

Collinsworth blows. He is enamored with himself. Jeffclowns, I agree totally about his bias towards favorite teams, it is unbelievable. I don't know where you guys are getting this idea that Collinsworthless is a good announcer, his voice puts people to sleep. Unless, of course, he is getting excited while talking about himself, OR Tony Romo, who seems to be his boy.

4-16-2009 @ 3:11PM

griffith69 said...

Collinsworth sucks.

dackohersh said...

madden gone? good, his forte was calling attention to the obvious. any news on when dick vitale will be leaving espn? another babbling moron

4-16-2009 @ 3:34PM

#1SkinsFan said...

I can't stand Collinsworth.
Guess I'll be watching the games on mute.
And here I thought it couldn't get any worse than Madden.

4-16-2009 @ 3:43PM

Nate said...

Madden was way past his prime and I couldnt stand to listen to him any more. There was a time when he was good and added an interesting element to the game, but he has been coasting on his reputation for a long time now. Although I had respect for him in his better years, I wont miss his annoying voice or his rambling on and on about nonsense while ignoring the game.
Al and Cris will make an interesting team, and I will finally be able to watch games on NBC with the sound turned on again.

4-16-2009 @ 4:02PM

ckellett3 said...

thank God Madden's gone. Cris is biased but a huge step up from BOOM

4-16-2009 @ 5:08PM

greg said...

Madden was a bum and totally boring. They should bring in a Mexican soccer announcer to liven things up or hire Robin Williams.

4-16-2009 @ 5:18PM

steve said...

great from one guy I never wanted to listen to, to another guy who I really never want to listen to.

just another reason to stop watching the increasingly boring NFL