A Ringing Testament to New Boss

A bus pulls up to Fox television’s first football game and out steps John Madden. September, 1994.

“OK! Let’s earn that money! There’s the kickoff! BOOM! That was some kick, Pat!”

“Sure was, John.”

“WHAM! Good kick! So how much I make there? Ten thousand bucks? KA-CHING! Did you hear that cash register, Pat?”

“Sure did, John.”

“I’ll tell ya!”

“First and 10, Cowboys.”

“This is a BIG play, Pat! Even though it’s still EARLY, I mean! KA-CHING! Twenty thousand dollars!”

“Aikman . . .”

“This is SOME game, Pat!”

“Complete to Irvin.”

“OK! Let’s look at that play AGAIN, Pat! KA-CHING! Thirty thousand!”

“Good for a Dallas first down.”

“I’ll tell ya!”

“Show us that play, John.”

“OK! Irvin lines up HERE! He runs HERE! He catches the ball HERE! And BING BANG BOOM! Right on the MONEY, Pat!”

“Right you are, John Madden.”

“I’ll tell ya!”

“Second down, Dallas. . . .”

“KA-CHING! I’ve already made 40 thousand BUCKS here! How much YOU made so far, Pat?”

“Not sure, John.”

“Ten thou? Twenty thou?”

“Aikman hands off to Smith.”

“POW! Emmitt really got POPPED!”

“Sure did, John.”

“That was SOME hit, Pat!”

“Sure was, John.”

“I’ll tell ya!”

“Time out, Dallas.”

“Let’s look at that hit AGAIN, Pat! Smith lines up HERE! Then he runs HERE! And WHAM BOOM BAM! He ain’t goin’ no place, Pat! KA-CHING! Fifty thousand!”

“Good drawing, John.”

“Got his bell RUNG, Pat!”

“Sure did, John.”

“I’ll tell ya!”

“Right you are, John Madden.”

“KA-CHING! Eighty thousand!”

“Dallas will have to punt.”

“This is SOME kind of ballgame, Pat!

“Wait, they’re going for it on fourth down, John.”

“This is a GUTSY play, Pat!”

“Sure is, John.”

“I’ll tell ya!”

“Correction. It’s only third down.”

“Don’t MATTER, Pat! We still get PAID! KA-CHING!”

“Sure do, John.”

“We don’t gotta do NOTHIN’ but sit here!”

“Sure don’t, John.”

“We ain’t even gotta talk good English!”

“Right you are, John Madden.”

“KA-CHING! A hun-derd thousand!”

“Aikman. . . .”

“What about him?”

“Back to pass.”

“Oh!”

“Incomplete.”

“That was a BIG play, Pat!”

“Right you are, John Madden.”

“Let’s look at that play AGAIN, Pat! This guy lines up HERE! This guy lines up THERE! That guy runs up HERE! This other guy crosses over THERE! BIFF BAM BOOM! And down he GOES!”

“Good analysis, John.”

“I’ll tell ya!”

“That’s why you get the big money, John.”

“SIS BOOM BAM! RAMMA LAMMA DING DONG!”

“John?”

“VA VA VA VOOM! RING A DING DING! PHI SLAMMA JAMMA!”

“John?”

“HEY BATTA BATTA! SWING BATTA!”

“Snap out of it, John.”

“I’m making a FORTUNE doing this!”

“Uh, time out on the field. You’re watching the NFL on Fox.”