You thought you knew John Madden?
Of his many successful careers (Hall of Fame coach, commercial pitchman, video game entrepreneur, TV analyst extraordinaire), the longest lasting and least known was this one: morning radio personality in his native San Francisco Bay Area. Mornings With Madden reveals that story, as told by John’s longtime on-air colleague, Stan Bunger. The book draws upon thousands of recordings of their daily conversations to enlighten, entertain and inspire.
“...for all his outsized success as a coach, on television, on the front of that video game box, in business…way down inside, John Madden was one of us: a radio guy. Radio didn’t make him rich. As it turns out, it enriched him, and the rest of us too.”
“He was as much a part of my football journey as anybody. We had a great friendship because he was different, a very unique guy.”
“Stan’s book flows nicely. It’s a hilarious treasure trove of his magical moments with John Madden, combined with clever and deep insights about John, football, broadcasting and life itself.”
“What a joy to read Stan Bunger’s book. Bunger captures a complex John Madden who is, of course, hilarious, but also poignant and introspective. For 18 years at 8:15 a.m. on KCBS, Bunger was the perfect straight man teeing up Madden. You can hear Madden on the pages of “Mornings with Madden,’’ unspooling one engaging tale after another. He was a truly gifted story-teller. And so, as I’ve learned, is Stan Bunger. I challenge anyone who picks up this book to stop turning the pages.”
“Stan Bunger’s endearing book chronicles the evolution of an important professional relationship that blossomed into a deep friendship. Over 15 years, Stan skillfully enabled a Hall of Fame football coach to become a daily part of life for millions of listeners, from true football fanatics to grandmothers who never watched a game.”
“If you really could play, you wouldn’t need a mulligan. And if you can’t play, a mulligan is not going to help you. What are you going to do, take that lousy swing that you have and groove it?”
“Looking back on what made it work, I think it was just allowing him to be who he is. He broke barriers on TV football broadcasts. They’d say, ‘Oh, John, you can’t do this. You can’t do that,’ but he was his own guy. I thought that was the most basic philosophy in broadcasting: don’t try to be somebody you’re not. Just go on, be yourself and hope you get enough people to like you so you could be successful. And John was phenomenally good at that.”
“Outside of the Bay Area, it’s doubtful many people were aware of John Madden’s love of radio. That love is a gift artfully shared by Stan Bunger in “Mornings with Madden.” Madden’s shows, hosted for two decades by Bunger, were never scripted. That was a beautiful thing, and as Stan writes, the free-flowing Madden took us on a journey every day. You never knew where it was headed, but you always knew you’d be entertained and just a bit wiser for the experience. ”