John Madden was famous for his cruisers, which he took from city to city instead of flying during his time as an NFL announcer.
While Madden passed away in late 2021, the five cruisers he used in his career are still around.
In an appearance on the God Bless Football podcast this week, the announcer’s son, Mike Madden, revealed the fate of each of the five buses — and some funny stories around where they ended up.
The original moved to Canton, Ohio, at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. It was used for a tribute to Madden during the Thanksgiving game in Green Bay between the Packers and Dolphins, on NBC.
The Madden family kept track of the first bus because Madden sold it to the husband of a makeup assistant at CBS. The husband won the lottery and bought it from Madden, but was forced to remove Madden’s name from the cruiser after a negotiation.
“You can have my bus, but my name’s worth a little bit more,” Mike Madden said of his father’s mindset at the time.
Buses No. 2 and No. 3 were traded in to dealerships when the next ones were purchased.
When it came time to trade in No. 4 for No. 5, Mrs. Madden pumped the brakes. She insisted Madden keep the fourth and purchase the fifth out of pocket.
“For the longest time, we had mom’s bus and dad’s bus,” Mike Madden said.
Both are still in the Madden ecosystem. Following the Sept. 11 tragedy in an effort to avoid flying, Mike Madden and a group of friends drove the buses to Scottsdale, Arizona, for a golf trip. They kept the tradition going to this day, and Bus No. 4 is still in the family.
Bus No. 5 is used for promos within the NFL. Mike Madden revealed Bill Belichick shot a TV special promoting this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, driving the cruiser around southern Louisiana.
“The buses are still out there,” Mike Madden said. “We don’t get in them as often as we should, but they’re still around. And 4 and 5 are still in service.”
Claustrophobia made John Madden uncomfortable on planes. After a panic attack in 1979, he never flew again. Early in his career, Madden made due with trains and other transportation. But later on, Greyhound struck a partnership with Madden and provided him with a bus and drivers. The buses were often sponsored, and became synonymous with Madden as a broadcaster.
Hopefully some day, all five go to Canton.
[God Bless Football via the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz]
