Madden's Passion!

John Madden retired from the booth this year, so football will never be quite the same.

I’ve always found Madden’s style of broadcasting to be interesting, even though he sometimes uses a lot of words to point out the most obvious things.

It was his enthusiasm for the sport that made him so fun to listen to. Before Madden, announcers typically sat in desk chair while giving commentary. Madden had a habit of standing while he called a game.

When you listen to him to talk, you can hear him standing … and pacing … and gesturing.

This is the kind of passion I try to bring to the pulpit. I’m not talking about volume or style, but I am talking about having the same love for spiritual things as he had for football. That kind of enthusiasm can’t be kept under a barrel.