Bam! - by Scott Howard-Cooper (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The untold story of John Madden's astonishing second act--and how the coach, broadcaster, and video-game icon transformed the NFL while confronting the damage football could do.

John Madden retired abruptly from coaching in 1979, five months after receiver Darryl Stingley suffered a paralyzing injury against his Raiders. The tragedy would never leave him. He had no intention of entering broadcasting. Yet, within a decade--BAM!--he had become the most recognizable voice in football and a driving force behind America's most powerful sports league.

Veteran sports journalist Scott HowardCooper reveals how Madden recast himself at exactly the right moment. Television was transforming sports, and the NFL needed a translator to turn complex strategy into entertainment. Madden didn't just analyze football; he redefined how it was watched and loved--from the telestrator and pregame film study to Thanksgiving football.

But BAM! goes beyond the booth, tracing Madden's personal life, unguarded moments, unexpected turns, and his influence through advertising, network wars, labor battles, concussion debates, and the Madden NFL video game--which reshaped gaming and brought football to new generations. Yet, Madden could never entirely escape what the game demanded from the men who played it.

BAM! is the story of how one rumpled, affable man became a defining figure in football's greatest boom--and its reckoning --and why the NFL cannot stop invoking his name.

Review Quotes

"Scott Howard-Cooper has done something I didn't know was possible: thoroughly educated me with so much I didn't know about one of the most (deservedly) famous and well-documented men in football history, John Madden. From the tender and very real care he showed for Darryl Stingley after Stingley was paralyzed against the Raiders, to what led to his retirement from coaching at 42, to his unexpected starry second career in broadcasting, to his stunningly successful third career in video games, Madden has his life portrait painted eloquently by Howard-Cooper. Madden's one of the 10 most important figures in pro football history. This book explains why."
--Peter King, legendary NFL writer and bestselling author

"Some people knew John Madden as coach, others knew him as an icon. I had the pleasure to know John Madden as a mentor. Scott Howard-Cooper captures perfectly the important connection I had to the man at a difficult time in my life. Beyond his status as a legend, he was an anchor to me during my stormy season on Monday Night Football. I am thankful that readers will get to know a bit of the man who treated me with grace, kindness and respect when others didn't. BAM! is a book I will treasure."
--Lisa Guerrero, award-winning journalist and former Monday Night Football sideline reporter

"Scott Howard-Cooper picks the perfect subject to examine the evolution of pro football and sports media--a seemingly traditional coach-turned-announcer who along his eventful journey became a revolutionary. I never needed the Madden video games to understand the Bam Man's seminal importance to American sports culture, and after reading Scott's book, I understand it better."
--Jack McCallum, New York Times bestselling author of Dream Team and longtime Sports Illustrated senior writer

"A passionate . . . examination of the role NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden played in popularizing football. . . . A focused account of Madden's life and influence. . . . Fans will relish the heartfelt portrait of a sports legend."
--Publishers Weekly

Praise for Scott Howard-Cooper's previous books

Kingdom on Fire: Kareem, Wooden, Walton, and the Turbulent Days of the UCLA Basketball Dynasty

"Recaptures the complexities of John Wooden's UCLA dynasty . . . [placing] readers back in more interesting times, before the stories they tell were sanded down or inflated or forgotten."
--Washington Post

"Portraits of [Wooden, Kareem, and Walton] are developed with nuance and sensitivity."
--Wall Street Journal

"Elegantly weaves together sports, political, and cultural history, presenting a trenchant portrait of college basketball's most successful dynasty against the backdrop of a country wracked by political upheaval. . . . A slam dunk for college hoops fans."
--Publishers Weekly

Steve Kerr: A Life--The Definitive Biography of an Improbable Champion Who Overcame Tragedy to Build NBA Dynasties

"The Kerr story is an amazing one, and Scott Howard-Cooper has given us a fascinating look at a fascinating life."
--Roland Lazenby, author of Michael Jordan: The Life

"Steve Kerr has lived an amazing life, with moments of great elation and immense pain. Scott Howard-Cooper has put together an important, well-researched book that reflects all the ups and downs of Kerr's journey through basketball and beyond, with keen insights as to what makes him a successful coach and a deeply admirable human being."
--Seth Davis, basketball reporter and author, CBS Sports and The Athletic

"Thrilling. . . . Casual fans and hoops nuts alike will love this illuminating work."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Riveting. . . . Deftly recounted. . . . Kerr's time with the Bulls comes alive in the author's telling. . . . This engaging biography is a must-read for basketball fans."
--Library Journal (starred review)