The Bay Area and National Football League communities are set to join together on Monday to pay tribute to John Madden, the professional football legend and longtime Pleasanton resident who died in December.
The evening event, called “One More Monday Night in Oakland: A Celebration of John Madden”, will be held at the RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland with paid admission to benefit the family’s Madden Charities.
Seats remain available, sold via Ticketmaster.
A Daly City native who played collegiately at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Madden began making his mark on pro football as head coach of the then-Oakland Raiders from 1969-78, including a victory in Super Bowl XI. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2006.
His reach only grew nationally during an illustrious NFL commentating career, with noted partnerships with Pat Summerall and later Al Michaels, including time on “Monday Night Football” broadcasts. Madden would also gain video game immortality when he lent his name to EA Sports’ burgeoning electronic football game in 1988. “Madden NFL” is still the most popular football video game to this day.
Madden and his family moved to Pleasanton early during his coaching tenure, and he and his wife remained residents of the community throughout the years. Perhaps Pleasanton’s most famous resident, Madden also invested in real estate in the Tri-Valley, including owning The Rose Hotel.
Madden, who died unexpectedly on Dec. 28 at his home in Pleasanton at age 85, is survived by his wife Virginia and sons Mike and Joe.
Details about a public memorial for Madden were announced late last month, including a date change to a Monday night, Feb. 14 — one day after this weekend’s Super Bowl. It will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the same Oakland Coliseum where he coached the Raiders for years.
Tickets are available online at $32.14 each, with all proceeds going to Madden Charities “for the benefit of the John Madden Foundation to provide educational opportunities for the youth of Oakland,” according to the Madden family. Parking will be free; doors open at 3:30 p.m. To learn more, visit www.theoaklandarena.com.
