RIP John Madden, A Football, Video Game And Meme Legend

December 29th, 2021 - 10:51 AM EST by Adam Downer

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John Madden holding up several NFL helmets.

John Madden, a legendary NFL head coach and the namesake of one of gaming's most well-known franchises, passed away yesterday from unknown causes at the age of 85.

Madden was a veritable titan of American football. He was head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969-1978, during which time the team never had a losing record and won one Super Bowl. For the next 30 years, Madden was one of sports broadcasting's most iconic voices, providing idiosyncratic color commentary for NFL games on major networks alongside play-by-play legends Pat Summerall and Al Michaels.

Madden also became the namesake of the unquestioned most popular football franchise in video games with the Madden series, which started in 1988 and continues to this day. In addition to its influence in video games, the series was also the inspiration for a classic internet meme, which involved utilizing the Madden Giferator to make s**tposts.


While Madden's achievements in the realms of football and video games are unquestionable, many memers may remember that Madden was an integral part of a meme that had very little to do with the man himself: Moonbase Alpha Text to Speech.

On July 17th, 2010, YouTuber motdef uploaded a video showcasing three pranksters abusing the text-to-speech function of the simulation video game Moonbase Alpha to say random phrases, such as "UUUUUUUU," "aeiou" and famously, "John Madden."


In the years since, Madden became a central part of Moonbase Alpha memes, to the point that news of his passing even revived the meme on Twitter.


RIP John Madden, a football, video game and meme legend. Press UUUUUUUU to pay respects.




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