SVG Sit-Down: Author Rich Podolsky on Writing Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting'

SVG Sit-Down: Author Rich Podolsky on Writing Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting'The compelling first-person account reveals stories behind the legendary announce teamBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 - 7:00 am

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Last month, a new book about two sports broadcasting legends (and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famers) hit the shelf: Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting. Written by Rich Podolsky, who worked with both John Madden and Pat Summerall as a writer at CBS Sports and The NFL Today (as well as the Philadelphia Daily News, the Palm Beach Post, the Wilmington News-Journal, and ESPN) offers a compelling account of their careers apart, their careers together, and how they navigated stardom, super-stardom, and the impact of their fame. Podolsky shared his thoughts with SVG on the process of pulling the book together.

Rich, this a wonderful first-person account of living (and working with) this amazing partnership, and you don't shy away from some of the more challenging aspects of their individual stories. Was it a challenge to write this, given how close you were to both of them and a lot of the other legends mentioned in this book?

No, it was fun writing about some of my experiences, especially with John. Those experiences I tried to separate from the narrative by writing them in italics. I felt they brought out how much fun they were and showed their humanity.

The book is a relatively quick read but overflows with sports-broadcasting legends - some of whom come off looking great. others not so much. The world (and sports TV) has changed a lot in the past 40 years. Is that part of the reason the story is so compelling? That not only their talents were singular but so was the era they worked in?

I think it's so compelling because the longer we get away from their 21-year reign together, the more we realize how incredibly special they were. I truly believe that Madden and Summerall were the only broadcast team in history that people actually tuned in to listen to. No one has come close to them before or since. Madden won an amazing 16 Emmy Awards, which belonged as much to Summerall as to John. You have to remember that Madden didn't become the John Madden we all knew and loved until he started working with Pat in '81, and much of that was due to Summerall's giving himself up so Madden could have all the space he needed to be Madden.

This book confronts some big issues honestly, in particular Pat's drinking issues. Was that challenging for you to write about? It ultimately is a tale of redemption and does give the book a wonderful emotional center.

The more challenging part was telling about Pat's constant battle with his drinking and getting first-person accounts from his second wife, Cheri, and his son Jay. When I sent a book to Pat's daughter, Susie Wiles, I sent a note that said, I loved your dad, and I loved working with him.

I tried to balance the hysterically funny stories about his drinking - especially with [sportscaster] Tom Brookshier - along with the sensitive moments. What most people didn't know and what I wish I presented better was that Pat was a tremendously fun guy and a great storyteller. If you ran into him after work at Kee Wah Yen, a restaurant down the street from CBS, he could have everyone at the bar doubling up with laughter with his tales. He was so likeable and lovable. The hard part was presenting the other side of his alcoholism, which I tried to do through a [broadcasting executive] Terry O'Neil quote pointing to management and senior leadership letting Pat and Brookie down by not putting a governor on their misbehavior.

Were there any other favorite personal anecdotes that you left on the cutting-room floor?

No, not really, but I wished I did a better job telling about a Saturday night in Atlanta when John took me along when he was appearing on WTBS for an interview he agreed to do with Norm Van Brocklin. John didn't want to go, and I never saw him doing anything else on the night before a game besides preparing and having dinner. But he knew he owed it to the Dutchman, who in 1958 showed John a roadmap to coaching.

The other thing that I loved and that absolutely surprised me was the incredibly close relationship between John and [producer] Richie Zyontz. He not only introduced Zyontz to [the woman who eventually became his wife] but hosted the wedding at his home and was the best man. That relationship only grew stronger through the years, and I chose to end the book with a touching moment between the two shortly before John died.

If you're interested in picking up a copy of Madden & Summerall you can order it on Amazon by clicking this link.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2025/10/14/svg-sit-down-author-rich-podols...
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