Over the past 18 hours or so, following the unfortunate news of John Madden's passing, we've heard countless tales of the NFL icon's humility, graciousness and warmth toward fans. We've also heard how he revolutionized the role of color commentator in the broadcast booth, making it a truly entertaining experience to listen to a game without necessarily hearing about the X's and O's of football for the entirety of the game.
Perhaps no story better encapsulates those two aspects of Madden's legacy than one told by fellow broadcasting icon Dick Stockton in an interview with "The DA Show" on CBS Sports Radio.
Among the many notable residents of New York City's The Dakota was Madden, and Stockton remembered someone nearby who the longtime Raiders coach would frequently interact with.
"...He wanted people to wave to him not because he needed celebrity, he just liked people. He would wave to them, talk to them. He did something that no one ever knew," Stockton said. "There was a homeless guy that lived across the street from The Dakota, and I think his name was Taylor. And he would go by him and talk to him and give him money.
"And he would go on the air, John Madden, and say, 'Taylor feels that the Eagles have the best defensive line,' and people just accepted it not knowing who he was! And he was a homeless guy who didn't know that he was doing this, but John would do that and Pat (Summerall) would just agree with everything, and so John did things like this."
Stockton also explained why it was so easy to connect with Madden, as he would not only seek out interaction with fans but didn't have the same mindset or ego as a typical major celebrity.
"That's why the bus was the perfect way for him to travel because he would go into these towns on the way west..." Stockton recalled. "And he'd get off and talk to people, and he really appreciated the guy who toiled in the field, the guy who worked at the gas station, some place in Kansas. He recognized and respected what they did.
"John Madden was never a snob, he was never an elitist, he never thought he was better than anybody else."
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