What Happened To John MaddenS Bus? Celebrity

May 2024 · 4 minute read

Despite all of that, a big white bus could be one of the most interesting things about the man. An aversion to flying due to his claustrophobia meant Madden used a bus to travel tens of thousands of miles to NFL games throughout most of his broadcasting career.

Legendary Hall of Famer JOHN MADDEN recently donated his original “Madden Cruiser” to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The bus arrived in Canton several weeks ago and has recently undergone a makeover to return to its original look.

CBS once rented Dolly Parton’s tour bus for John Madden, as a solution for his famous fear of flying. Soon after that he got his own vehicle, and The Madden Cruiser became an icon in itself. The custom bus debuted in the 1980s and logged 80,000 miles annually, transporting John Madden to his broadcast gigs across the country.

The original Greyhound bus was converted into the “Madden Cruiser” in 1987. Madden transitioned from his Hall of Fame coaching career into what became an iconic broadcasting career and decided he no longer wanted to fly. He opted to travel long distances by train until it became inconvenient and decided a bus would be the perfect alternative.

Why did John Madden retire?

Because he’s afraid to fly, he logged 80,000 miles annually on a custom bus dubbed “The Madden Cruiser.” We take you inside this great beast.

During the season a staffer is typically assigned to the vehicle in order to keep Madden prepped for the next game. From the bus he can review tape, send off email, or entertain guests. In addition to being an office, it’s also a luxurious living space.

There isn’t just one Madden Cruiser. Like James Bond, they get replaced when they get too old. Currently, the latest Madden Cruiser is Madden IV, with the first one going back to the late 1970s. The idea came when Madden needed to get to a photoshoot quickly and CBS rented Dolly Parton’s tour bus. He loved it, and got one of his own.

Why is Madden attracted to the bus?

Madden said people are attracted to the bus because everyone has fantasies of traveling cross-country in a camper. He writes extensively about the bus in his forthcoming book, “One Size Doesn’t Fit All (and Other Thoughts From the Road).” On the cover, Madden is shown holding a model of the bus.

That one, called the Maddencruiser, is the vehicle in which John Madden, one of the nation’s best-known football analysts and broadcasters, rides around the country from game to game.

“I wanted a big shower and a very big bed.” But Madden doesn’t consider his home on wheels, which sleeps seven , all that posh. It’s more like an “efficiency apartment,” he said.

The rest of the time, his base is the apartment he keeps in one of the swankiest buildings in New York, the Dakota.

But Yarbrough remembers a time in Kingman, Ariz., when the famous coach-broadcaster was not recognized.

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But members of his family sometimes join him for short hops on the bus. His wife is a teacher and is not able to travel with him for any length of time. Besides, Madden said, she does not enjoy traveling on the bus, nor did she like to cross the United States by train. When she is able to be with him, she flies and meets him.

CBS President Laurence A. Tisch and his wife once rode from their Los Angeles hotel to Chasen’s restaurant. And Neal Pilson, president of CBS Sports, has been a guest on the drive from New York to Washington.

What is in the interior of the Madden Cruiser?

The interior of the “Madden Cruiser” is in its original condition and features what was then, state-of-the-art technology, that includes two color televisions, a telephone and intercommunications system, a citizens band radio, two laser disc players, a built-in vacuum cleaner, a stereo system and a videotape player. There is also a queen-size bed in a private bedroom along with a full bathroom and a kitchenette complete with a microwave oven. The bus was driven by several drivers over the years, but Willie Yarbrough of Los Angeles was the first driver of the “Madden Cruiser” that covered 55,000 miles in that first year.

CBS once rented Dolly Parton’s tour bus for John Madden, as a solution for his famous fear of flying. Soon after that he got his own vehicle, and The Madden Cruiser became an icon in itself. The custom bus debuted in the 1980s and logged 80,000 miles annually, transporting John Madden to his broadcast gigs across the country.

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