Mark Madden | |
|---|---|
 Mark Madden attendingAEW Dynamite in 2021. | |
| Born | Mark Madden (1960-12-29)December 29, 1960 (age 64) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Other names | Greg Madden |
| Alma mater | Duquesne University |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Website | https://1059thex.iheart.com/featured/mark-madden/ |
Mark Madden (born December 29, 1960) is an Americansports talk show host inPittsburgh. He is best known for his work as aprofessional wrestling color commentator forWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW). Madden hosts a weekday afternoon show from 3-6 PM on local radio station,105.9 The X, and serves as a part-time sports columnist forTribLive.[1][2]
Madden wrote for Pro Wrestling Torch from 1992 to 1994. His most notable moment during this time came during an interview with baseball legendHank Aaron, who was working for theAtlanta Braves at the time and was informed by Madden of the employment of"Cowboy" Bill Watts byWorld Championship Wrestling, then a sister company to the Braves via their common ownership byTurner Broadcasting System. Madden had informed Aaron about racist comments Watts had made to the wrestling media before being hired by WCW as head booker and president, leading to Aaron to push for Watts' removal.[3]
The story gave Madden national attention, and he was eventually hired by WCW to work as a TV color commentator and magazine writer by Watts' replacement as WCW president,Eric Bischoff. Much of his time during WCW's peak in theMonday Night War was behind the scenes, though he ran the WCW Hotline, a900 number service with "insider tips" alongsideGene Okerlund. He also befriended his childhood idol,Ric Flair, whom Madden had watched as a child onMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling via hisUHF antenna on WJNL-TV inJohnstown (nowJeannette-licensedWPKD-TV);[4] the two remained close friends for decades.[5]
Starting in early 2000, he began appearing on WCW television on a regular basis, replacingBobby Heenan (in both a cost-cutting move also due to Heenan's declining health) on the commentary booth onWCW Monday Nitro &WCW Thunder, as well as the pay-per-view events. Primarily aheel during this time, Madden's wrestling persona would be similar to his radio talk show persona in Pittsburgh. He did see some in-ring action against Okerlund (both losses), as well as being unprovokingly attacked byTank Abbott who started randomly attacking people (ironically at Madden's encouragement) untilBill Goldberg answered a challenge that never was resolved on WCW television.
During his run as color commentator on WCW, Madden began wearingHawaiian shirts at the insistence ofVince Russo. Madden, who didn't like wearing a shirt and tie, liked it so much that he continues to wear them today on his radio show and as a panelist on a Sunday night sports show onWPXI until he was fired from the show in 2021.[6]
Shortly beforeVince McMahon purchased WCW in March 2001, Madden was fired in December 2000 for making disparaging remarks about the company, lobbying for the return of the firedScott Hall, and disclosing information about the sale of WCW.[7]
Madden spent several years as a regular columnist forWade Keller'sPro Wrestling Torch Newsletter.
Within the wrestling world, Madden was known for hislegitimate running feud withDiamond Dallas Page. Madden has often blamed Page for his firing from WCW (though he was happy to go at the time) and has often referred to him as "DDMe" on his online articles and radio shows. While Page has offered to appear on Madden's show, Madden declines each time. While Madden gave Page credit for turning around the lives ofJake Roberts andScott Hall, he cited Page's use of TV cameras to film the progress of their rehabilitation in Page's home, which he felt was unnecessary and more or less was used to fuel Page's ego.[8][9] By 2020, however, Madden and Page had made up at aStarrcast event, at the encouragement ofSean Waltman.[10] Madden is also known for his long-running feud withJim Cornette.
After weeks of teasing it, in 2021, Madden began co-hostingThe Best Wrestling Show. with former WWE VP of Global Television ProductionMike Mansury, a wrestling podcast produced byPat McAfee. The podcast was available for free onYouTube. The podcast went on hiatus on May 13, 2021, after a little over two months due to Masury taking another job and him & Madden unable to work out logistics.[11][12]
On August 11, 2021, Madden was booed while in attendance at theAll Elite Wrestling event at thePetersen Events Center forAEW Dynamite andAEW Dark: Elevation, sitting ringside. During theDark: Elevation taping, he was acknowledged on-air by former WCW colleaguesTony Schiavone &Paul Wight and guest commentatorEddie Kingston during theSammy Guevara-Serpentico match when Guevara threw Serpentico's tag team partnerLuther into the barricade in front of Madden.[13]
On November 17, 2021, Madden returned to wrestling podcasting when he became the host of Ric Flair'sWooooo Nation Uncensored. The podcast came to an abrupt end on March 27, 2022, when Madden announced his resignation and thanked Flair for the opportunity, which was followed by Flair admitting that Madden was fired and replaced by Flair's son-in-lawConrad Thompson. It eventually led to a Twitter exchange that saw the two end their friendship after 35 years.[5]
A 1982 graduate ofDuquesne University, and member ofTau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity, Madden has also worked within mainstream sports journalism, including fifteen years at thePittsburgh Post-Gazette, where he primarily covered high schools for the paper's suburban sections, as well as stints at the now-defunctPenguins Report and the weeklyPittsburgh City Paper. He subsequently appeared as a featured guest onAction Sports Sunday onWTAE-TV, a half-hour sports discussion show. ThePost-Gazette reported on November 17, 2006, that WTAE-TV dropped Mark Madden as a freelance sports commentator on its Sunday night sports show.[14] In 2015, Madden joinedWPNT for a nightly televised sports talk show, an edited replay of his radio show, which was removed from WPNT's schedule in 2016.[15] Madden often nicknames himself the "Super Genius" on his programs andsocial media due to having anIQ score of 166, of which he was tested on in thefourth grade.[16]
Madden wrote a weekly column called "Monday Madden" for theBeaver County Times, a Pittsburgh-area newspaper, starting in May 2007; the column continued for over a decade until his departure to work for TribLive in 2018.
In May 2008, Madden was fired from his talk show on Pittsburgh's1250 ESPN radio station for the following comment: "I'm very disappointed to hear that SenatorTed Kennedy of Massachusetts is near death because of a brain tumor. I always hoped Senator Kennedy would live long enough to be assassinated."[17][18]
Another area of sports in which Madden is heavily involved is the game ofstreet hockey. Madden runs Street Hockey USA, and is also involved in the American Street Hockey Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to growing the game of street/dek/ball hockey in America. He has coached numerous National Champion teams over the years (most notably his Pittsburgh Wizards team), as well as coaching the United States Junior team to a gold medal in the 2006 World Junior Championship in Germany.[19]
On April 3, 2011, hisBeaver County Times column addressed a then-current grand jury investigation intoalleged child sexual abuse by formerPenn State football assistant coachJerry Sandusky, suggesting the possibility of a Penn State cover-up.[20] After Sandusky was indicted on over 40 felony charges, Madden appeared onThe Dennis and Callahan Show, aBoston sports talk radio program, on November 10. During his appearance, he reported a rumor being investigated by two prominent columnists that Sandusky and his Second Mile children's charity may have been "pimping out young boys to rich donors."[21]
Madden's views on Pittsburgh'sthree major professional sports teams are mixed. While Madden usually defends the Penguins, he has mixed views about thePittsburgh Steelers and is harshly critical of thePittsburgh Pirates.[22]
With the Steelers Madden has often praised theRooney family for going all-out to win but questions the team's decisions regarding off-field actions of their players, and was particularly critical ofAntonio Brown.[22][23] Madden has also been critical of the team's non-confrontational tactics regarding team legends near the end of their careers dating back toFranco Harris, though he did defend the team regardingJames Harrison.[24]
Along withJohn Steigerwald, Madden was one of the few local sports journalists to defend former Steelers quarterbackKordell Stewart, feeling Stewart was beingunfairly judged due to being African American and was also critical of the Steelers decision to have Stewart downplay rumors of hishomosexuality.[25]
With regards to the Pirates, Madden is highly critical of team ownerRobert Nutting placing profits ahead of putting a competitive product on the field and is critical of Pirates fans who continuously support the team, feeling that the team will not be consistently a contender unless Nutting sells the team.[22][26] As such, Madden is one of the only local sportscasters who will not cover the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Madden, did, however, defend the Pirates decision to haveTodd Frazierdesignated for assignment after batting .086 in 35 plate appearances, leading to aTwitter feud between the two and many Pittsburghers laughing at Madden after Frazier wasfat shaming Madden during the feud.[27]
Madden was raised as an only child by asingle mother inReserve Township. He lived at home with her until he was 40 years old, having never met his father nor showing any interest in tracking him down.[28] His mother, a speech teacher atNorth Hills High School with whom Madden was very close with, died in 2006.[29]
Madden is an avid fan ofLiverpool F.C and often watches Liverpool games during his program, giving commentary during his program.[30] He is also a fan ofclassic rock andheavy metal music. His favorite band isUFO,[31] and plays their song "Too Hot to Handle" from their albumLights Out at the beginning of his show, while playingLiverpool's chant at the end of thePink Floyd song "Fearless" from their albumMeddle to close out his show.
More local to Pittsburgh, Madden is also a fan of thePittsburgh Penguins, having attended at least one game since theirinaugural season, and idolizes Penguins centerMario Lemieux. Late in Lemieux's career, Madden made note of his "repeatedly trying to score directly off faceoffs." He once bet Lemieux $66 that he could not score directly off a draw. Lemieux thought the $66 bet was "cheap," and challenged Madden to a $6,600 bet. Madden accepted, and agreed that all the money would go to the Mario Lemieux Foundation. Lemieux had attempted the shot several times, with the closest effort being a post shot against theCalgary Flames on December 21, 2002. On December 23, 2002, Lemieux lined up againstBuffalo Sabres faceoff specialistChris Gratton. With the Penguins tied 2-2 and Gratton being a left-handed draw, Lemieux used the opportunity to take the shot on net. Lemieux shot the puck as it was dropped, going between Gratton's legs, off defensemanAlexei Zhitnik's skate, and eventually past goaltenderMika Noronen. Lemieux immediately looked to the pressbox, where he knew Madden was watching the game, and raised his arms. Lemieux admitted to trying the shot several times and that it was a tough shot to do without a good bounce. After the goal, Madden said he was planning a telethon to help him raise the $6,600 promised to the Mario Lemieux Foundation.[32]
Madden was hospitalized on January 29, 2006, after suffering aheart attack during a dek-hockey tournament inReading,Pennsylvania. Madden drove himself to a local hospital after feeling nauseated, and had the heart procedure done a day after checking in. He resumed his radio show three days later, although in a different time slot.[33]
In October & November 2021, what was originally planned as a quick vacation toLas Vegas turned into2+1⁄2 weeks off after Madden tested positive forCOVID-19. Madden, who had been fully vaccinated and an advocate for receiving theCOVID-19 vaccine, said that being vaccinated "saved his life".[34]
