John Madden Football for the Commodore 64.

APRIL 18, 2009 •  Hall of Fame pro football coach John Madden may have retired from the broadcasting booth, but he told the Contra Costa Times in Northern California that he would become more involved with the EA Sports game that carries his name. He didn’t disclose exactly how his involvement in Madden NFL Football would increase.

Impact: It is always risky to tie a franchise to a specific celebrity name. However, the Madden franchise has been the most dominant sports franchise ever. Madden’s retirement should have no impact what so ever on sales. Nevertheless, we would look for Electronic Arts to rebrand the franchise in coming years.