The most iconic moment of Al Michaels’ broadcast career is obvious. We all know it. Do you believe in miracles. Why yes. Yes, I do. But to me, what Michaels has been is more than that moment. For old school NFL heads like me, Michaels is one of the greatest football voices to ever do it.
Late in his career, Michaels has become almost a caricature. He rambles. He continues to make too many goofball gambling references. He tells awkward stories. I mean, really awkward stories. He’s a tad low energy, sometimes sounding like he’s broadcasting from a beach while holding a fruity drink and considering what time to play shuffleboard.
But Michaels, for those of you who don’t know, was a God. In the history of NFL broadcasting, no one was a better storyteller and captivator of the game or moment. And I mean no one. I’d be covering a game, listening to Michaels broadcasting it on my headphones, and get lost in what he was saying, and I was actually there, watching the action he was describing. His call of the game was better than what I was seeing with my own eyes. He was one of the few broadcasters that understood the deep nuances of the sport and you could tell he worked at it.
Now, it’s possible we are seeing in real time his career coming to an end. Michaels is part of Amazon Prime’s ‘Thursday Night Football.’ He was scheduled to broadcast NBC’s playoff games as well. But that won’t happen. How did he find out that won’t happen? Apparently from a New York Post reporter. It’s never a good sign when you learn about your future from someone in the media.
He has one more year left on his contract with Amazon, the Post reported. Certainly, there’s a chance he could continue his career for several more years, but it truly seems we are seeing the beginning of the end of it. Some would argue we’ve been seeing that for years.
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Michaels is a grown up and no one should feel sorry for someone who’s had such a staggeringly good career and is likely a millionaire many times over. But if we are seeing the near end of his broadcast career, I hope people realize exactly what will be happening. When Michaels retires, it’ll be like a great quarterback leaving the game.
Michaels is part of an era of when broadcasters were larger than life. They were, in some cases, as gigantic in stature as the players they covered. John Madden was one of those voices. He was so galactic one of the most popular video games ever is named after him. His partner, Pat Summerall, was the same.
One of the key parts of NFL history was the 1980s and 1990s. The game was at the beginnings of what would become a massive growth spurt. Television was the warp core of this rise and trusted voices like Michaels were key in keeping viewers entertained. You cannot write the history of the NFL without chronicling its narrators like Michaels.
Broadcasting over the decades has had its issues. It was (and still is) mostly unwelcoming to women and people of color. Oh, sure, there’s exceptions like Mike Tirico, but it’s still a mostly white and male broadcasting universe.
When his broadcast partner, Kirk Herbstreit, was asked recently about the various criticisms of Michaels, the former quarterback defended him.
‘He hears the noise. I don’t think he’s like, ‘I’ll show them. I’m gonna really bring it this week.’ He’s definitely not doing that,’ Herbstreit said on the ‘Pardon My Take’ podcast. ‘He has more of an eff-you attitude about it, than ‘I’m going to show them.’ He thinks it’s a bunch of bulls–t. I think it’s a bunch of bulls–t. And I think it’s just a narrative that social media’s kind of running with.’
That of course isn’t true. It’s not a narrative. The criticism is accurate.
Michaels recently defended himself, telling the Post: “I don’t think I’m a lot different than I have been through the years. And if people you know want to say that, ‘Al doesn’t sound as excited.’ Hold on a second, folks. I’m doing the same game I’ve always done.”
Michaels is 79 and while his age doesn’t matter if he can still do the job, at some point he must be thinking: I’m too old for this crap. Also, to be blunt, Michaels at 50 percent is still better than most broadcasters at 110.
Just remember what you’re seeing as you watch Michaels. Maybe he’s not the same as he was. Neither am I. You aren’t either.
But at his best, no one was greater.
