Al Michaels out for NFL playoffs on NBC in move he wasn't expecting

[chongli]

Al Michael, 79, storied play-by-play announcer for Amazon's TNF and announcer emeritus for NBC, is out for this year's playoffs on NBC, which does four playoff games this year. Michaels was unaware of this when contacted by the NY Post. Last year, Michaels did Chargers at Jaguars with Tony Dungy. 

 

 

https://nypost.com/2023/12/12/sports/al-michaels-out-of-nbcs-nfl-playoff-coverage-in-move-he-didnt-expect/amp/

 

"Al Michaels out of NBC’s NFL playoff coverage in move he wasn’t expecting

 

Michaels called last year’s incredible Jaguars comeback win over the Chargers, but he and analyst Tony Dungy were widely panned for a perceived lack of enthusiasm. 

 

[...]

 

When informed by The Post about it being in limbo, Michaels sounded unaware of the possibility.

 

“It’s in my deal,” Michaels said. “Where are you hearing that from? That’s part of my deal. Are you hearing something that I’m not hearing?”

 

There has long been tension between Michaels and top NBC executives, though they have done their best to hide it from public view, even giving Michaels an emeritus title when he was replaced. There was a failure to truly define what the emeritus role really meant, except for calling the playoff game.

 

NBC decided to move on from Michaels, even though he longed to stay at the top perch on “Sunday Night Football.” NBC had long promised Tirico the lead role, and kept true to its word even after Michaels went out with a tremendous performance for NBC in the Super Bowl in February 2022."

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by chongli

[Donuts and Doritos]

On IR.

 

Man this has been such an injury plagued season.

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by Donuts and Doritos

[strive_for_five_guy]

Whether you like Michaels or not (I’ve been a longtime fan of his), pretty ****** for him to find the news out this way.

[Jauronimo]

No one expects NBC Executives!!  Their main weapon is surprise. Surprise and Cris Collinsworth's inane rambling. Their *two* main weapons are surprise, Cris Collinsworth's inane ramblings, and near fanatical devotion to Taylor Swift.  *Among* their weapons are surprise, Cris Collinsworth's ramblings, and fanatical devotion to Taylor Swift and thats it.  Also, a dizzying array of irrelevant talking heads that add no value to the broadcast...@#$@#%

Edited December 12, 2023 by Jauronimo

[PetermansRedemption]

Doesn’t Al call for Amazon now? I think it would have been more surprising if he WAS calling for NBC in the playoffs. 

[chongli]

10 minutes ago, PetermansRedemption said:

Doesn’t Al call for Amazon now? I think it would have been more surprising if he WAS calling for NBC in the playoffs. 

 

He still calls them for NBC since he hs emeritus there, and he was expecting to this year.  He says it is in his contract. He has called them each year and did NBC's LAC-JAX Wild Card last year and one or two regular season games last year. This move is a stunner to all.

 

Expect a lawsuit soon.

Edited December 12, 2023 by chongli

[Irv]

That's a totally farcical call.  

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

32 minutes ago, Donuts and Doritos said:

On IR.

 

Man this has been such an injury plagued season.

 

They're sending someone to punch him in the throat.

[GoBills808]

No surprise

 

Best days are way in the rearview

[eball]

Sucks if they blindsided him with this, but I'll say he has really dropped off over the last couple of years.  Happens to the best of 'em and he's a legend at his craft.

 

[Charles Romes]

He’s had a great run. Terrible pairing with Herby. They are both going out of their way to be more understated than the other and putting everyone to sleep. 

[Julio Hopkins]

Brutal, he's easily one of the best even now.  

 

Even more brutal when you think about who could be replacing him.  NFL announcers are in a terrible state, most crews are a tough listen.  

 

 

[warrior9]

7 minutes ago, eball said:

Sucks if they blindsided him with this, but I'll say he has really dropped off over the last couple of years.  Happens to the best of 'em and he's a legend at his craft.

 

Easy to fall off when you have the WORST games for 2 straight years and your play by play guy is …. No where near good enough for the NFL. Kirk calls NFL games like college games and I’m a HUGE Kirk fan for college… he’s just below average for the NFL. 

[chongli]

15 minutes ago, warrior9 said:

Easy to fall off when you have the WORST games for 2 straight years 

 

Yeah, Michaels always gets the lesser of NBC's playoff games since their A-team gets too billing, obviously. In any case, I'm sure he is pissed right now and calling his lawyer.

 

[Tisker A Tasker]

I love Al.  He put out a book a few years ago titled, "You Can't Make this Up" about his life and career.  Great read!

 

https://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Make-This-Television/dp/0062314971

Edited December 12, 2023 by Tisker A Tasker

[chongli]

1 minute ago, Tisker A Tasker said:

I love Al.  He put out a book a few years ago titled, "You Can't Make this Up" about his life and career.  Great read!

 

https://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Make-This-Television/dp/0062314971

 

I am going to get that book. Thanks for the tip!

[zow2]

NBC going for youth with Noah Eagle.  He’s good and he has energy.

[MikePJ76]

Seems like he is still fine in his role.  When summerall hit that wall in like 01 or 02 whatever year it was....it was as obvious as it got and he needed to retire and enjoy his life, the best to ever do it.  

 

Doesn't seem like Al michaels is in that same spot though.  

[Allen2D̶i̶g̶g̶s̶TBD]

Normally, I would say that this is the most disrespectful thing NBC has ever done to Al Michaels, but they actually traded for him from ESPN for a cartoon rabbit.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12750497/how-espn-traded-al-michaels-oswald-rabbit

 

 

[Mango]

I have no issue with NBC moving on from Al Michaels in general.

 

But you don’t do it mid season, and you don’t do it without talking to him first. The guy is an absolute legend. Shame on NBC for doing him dirty. 
 

For Al’s sake I hope Amazon gets the SB at some point and they let Al tell NBC to eat shirt on live TV, then retires. 

[Augie]

NBC and my cable company are having a protracted contract negotiation leaving us without NBC. I could complain, or call that one more tool in the box as to how I convince my wife to keep DTV Dish as a back up. The Department of Redundancy Department suggested that…..in countless emails. 

 

I can get NBC if I NEED it, but in the meantime I’m learning to ignore everything else they offer. I did watch their nightly news.  Well done! 

[chongli]

1 hour ago, Allen2Diggs said:

Normally, I would say that this is the most disrespectful thing NBC has ever done to Al Michaels, but they actually traded for him from ESPN for a cartoon rabbit.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12750497/how-espn-traded-al-michaels-oswald-rabbit

 

 

 

I never knew about that! Damn. I will have to research that more when I get home.

Edited December 12, 2023 by chongli

[reddogblitz]

Al has been criticizing the officials too much. Goodell put the word to NBC, he's gotta go.

[chongli]

5 minutes ago, Augie said:

NBC and my cable company are having a protracted contract negotiation leaving us without NBC. I could complain, or call that one more tool in the box as to how I convince my wife to keep DTV Dish as a back up. The Department of Redundancy Department suggested that…..in countless emails. 

 

I can get NBC if I NEED it, but in the meantime I’m learning to ignore everything else they offer. I did watch their nightly news.  Well done! 

 

Now might be a good time to get Peacock, which has local NBC on its higher tier, IIRC. Or over-the-air works too.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

5 minutes ago, Mango said:

I have no issue with NBC moving on from Al Michaels in general.

 

But you don’t do it mid season, and you don’t do it without talking to him first. The guy is an absolute legend. Shame on NBC for doing him dirty. 
 

For Al’s sake I hope Amazon gets the SB at some point and they let Al tell NBC to eat shirt on live TV, then retires. 

The way things are going in broadcast media, it's fortunate that he didn't get the 'Howard Beale' treatment.

[Big Turk]

Thank God...he has been dreadful on Prime Thursday Night coverage.  He'd rather sit around and tell stories all night than announce what is happening...that is secondary to his stories it seems.

[Nextmanup]

1 hour ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

Whether you like Michaels or not (I’ve been a longtime fan of his), pretty ****** for him to find the news out this way.

Can you imagine a bigger group of scumbags that top TV executives in NYC?

 

That's the world that ilk choses to live in.

 

 

[finn]

54 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

No surprise

 

Best days are way in the rearview

He calls some of the most exciting plays and situations in NFL history the way you and I would describe unpacking the groceries after a long day at the office. "And now, here is the summer squash. And the milk. Not many people know that milk has 13 essential nutrients."

[WhoTom]

When he was in his prime, Al was arguably the best play-by-play guy ever. But he's lost a step, as they say, so I'm not surprised that they pushed him out of SNF and he's not doing playoff games. I've always liked Tirico, so I'm glad he got the gig. If they'd ditch Collinsworth, I might watch SNF more often.

 

Still, it's pretty uncool that Al had to find out about it this way.

 

 

[Mr. WEO]

criticizing Dungy's lack of enthusiasm is like dinging the Sahara desert for not having airconditioned public rest rooms...

[Behindenemylines]

I blame the Refs for not notifying Al of the change before it was done.  
 

I think he should blame them publicly, storm around and tell everybody it’s their fault and then two days later apologized because he was just upset and that he’s such a competitor….so it’s all ok. 

Edited December 12, 2023 by Behindenemylines

[Rico]

34 minutes ago, finn said:

He calls some of the most exciting plays and situations in NFL history the way you and I would describe unpacking the groceries after a long day at the office. "And now, here is the summer squash. And the milk. Not many people know that milk has 13 essential nutrients."

Obviously channeling Pat Summerall zzzzzzzzzzz.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

2 hours ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

Whether you like Michaels or not (I’ve been a longtime fan of his), pretty ****** for him to find the news out this way.

Al Michaels is a legend. 

[Huh? What?]

I have no issue with this. Al Michaels is a legend. It's the changing of the guard that as I've gotten older... see it before my eyes (snot nose kids). I was a in high school when he made the 'famous call"... Luckily, I was watching the game on CBC and knew the results earlier, but still sat with Dad, who was working and didn't get to see the game. Al Michaels is now a year older than when my Dad passed. Dad retired and for many years had a good sunset of golf and grand kids , While Al's money may be good.... I say let him enjoy time with his family.

[Brand J]

I thought Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are the most subdued announcers, both boring. Michaels at least has interesting things to say from time to time and has some voice inflection for certain calls, unlike the aforementioned boring duo. If NBC wants excitement, bring back Gus Johnson.

[Goin Breakdown]

2 hours ago, Jauronimo said:

No one expects NBC Executives!!  Their main weapon is surprise. Surprise and Cris Collinsworth's inane rambling. Their *two* main weapons are surprise, Cris Collinsworth's inane ramblings, and near fanatical devotion to Taylor Swift.  *Among* their weapons are surprise, Cris Collinsworth's ramblings, and fanatical devotion to Taylor Swift and thats it.  Also, a dizzying array of irrelevant talking heads that add no value to the broadcast...@#$@#%

I'm dizzy now. 

[SoCal Deek]

It seems to me that many people these days are having real trouble calling it quits before they’ve past their prime. When you get to a certain stage or age it’s time to move on and let the next generation take these limited spots.  I’m all for tradition but you have to look in a mirror. 

[billsfan714]

3 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

It seems to me that many people these days are having real trouble calling it quits before they’ve past their prime. When you get to a certain stage or age it’s time to move on and let the next generation take these limited spots.  I’m all for tradition but you have to look in a mirror. 

Could not agree more.   The guy is almost 80, has a boat load of money.  Give a younger person a chance.

[WickedGame]

In a sign of the times, Al Michaels has been replaced by AI Michaels. Nobody notices the difference. 

[SoCal Deek]

9 minutes ago, billsfan714 said:

Could not agree more.   The guy is almost 80, has a boat load of money.  Give a younger person a chance.

In my now retired life I’ve learned it isn’t about money. These guys entire existence is wrapped up in their ‘job’. You’ve got it right when you say move over and let the new guys do their thing.