Al Michaels is one of the most recognizable voices on sports television. The legendary 78-year-old TV sportscaster has been on various networks since 1971, giving him over five decades of experience. While he’s been employed by nearly every network in his accomplished career, Michaels is now with Amazon, where he operates as the full-time play-by-play announcer for Thursday Night Football broadcasts along with Kirk Herbstreit.
Working in primetime, with millions of spectators tuning in, Michaels has a large reach. His calls are heard around the world, but there are some who feel the iconic broadcaster has lacked some juice as of late, with his levels of enthusiasm seemingly dwindling.
But what about Michaels? This criticism has lingered for a few seasons now, giving it time to get back to the Prime Video NFL sportscaster who recently provided his own opinion on his excitement when calling a game live.
Specifically, Michaels asked longtime New York Post reporter Andrew Marchand, “How do I sound to you?”
Marchand admitted that he thinks he’s “throwing 85 at times,” comparing him to an aging pitcher who’s lost his 100 mph fastball. Marchand continued, saying he felt like Michaels “doesn’t sound as enthusiastic.”
Michaels replied, “Your assessment is fair.” Yet, Marchand noted that Michaels didn’t completely agree with the criticism.
“I don’t think I’m a lot different than I have been through the years,” Michaels said. “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. I like to build drama. We’re doing television. We’re not doing radio. And you’ve heard me, for years and years and years and it is just as simple as that: You build the drama, and the pictures tell the story.”
Al Michaels responds to criticism
Currently estimated to make somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million for each Thursday night game, Michaels says, “There’s no question” he’s returning for more during the 2024 season. Yet, Marchand feels it would probably be best if next season was the final year for Michaels, only because of a lack of excitement.