Al Michaels will have a pet before he eats a vegetable.
We already know how much the 79-year-old hates vegetables. That anecdote has been shared repeatedly and was recently echoed by Kirk Herbstreit on Kevin Clark’s podcast. As Herbstreit shared his genuine admiration and bond with his broadcast partner for Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football, he isn’t the only Herbstreit close with the Michaels.
The other is a 10-year-old golden retriever named Ben, who follows Hebrstreit wherever he goes. That includes every TNF matchup (it seems), and as he’s stolen the show a few times, he’s also stolen Michaels’s affection. He’s not a dog guy, but Ben has won over the legendary announcer.
Do you believe in miracles?
In a recent Q&A with Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina, Michaels said that he’s found himself in love with the dog that just about everybody loves.
“You know what? I’m not an animal person,” Michaels said. “Kirk brought him last year, and all of a sudden, I found myself in love with that dog. He’s a Golden Retriever. He’s beautifully behaved. Kirk is able to bring him around and he doesn’t even have him on a leash.
“I find him to be hysterical. One time, Kirk and I were at a hotel. We’re walking out of an elevator, and the dog is walking with us, and the dog is leading the way around like four turns. It looked like a Grand Prix course to get to Kirk’s room, and he knew exactly where it was. The dog is smart.
“I’ve never had a pet in my life or a vegetable, but I’ll have a pet before I have a vegetable.”
That might be the highest compliment Ben has ever received.
[SI]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.