Al Michaels has a response for all the NFL fans who want more energy from the voice of Thursday Night Football.
In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday, Michaels defended himself from picky fans while preaching the value of a more deliberate approach to calling games.
“It’s a 60-minute game,” Michaels said. “If you scream your guts out in the first five minutes, where are you going to go?”
Michaels referenced the legendary Pat Sumerall, who he said he looked up to and who had a more straightforward style on the mic as well. The longtime ABC, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video announcer also said his modern-day colleagues are more like him than the audience may realize.
“I don’t scream the game at you, I don’t holler the game at you,” Michaels said. “You look at Joe Buck and Jim Nantz and myself, we did like 17 of the last 18 Super Bowls, we don’t scream the game at you, we don’t holler the game at you.”
Asked specifically about his monotone call of a CeeDee Lamb touchdown in Week 4, Michaels said the name of the game is leaving room for bigger calls later in the broadcast.
“There are some who want you to go, ‘Whoaaaa it’s 4 to 2 in the basketball game,'” Michaels said. “You’ve got to leave some room. CeeDee Lamb scores a touchdown, what I am supposed to do, scream my guts out?”
Yes, some fans do want Michaels to scream his guts out for the biggest plays, no matter when they happen. And while Michaels certainly is right that the temperature of the broadcast has to rise throughout the game, he doesn’t always scream his guts out then, either.
A Steelers-Titans game during the 2023 season was probably the low point for Michaels at Prime Video. The legend hasn’t received as much criticism this season, but don’t expect him to change any time soon.
He is just leaving room.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.