Welcome back to “On the Air,” in which Sports Media Watch Podcast co-host Armand Broady will offer in-depth breakdowns of broadcasters, on-air performance and career journeys, plus chronicle broader trends in the industry.
With 20 seconds remaining in Super Bowl XLIX, the New England Patriots were leading the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. Seattle had the ball at the Patriots’ 1-yard line. All the Seahawks needed was one more powerful Marshawn Lynch run to give them the lead and a second straight Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Instead of a Lynch run, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw a pass into the end zone that was picked off by little-known CB Malcolm Butler. It remains one of the most memorable moments in Super Bowl history, accented by one of the strongest calls of the extraordinary career of broadcaster Al Michaels.
“Pass is INTERCEPTED AT THE GOAL LINE BY MALCOLM BUTLER! UNREAL!” Michaels was as incredulous as he was meticulous. He quickly identified Butler, while raising his voice to express the shock the moment had produced. It was a masterful performance by a sports broadcasting virtuoso.
And it was no surprise. By the night of Super Bowl XLIX, Michaels had provided sports television with more than his share of masterpieces. Over the course of better than 50 years in the business, Michaels became not just a great announcer, but a paragon. He bore the standard for many in the industry, creating a template for others to follow.
As former ABC Sports President Dennis Swanson once said, “He (Michaels) is probably the best thing that ever happened to primetime football.”
Since 1986, Al Michaels, now 81, has been the voice of primetime football. But it is the belief of this column that Al’s time in the booth should conclude after this year.
This is not an easy conclusion to reach. Many viewers — this columnist included — don’t know an NFL without Al Michaels. What is unfortunately true is that time comes for all of us. And over the last few years, time has been chasing Michaels down. Social media loves criticizing his low energy on big calls, and that’s a part of the story. But it’s more than that.
Bob Costas put it best in 2024 when he explained to MLB Network’s Tom Verducci why he chose to retire from baseball play-by-play. “I felt that I couldn’t consistently reach my past standard,” Costas said.
None of this is to suggest that Michaels has forgotten how to do play-by-play. His chemistry with Kirk Herbstreit on Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” is good enough. Michaels still gets the basics (who made the tackle, who caught the ball, down and distance) right much of the time. But when one has performed at as high a level as Michaels has over the course of a lengthy and celebrated career, the decline becomes more noticeable.
Each week, it seems Michaels faces a moment or two that leaves him perplexed or leaves viewers a bit in the dark. During the Rams-Seahawks game this past Thursday, he misjudged a late 4th quarter field goal by Harrison Mevis. As the ball ascended, Michaels was about to declare the kick good before having to awkwardly pivot as the ball sailed past the upright.
During a “TNF” broadcast of 49ers-Rams earlier this season, Michaels was confused when officials threw a flag for a Rams late hit on 49ers QB Mac Jones. Jones was roughed on the play before he completed the pass to WR Demarcus Robinson at the 26-yard line. As a result of the penalty, the ball was moved forward an additional 15 yards to the 41-yard line.
But Michaels assumed the penalty was against the 49ers. “There is a flag on the play, and this one’s coming back,” he said. When he realized the ball was being advanced to the 41-yard line, Michaels bewilderedly asked if replay assist had something to do with the additional yardage. Eventually, he caught himself but it made for about a minute of uncomfortable television, as the broadcasting legend stumbled through the sequence.
Instances like these have become far more common in recent years. While his place in broadcasting history is secure, it has become painfully clear that Michaels cannot consistently deliver the adroitness that has characterized his Hall of Fame career.
Some play-by-play announcers are good; others are great. But broadcasters like Michaels (and Costas) achieve a kind of acclaim that is rare and noteworthy. Their names are synonymous with excellence. When such excellence is expected, frequent on-air hiccups become magnified. For an announcer who has built a career acing nearly every assignment, just being adequate doesn’t cut it. The standard remains extremely high. And for the sake of standard he helped set, Michaels should put a bow on his extraordinary career.
Plus: TNT Sports brings big game feel to college basketball
The days of the NBA on TNT are over, but TNT Sports’ philosophy is unchanged. The company has demonstrated a commitment to making its presentation of Big East and Big 12 college basketball feel big.
Its studio coverage features established names like Bruce Pearl, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber and Seth Davis. Host Adam Lefkoe anchors a crew that delivers the same style of free-flowing talk that characterized TNT’s NBA coverage for decades.
“I always can know our DNA when I have new co-hosts,” Lefkoe said on the most recent edition of the Sports Media Watch podcast. “They always comment on how different it is compared to the other TV networks they’ve worked at. They feel like there’s a freedom. They feel like we can make fun of ourselves — all the things we’ve experienced from Inside the NBA for the last 20, 30 years. It’s my job to maintain that. The DNA is whatever the moment is, cover it, give it the respect of the moment.”
That respect extends to the game crews. With prominent voices like Brian Anderson, Spero Dedes, Grant Hill, Greg Anthony and Robbie Hummel, TNT Sports has assembled a roster of trusted announcers to give games featuring lesser-known teams more grandeur.
Viewers can tell when a network takes a property seriously. In this new post-NBA era, TNT Sports is rewarding hardcore college basketball fans with a polished presentation.
