Getty Image
78-year-old Al Michaels has been doing network sports since 1971 and is one the legends of broadcasting. It might, however, be time for him to retire.
At least that’s the sentiment that has been repeated numerous times this year by NFL fans.
Michaels has made numerous mistakes during Thursday Night Football broadcasts for Amazon Prime Video this season.
He has also shown a startling lack of excitement while calling those games as well.
Al Michaels has got to go to bed this is getting ridiculous pic.twitter.com/WpRqmy3e8b
— Clown Football (@ClownFootball_) October 20, 2023
It’s gotten so bad that a number of NFL viewers are calling for his retirement – something that happened again during Thursday’s Buccaneers vs. Bills game.
No reason for Al Michaels to actually show any emotion on this play, apparently.
— Rob “Stats” Guerrera (@statsonfire on threads) (@StatsOnFire) October 27, 2023
The calls for Michaels to step down really began rolling in on Thursday night with 4:26 left in the first quarter after Tampa Bay attempted a 50-yeard field goal.
Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin was unsuccessful on his attempt because Bills defender Shaq Lawson was able to get a hand on the ball, deflecting it, causing it to land well short of the goal posts.
Michaels had no idea that the kick was blocked.
Instead, he half-heartedly told viewers that McLaughlin just plain missed the kick and sent the broadcast into a commercial break.
This field goal attempt from Chase McLaughlin and Todd Bowles' reaction pic.twitter.com/2IYlZkHbhW
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhiferNFL) October 27, 2023
“So is Al Michaels going to ignore the fact that the field goal attempt was blocked?” one fan remarked on X (formerly Twitter).
“It took Al Michaels five minutes to figure out that FG was blocked, I know he’s mailing it in at this point but he might as well be calling the game from his outdoor kitchen,” another fan wrote.
🤣… not according to Al Michaels…. It was just a low key “no good”… 🤣
— D. Eckert (@dpejr22274) October 27, 2023
Throw in Al Michaels’ lackluster call of one of the most exciting plays in professional sports, the Hail Mary, at the end of the game and fans had seen and heard enough.
Al Michaels may need to hang it up. I love him. I grew up with him in my living room. But he’s desensitized. This is a Hail Mary to possibly win a game. And he’s calling it like it’s an NBA summer league game. pic.twitter.com/4a3O8y4y7s
— Mike Williams (@SelfMade0602) October 27, 2023
“If you were just listening to Al Michaels, you wouldn’t have known how close a play this was,” one fan pointed out.
“Al Michaels tone wouldn’t have changed in the slightest had he caught it,” another fan observed.
“Al Michaels needs to be removed from the booth, this is so sad seeing zero energy every single week out of him,” another comment read.
“Al Michaels you are a legend but do yourself a favor and retire before people hate you,” someone else wrote.