Al Michaels responds to critics of his Jaguars comeback call
Aug 26, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; Network television commentator Al Michaels before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Al Michaels responded to critics of his call of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ comeback against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.
Michaels and analyst Tony Dungy were criticized by some for their low-key call of the Jaguars’ dramatic comeback. Critics said the broadcast lacked energy and felt far too muted considering the Jaguars staged one of the biggest playoff comebacks in NFL history.
Tony Dungy and Al Michaels were calling the game like they had to be quiet because their parents were in the other room sleeping pic.twitter.com/LcvKGEbt9Z
— NFL Memes (@NFLHateMemes) January 15, 2023
I’ll never forget Al Michaels legendary call for one of the largest comebacks in playoff history.
“ok here we go for the win. he got it but there’s a flag down. there’s a flag down…and they call it on the defense.”
— Dubón – Mr. Any Position (@Scary_HOUrs_713) January 15, 2023
On Monday, Michaels dismissed the criticism as “internet compost” and pointed out that yelling and noise had never been his trademark.
“Read some comments that we didn’t sound excited enough. Internet compost!” Michaels wrote in a text message to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. “You know me as well as anyone — no screaming, no yelling, no hollering. It’s TELEVISION! Ellipses and captions are [sufficient] when pictures tell the story. I’m not doing a game for over-the-top YouTube hits.”
Stylistically, you know what you are getting with Michaels. NBC did not do him any favors by pairing him with Dungy, who is also more quiet and lacking in emotion. As Marchand himself points out, Michaels’ calm, steady style fits much better with a more emotive analyst like Cris Collinsworth, his longtime partner on “Sunday Night Football” until this season.
Maybe Michaels was just not used to getting a game with such drama, as many fans joked during the first half.