Al Michaels explains lack of ‘Collinsworth Slide’ at Hall of Fame game

The “Collinsworth Slide” has become something fans look forward to seeing on TV when Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth call an NFL game for NBC, but there was disappointment over the lack of one on Thursday night.

The “Collinsworth Slide” is a reference to the way the analyst slides into the picture at the beginning of NBC’s NFL telecasts. Here’s a look at it:

Though Michaels and Collinsworth kicked off the NFL preseason by calling the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday night, Collinsworth did not do his famous slide into the picture. During an interview with NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe on Friday, Michaels shared the reason why. He said the booth simply was not large enough to accommodate the slide.

Well, that is certainly understandable. The Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium in Canton isn’t exactly constructed like the home stadiums for NFL teams. At least Michaels and Collinsworth had a much better view of the field than Tony Romo and Jim Nantz two years ago.