View source for Al Michaels

{{short description|American television sportscaster (born 1944)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Al Michaels
| image              = Al Michaels (37443740985).jpg
| image_size         = 
| caption            = Michaels at [[FedExField]] in September 2017
| birth_name         = Alan Richard Michaels 
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1944|11|12}}
| birth_place        = [[Brooklyn]], New York City, U.S.
| alma_mater         = [[Arizona State University]]
| occupation         = Sports commentator
| years_active       = 1964–present
| spouse             = {{marriage|Linda Anne Stamaton|1966}}
| children           = 2
| module             = {{infobox sports announcer details
| genre              = [[Play-by-play]] 
| sport              = {{hlist|[[American football|Football]]|[[baseball]]|[[basketball]]|[[ice hockey]]|[[horse racing]]|[[boxing]]}}
| employer           = [[Sports on Amazon Prime Video|Amazon Prime Video]] (2022–present)<br />[[ABC Sports]] (1977-2006)<br />[[NBC Sports]] (1971–74, 2006–present)<br />[[CBS Sports]] (1975)
}}
}}

'''Alan Richard Michaels''' (born November 12, 1944)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Golanty |first=Eric |title=Al Michaels |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/al-michaels/ |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref> is an American television [[play-by-play]] [[sportscaster]] for ''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' on [[Sports on Amazon Prime Video|Amazon Prime Video]] and in an emeritus role for [[NBC Sports]]. He has worked on network sports television since 1971, with his most recent work being with NBC Sports after nearly three decades (1976–2006) with [[ESPN on ABC|ABC Sports]]. Michaels is known for his many years calling play-by-play of [[National Football League]] (NFL) games, including ''[[Monday Night Football|ABC Monday Night Football]]'' from 1986 to 2005 and ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football]]'' from 2006 to 2021. He is also known for famous calls in other sports, including the [[Miracle on Ice]] at the [[1980 Winter Olympics]] and the [[1989 Loma Prieta earthquake|earthquake-interrupted]] Game 3 of the [[1989 World Series]].

==Early life and education==
Alan Richard Michaels was born on November 12, 1944, in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. Michaels was born to a [[Jewish|Jewis]]h<ref name="daily49er">{{Cite web |title=Daily 49er: CSULB professor explores baseball's impact on Jewish Americans |url=http://www.daily49er.com/news/csulb-professor-explores-baseball-s-impact-on-jewish-americans-1.2224704#.TnmFteasR44 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703043727/http://www.daily49er.com/news/csulb-professor-explores-baseball-s-impact-on-jewish-americans-1.2224704#.TnmFteasR44 |archive-date=July 3, 2013 |access-date=April 18, 2014 |publisher=daily49er.com}}</ref> family in [[Brooklyn]], New York,<ref name="ssusa">{{Cite web |title=Al Michaels' bio at Sports Stars USA |url=http://www.sportsstarsusa.com/sportscasters/michaels_al.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061113150659/http://www.sportsstarsusa.com/sportscasters/michaels_al.html |archive-date=November 13, 2006 |access-date=January 12, 2007 |website=Sports Stars USA}}</ref> to Jay Leonard Michaels and Lila Roginsky/Ross. He grew up as a [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] fan. In 1958, Michaels' family moved to Los Angeles, the same year the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Dodgers]] left Brooklyn.<ref name="ssusa" /><ref name="hiestand">{{Cite news |last=Michael Hiestand |date=August 18, 2006 |title=Michaels brothers: TV destiny |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2006-08-18-hiestand-michaels_x.htm}}</ref> He graduated from [[Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)|Alexander Hamilton High School]] in 1962. Michaels attended [[Arizona State University]], where he majored in radio and television and minored in journalism. He worked as a sports writer for ASU's independent student newspaper, ''[[State Press|The State Press]]'', and called [[Arizona State Sun Devils|Sun Devils]] football, basketball, and baseball games for the campus radio station.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lidz |first=Franz |date=February 15, 1988 |title=This Mouth Talks Back |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1988/02/15/117145/this-mouth-talks-back-al-michaels-is-one-of-the-best-sportscasters-on-tv-and-dont-dare-tell-him-otherwise |magazine=Sports Illustrated}}</ref> He also is a member of [[Sigma Nu]] fraternity.

===Early career===
Michaels's first job in television was with [[Chuck Barris Productions]], choosing women to appear on ''[[The Dating Game]]''. His first sportscasting job came in 1967, when he was hired to do public relations for the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] and serve as a [[color commentator]] on the [[Los Angeles Lakers radio networks|team's radio broadcasts]] alongside veteran play-by-play announcer [[Chick Hearn]]. However, he was terminated after appearing on just four games due to Chick Hearn's displeasure on working with someone so young.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stewart |first=Larry |date=June 4, 2004 |title=Michaels Has Come Full Circle |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jun-04-sp-tvcolumn4-story.html}}</ref>

He resumed his broadcasting career in 1968 after moving to [[Honolulu]], where he worked as a sports anchor for KHVH-TV (now [[KITV]]) and called play-by-play for the [[Hawaii Islanders]] baseball team in the [[Pacific Coast League]] as well as the [[University of Hawaii]]'s football and basketball teams and local high school football games. He was named Hawaii's 'Sportscaster of the Year' in 1969. In 1970, Michaels appeared as attorney Dave Bronstein in an [[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series, season 2)|episode]] of ''[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]'' called "Run, Johnny, Run" (Air date: January 14, 1970); the episode also featured a young [[Christopher Walken]].

In [[1971 Cincinnati Reds season|1971]], Michaels moved to [[Cincinnati]], where he became the radio play-by-play announcer for the [[Cincinnati Reds]] of [[Major League Baseball]]. In [[1972 Cincinnati Reds season|1972]], after the Reds won the [[1972 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]] and advanced to the [[1972 World Series|World Series]], he helped to cover the Fall Classic for [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC Sports]]. He also was the network's play-by-play man for the [[Ice hockey at the 1972 Winter Olympics|hockey coverage]] at the [[1972 Winter Olympics]] in [[Sapporo, Japan]].

In December 1973, after [[Bill Enis]], an NBC sports announcer and sportscaster for [[KPRC-TV]] in [[Houston]] had died from a heart attack at the age of 39 two days before he was to call the regular-season NFL finale between the [[1973 Houston Oilers season|Houston Oilers]] and [[1973 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]], Michaels was brought in to replace Enis in the booth with [[Dave Kocourek]].

In [[1974 San Francisco Giants season|1974]], he left the Reds for a similar position with the [[San Francisco Giants]] and also covered basketball for [[UCLA Bruins men's basketball|UCLA]], replacing [[Dick Enberg]] on the Bruins' [[Broadcast delay|tape delayed]] telecasts of their home games, during a period when UCLA was in the midst of an 88-game winning streak. He left NBC that year and announced regional NFL games for [[NFL on CBS|CBS Sports]] in 1975. In [[1976 Major League Baseball season|1976]] he joined [[ESPN on ABC|ABC Sports]] part-time to call the network's backup ''[[Monday Night Baseball]]'' games. That year, he called two [[no-hitter]]s: by the [[1976 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pirates]]' [[John Candelaria]] vs. [[1976 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles]] on August 9 (for ABC) and the [[1976 San Francisco Giants season|Giants]]' [[John Montefusco]] at [[1976 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta]] on September 29, 1976 (for [[San Francisco Giants Radio Network|Giants radio]]).

==ABC Sports (1977–2006)==
In January 1977, Michaels signed with ABC Sports on a full-time basis.<ref name="LosAngelesTimes">{{Cite news |last=Stewart |first=Larry |date=January 26, 2003 |title=He Keeps Living Dream Come True |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-26-sp-michaels26-story.html}}</ref> In 1983, he became the network's lead baseball announcer, replacing [[Keith Jackson]]. Up until that point, Michaels and Jackson would split play–by–play duties for ABC's [[List of World Series broadcasters|coverage of the World Series]] beginning in 1979, with Michaels assigned to call the games from the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] park and Jackson calling games from the [[American League]] park.

Over the next three decades, Michaels covered a wide variety of sports<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fang |first=Ken |date=December 27, 2016 |title=AL MICHAELS PAID HIS DUES IN BROADCASTING BEFORE MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL |url=http://awfulannouncing.com/2016/some-of-the-sports-al-michaels-called-in-the-early-to-mid-1980s.html |website=Awful Announcing}}</ref> for ABC, including [[Major League Baseball on ABC|Major League Baseball]], [[ESPN College Football on ABC|college football]] (working alongside the likes of [[Frank Broyles]], [[Lee Grosscup]], and [[Ara Parseghian]] from [[1977 NCAA Division I football season|1977]]–[[1985 NCAA Division I-A football season|1985]] and later, his ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' colleagues [[Frank Gifford]] and [[Dan Dierdorf]] for the [[Sugar Bowl]] from 1989 to 1992), [[ESPN College Basketball on ABC|college basketball]] (normally teaming with [[Joe B. Hall]] from [[1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1987]]–[[1988–89 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1989]]), the [[Indianapolis 500]], [[ice hockey]], track and field events, [[Thoroughbred Racing on ABC|horse racing]] (including the [[List of Kentucky Derby broadcasters|Kentucky Derby]], [[List of Preakness Stakes broadcasters|Preakness Stakes]], and [[List of Belmont Stakes broadcasters|Belmont Stakes]] from 1986 to 2000), [[PGA Tour on ABC|golf]], [[Boxing on ABC|boxing]] (such as the 1985 [[Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns|Marvin Hagler/Thomas Hearns fight]]), [[figure skating]] (working alongside [[Dick Button]] and [[Peggy Fleming]]), [[road bicycle racing|road cycling]] (Michaels in particular, provided [[Olympics on ABC commentators|commentary]] for those [[Cycling at the 1984 Summer Olympics#Road cycling|events]] at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] with [[Greg LeMond]] and [[Eric Heiden]]), and many events of the [[ABC Olympic broadcasts|Olympic Games]] as well as the Olympic trials.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 13, 2003 |title=Michaels signs contract extension with ABC |url=http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/2003/0211/1507336.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030416205113/http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/2003/0211/1507336.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 16, 2003 |access-date=August 14, 2009 |website=ABC Sports online |publisher=ABCSports.com}}</ref>

Other prominent events that Michaels covered for ABC included serving as the studio host for the [[Stanley Cup Finals]] from {{scfy|2000}}–{{scfy|2002}}. Also, he served as host for the yearly [[Tiger Woods]] [[Monday Night Golf|Monday night specials]] that aired in July or August.

Episodes of ''[[Wide World of Sports (US television show)|Wide World of Sports]]'' featuring Michaels early in his ABC career have been featured at least two occasions on the [[ESPN Classic]] comedy series ''[[Cheap Seats (TV series)|Cheap Seats]]''.

===The Miracle on Ice===
{{Main|Miracle on Ice}}
Two of Michaels's more famous broadcasts were of the [[1980 Winter Olympics]] ice hockey medal round match between the United States and the [[Soviet Union]], and the attempted third game of the [[1989 World Series]].

In 1980, an unheralded group of college ice hockey players from the United States won the gold medal at the [[Olympic Winter Games]]. The medal round match on February 22—which, contrary to popular belief, did not yet assure the team of the gold medal—was of particular interest, as it was played against a heavily favored professional squad from the Soviet Union, and was in front of an incredibly excited pro-American crowd in [[Lake Placid, New York]]. Michaels's memorable broadcast of this game, including his interjection—''"Do you believe in miracles? YES!"''—as time expired on the 4–3 U.S. victory, earned the game the media nickname of ''[[Miracle on Ice|The Miracle on Ice]]''.

Most assume that the game was broadcast live (indeed, [[Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium|CTV]], which held Canadian rights to the game, aired it live); but in reality, the game started at 5:05&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Standard Time (North America)|Eastern Standard Time]] and ABC decided against pre-empting local and network news (on the East Coast) to carry the game live. Instead, most of it—including the entire third period—was broadcast within the regularly scheduled, prime-time telecast from 8:30 to 11&nbsp;p.m. Eastern time (and on a six-and-a-half-hour delay on the West Coast from 8:30 to 11&nbsp;p.m. [[Pacific Standard Time]]). Despite being on tape, the game was one of the highest-rated programs of the 1979–80 television season and remains the most-watched ice hockey game in the history of American television.<ref name="nhl">{{Cite web |title=Olympic final most-watched hockey game in 30 years – NHL.com – All-Access Vancouver |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=519476 |access-date=April 18, 2014 |publisher=nhl.com}}</ref>

Michaels, along with broadcasting partner [[Ken Dryden]], recreated their Olympic commentary in the 2004 movie ''[[Miracle (2004 film)|Miracle]]''. Although Michaels and Dryden recreated the bulk of their commentary for the film, the closing seconds of the game against the Soviet Union used the original ABC Sports commentary from 1980. [[Gavin O'Connor (director)|Gavin O'Connor]], the director of ''Miracle'', decided to use the last 10&nbsp;seconds of Michaels's original ''"Do you believe in miracles? YES!"'' call in the film because he felt he couldn't ask him to recreate the emotion he experienced at that moment. Thus they cleaned up the recording to make the transition to the authentic call as seamless as possible.

Michaels later recalled, "When I look back, obviously Lake Placid would be the highlight of my career. I can't think of anything that would ever top it. I can't dream up a scenario."<ref name="IIHF-bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2024/wm/static/60888/al_michaels_(usa)|title=Al Michaels (USA)|year=2024|website=International Ice Hockey Federation|access-date=13 November 2024}}</ref>

Michaels was only on this particular assignment because he had done one hockey game,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hirdt |first=Steve |date=July 23, 2021 |title=Yes, Al, We Do Believe In Miracles |work=The Analyst |url=https://theanalyst.com/na/2021/07/al-michaels-ford-frick-award-baseball-hall-of-fame/}}</ref> eight years prior. The game in question was the gold medal game (the [[Soviet Union national ice hockey team|Soviet Union]] vs. [[Czechoslovakia national ice hockey team|Czechoslovakia]]) of the [[Ice hockey at the 1972 Winter Olympics|1972 Winter Olympics]] (on [[Olympics on NBC|NBC]]) in [[Sapporo]], Japan. Other announcers on the ABC Sports roster such as [[Keith Jackson]], [[Frank Gifford]], and [[Howard Cosell]] had never done a hockey game before. Michaels recalled this during a ''[[Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel|Real Sports]]'' interview in January 2009. Michaels also apparently beat out [[WABC (AM)|WABC-AM]] and [[New York Islanders]] commentator [[George Michael (sportscaster)|George Michael]] for the assignment.<ref name="nbcumv.com">[http://www.nbcumv.com/sports/release_detail.nbc/sports-20090305000000-034i039vebeen.html]{{dead link|date=April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Syken |first=Bill |title=He Missed the Call! |date=November 15, 2004 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1108840/index.htm |magazine=Sports Illustrated |volume=101 |issue=19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025194127/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1108840/index.htm |archive-date=October 25, 2012}}</ref>

Two days later, Michaels would broadcast the gold medal game, in which the U.S. defeated Finland, closing the game out by declaring "This impossible dream comes true!"

Al Michaels continued serving as ABC's lead play-by-play announcer for their ice hockey coverage for their next two Winter Olympics, both with Dryden, the lead color commentator. In [[Ice hockey at the 1984 Winter Olympics|1984]] from [[Sarajevo]], [[Mike Eruzione]], who was the [[Captain (ice hockey)|captain]] of the gold medal-winning United States ice hockey team from 1980, primarily worked with [[Don Chevrier]]. For ABC's final Winter Olympics [[Ice hockey at the 1988 Winter Olympics|four years later]], Eruzione was this time, paired with [[Jiggs McDonald]].

Michaels along with [[John Davidson (hockey player)|John Davidson]] would later call Games 1 and 4 of the [[1992–93 Calgary Flames season|Calgary]]–[[1992–93 Los Angeles Kings season|Los Angeles]] [[1993 Stanley Cup playoffs#(S2) Calgary Flames vs. (S3) Los Angeles Kings|Stanley Cup playoff]] series in 1993 for [[NHL on ABC|ABC]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=April 13, 1993 |title=TV SPORTS; With Words to Spare, Schenkel Strikes a Chord |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/13/sports/tv-sports-with-words-to-spare-schenkel-strikes-a-chord.html |access-date=February 29, 2024 |website=[[New York Times]] |page=B15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nidetz |first=Steve |date=1993-04-15 |title=NETWORK TELECASTS GO BEYOND HAWK OPENER |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/04/15/network-telecasts-go-beyond-hawk-opener/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Larry |date=1993-04-16 |title=After Early Sampling, He Needs Spice |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-16-sp-23468-story.html |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nidetz |first=Steve |date=1994-04-11 |title=LEAVE IT TO CABLE TO COME UP WITH A CLASSIC IDEA |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/04/11/leave-it-to-cable-to-come-up-with-a-classic-idea/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Memorable baseball moments===
====1972 National League Championship Series====
{{Main|1972 National League Championship Series}}
Even though the events of October 17, 1989, in San Francisco are widely considered to be the most dramatic baseball-related moment of Michaels's career, he had several others that were memorable.

In the [[1972 National League Championship Series]], the defending World Series Champion [[1972 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]] faced the [[1972 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]]. In Game 5, with both teams tied at two games apiece, the Pirates led 3–2 in the bottom of the ninth inning and were three outs away from advancing to the World Series. But Pirates closer [[Dave Giusti]] unraveled. He surrendered a game-tying home run to [[Johnny Bench]] before allowing back-to-back singles to [[Tony Pérez]] and [[Denis Menke]] before being relieved by [[Bob Moose]], who almost worked out of the jam by recording two outs.{{blockquote|''One and two… The wind… And the pitch to Bench… Change hit in the air to deep right field, back goes Clemente…! At the fence…! She's gone! Johnny Bench, who hits almost every home run to left field hits one to right. The game is tied.''|}}

But with pinch-hitter [[Hal McRae]] at the plate, Moose lost his footing and uncorked a wild pitch sending [[George Foster (baseball)|George Foster]], who was pinch running for Pérez, home with the pennant-clinching run and setting off a massive celebration at [[Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati)|Riverfront Stadium]].
{{blockquote|''The stretch… And the 1–1 pitch to [[Hal McRae|McRae]]… In the dirt — it's a wild pitch! Here comes [[George Foster (baseball)|Foster]]! The Reds win the pennant! [[Bob Moose]] throws a wild pitch and the Reds have won the National League Pennant!''|Al Michaels call on the series-ending play.}}


As previously mentioned, later that October, Michaels participated<ref name="Michaels">{{Cite magazine |last=Lidz |first=Franz |date=February 15, 1988 |title=This Mouth Talks Back |url=http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Al+Michaels+is+one+of+the+best+sportscasters+on+TV.+And+-+02.15.88+-+SI+Vault&expire=&urlID=432452117&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsportsillustrated.cnn.com%2Fvault%2Farticle%2Fmagazine%2FMAG1067044%2F3%2Findex.htm&partnerID=289881 |url-status=live |magazine=Sports Illustrated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809073658/http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Al+Michaels+is+one+of+the+best+sportscasters+on+TV.+And+-+02.15.88+-+SI+Vault&expire=&urlID=432452117&fb=Y&url=http:%2F%2Fsportsillustrated.cnn.com%2Fvault%2Farticle%2Fmagazine%2FMAG1067044%2F3%2Findex.htm&partnerID=289881 |archive-date=August 9, 2011}}</ref> in his first ever [[1972 World Series|World Series]] as a broadcaster,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Halberstam |first=David J. |date=December 9, 2020 |title=Al Michaels wins HOF's Ford Frick Award; Did 8 World Series on network TV, Also Voice of Reds and Giants |work=Sports Broadcast Journal |url=https://www.sportsbroadcastjournal.com/al-michaels-wins-hofs-ford-frick-award-did-8-world-series-on-network-tv-also-voice-of-reds-and-giants/}}</ref> where he assisted [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]]'s [[Curt Gowdy]] for Games 1–2, 6, and 7 in Cincinnati. Michaels was a product of the then broadcasting policy of [[List of World Series broadcasters|announcers]] who represented the participating teams (a process that ended following the [[1976 World Series]]) being invited to do televised network play–by–play for the World Series. As such, Games 3–5 of the 1972 World Series instead, featured [[1972 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]] broadcaster [[Monte Moore]] working for NBC alongside Curt Gowdy.

====1983 World Series====
{{Main|1983 World Series}}
On June 6, 1983, Michaels officially succeeded [[Keith Jackson]] as the lead play-by-play announcer for ''[[Monday Night Baseball]]''. Michaels, who spent seven seasons working backup games (initially teaming with [[Bob Gibson]] and [[Norm Cash]]), was apparently very miffed<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lidz |first=Frank |date=February 15, 1988 |title=THIS MOUTH TALKS BACK |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1988/02/15/this-mouth-talks-back-al-michaels-is-one-of-the-best-sportscasters-on-tv-and-dont-dare-tell-him-otherwise}}</ref> over [[ESPN on ABC|ABC Sports]]' delay in announcing him as its top baseball announcer. Unlike Jackson, whose forte was [[college football]], Michaels as previously mentioned, had gigs with the [[Cincinnati Reds]] and [[San Francisco Giants]] before joining ABC in 1976. ''[[TV Guide]]'' huffed about Jackson by saying "A football guy, on baseball!" Jackson was unavailable for several World Series games in {{wsy|1979}} and {{wsy|1981}} because of conflicts with his otherwise normal [[ESPN College Football on ABC|college football]] broadcasting schedule. Thus, Michaels did play-by-play for games on weekends.

====1986 American League Championship Series====
{{main|1986 American League Championship Series}}
In 1986, Michaels was also on hand for what he says was ''"the greatest of all the thousands of games I've done."''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hirst |first=Steve |date=July 23, 2021 |title=Yes, Al, We Do Believe In Miracles |work=The Analyst |url=https://theanalyst.com/na/2021/07/al-michaels-ford-frick-award-baseball-hall-of-fame/}}</ref> On October 12 at [[Angel Stadium of Anaheim|Anaheim Stadium]], Michaels along with [[Jim Palmer]] called Game 5 of the [[1986 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 23, 2008 |title=MEMORIES. YOU'RE TALKIN' ABOUT MEMORIES: THE FINAL OUTS OF THE 1986 ALCS |work=Surviving Grady |url=https://survivinggrady.com/2008/01/memories-youre-talkin-about-memories.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 12, 2013 |title=Screen Grabs from MLB Classics on YouTube: 1986 ALCS, Game 5 – Boston at California |url=https://fenwaypastoral.com/2013/08/12/screen-grabs-from-mlb-classics-on-youtube-1986-alcs-game-5-boston-at-california/ |website=Fenway Pastoral}}</ref> The [[1986 California Angels season|California Angels]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=DiGiovanna |first=Mike |date=October 12, 2021 |title=The most gut-wrenching game in Angels history: 35 years later, it still haunts them |work=Yahoo |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/most-gut-wrenching-game-angels-100052834.html?src=rss}}</ref> held a 3&nbsp;games to 1 lead of a best-of-seven against the [[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]]. In the game, the Angels held a 5–2 lead going into the ninth inning. Boston scored two runs on a home run by [[Don Baylor]], closing the gap to 5–4.

When [[Donnie Moore]] came in to shut down the rally, there were two outs, and a runner on [[first base]], [[Rich Gedman]], who had been [[hit by pitch|hit by a pitch]]. The Angels were one out<ref>{{Cite book |last=Von Doviak |first=Scott |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AoJDDwAAQBAJ&dq=downing+goes+back+and+it%27s+gone+unbelievable+al+michaels&pg=PT207 |title=Charlesgate Confidential |date=September 18, 2018 |publisher=Titan Books (US, CA) |isbn=9781785657184}}</ref> from their first-ever trip to the [[1986 World Series|World Series]]. But [[Dave Henderson]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Finn |first=Chad |date=December 9, 2020 |title=Al Michaels wins 2021 Ford Frick Award from Baseball Hall of Fame |work=Boston |url=https://www.boston.com/sports/media/2020/12/09/al-michaels-wins-2021-ford-frick-award-from-baseball-hall-of-fame/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Crehan |first=Herb |date=January 1, 2016 |title=Remembering Dave "Hendu" Henderson |url=https://bostonbaseballhistory.com/new-remembering-dave-hendu-henderson/ |website=Boston Baseball History}}</ref> hit a 2–2 pitch off Moore for a home run, giving the Red Sox a 6–5 lead. The Angels were able to score a run in the bottom of the ninth, pushing the game into extra innings. Moore continued to pitch for the Angels. He was able to stifle a 10th inning Red Sox rally by getting [[Jim Rice]] to ground into a [[double play]]. Nevertheless, the Red Sox were able to score off Moore in the 11th-inning via a [[sacrifice fly]] by Henderson. The Angels could not score in the bottom of the 11th and lost the game 7–6.
{{blockquote|To left field, and deep, and [[Brian Downing|Downing]] goes back ... and it's gone! Unbelievable!!!!!
|Al Michaels' call of Dave Henderson's 9th inning home run in game 5 of the 1986 ALCS.}}

The defeat still left the Angels in a 3&nbsp;games to 2 advantage, with two more games to play at [[Fenway Park]]. The Angels were not able to recover, losing both games by wide margins, 10–4 and 8–1. Game 7 of the 1986 ALCS ended with [[Calvin Schiraldi]] striking out [[Jerry Narron]].

{{blockquote|The Red Sox can go from [[last rites]] to the World Series...and they do!
|Al Michaels' call of Calvin Schiraldi's final strikeout in Game 7 of the 1986 ALCS.}}

Despite the fact that ABC Sports and [[ESPN]] have been under the same corporate umbrella ([[The Walt Disney Company]]) since 1996, Michaels never served as a regular commentator for ''[[ESPN Major League Baseball]]''. The only time that Michaels appeared in an ESPN booth of any kind was as a guest commentator on ''[[Wednesday Night Baseball]]'' in 2003 as part of ESPN's ''Living Legends Series''. Michaels joined [[Gary Thorne]] and [[Joe Morgan]], whom he worked with on ABC's 1989 World Series coverage and served as ABC's #2 baseball team behind Michaels, Jim Palmer and Tim McCarver in 1989, for a game at [[Dodger Stadium]] between the [[2003 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] and [[2003 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]].

====1987 World Series====
{{main|1987 World Series}}
In a February 2015 interview, Michaels alleged that the [[1987 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]] pumped [[artificial crowd noise]] into the [[Metrodome]] during the [[1987 World Series]] against the [[1987 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]]. Responding to Michaels' theory, Twins President [[Dave St. Peter]] said that he did not think the Twins needed "conspiracy theories" in order to win the World Series. Instead, he argued that "appreciation and respect" should be paid to players like [[Frank Viola]], [[Gary Gaetti]], [[Kent Hrbek]], and [[Kirby Puckett]], who, he said, "came out of nowhere to win a championship."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Michaels says Twins pumped fake noise into 1987 World Series |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/al-michaels-says-twins-pumped-fake-noise-into-1987-world-series/ar-AA95etj?srcref=rss |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925230520/http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/al-michaels-says-twins-pumped-fake-noise-into-1987-world-series/ar-AA95etj?srcref=rss |archive-date=September 25, 2015 |access-date=February 7, 2015 |website=[[MSN]] }}</ref>

{{blockquote|To [[Gary Gaetti|Gaetti]]...for the first time ever, the [[1987 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]] are the [[List of World Series champions|World Champions]]!|Al Michaels calling the final out of Game 7 of the [[1987 World Series]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Halsted |first=Al |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UuTTCwAAQBAJ&dq=to+Gaetti++for+the+first+time+ever+the+minnesota+twins+are+the+world+champions+al+michaels&pg=PT35 |title=100 Things Twins Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die |date=May 2016 |publisher=Triumph Books |isbn=9781633194809}}</ref> on [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]].}}

====1989 World Series====
{{Main|1989 World Series|1989 Loma Prieta earthquake#1989 World Series and television coverage of earthquake}}
On October 17, 1989, Michaels was in San Francisco, preparing to cover the third game of the [[1989 World Series]]<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Curtis |first1=Bryan |last2=Lee |first2=Patricia |date=October 30, 2013 |title=An oral history of the 1989 World Series, which was dominated by the Oakland A's – and devastated by the Loma Prieta earthquake |url=http://grantland.com/features/the-1989-world-series-earthquake-oral-history/ |website=Grantland}}</ref> between the home team, the [[1989 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]], and the visiting [[1989 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]]. ABC's network telecast began with a recap of the first two games (to the soundtrack of [[James Taylor]]'s "[[Walking Man|Hello Old Friend]]"), both won by Oakland. Soon after Michaels handed off to his broadcast partner, [[Tim McCarver]], who started assessing the Giants' chances for victory in the game, the [[1989 Loma Prieta earthquake|Loma Prieta earthquake]] struck (at approximately 5:04&nbsp;p.m. [[Pacific Standard Time|local time]]). While the network feed was breaking up due to the shaking, Michaels exclaimed "I'll tell you what, we're having an earth&nbsp;—", and at that moment, the feed completely broke up before he could finish his sentence.<ref name="Magnuson2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080217055927/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958883-2,00.html "Earthquake"]. ''Time''. Monday, October 30, 1989. Ed Magnuson. p. 2. Retrieved September 5, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200810283651500 News report on MLB.COM, 1:50 minutes in]. Retrieved August 29, 2009.</ref> ABC then put up a green "World Series" telop graphic card on the screen for technical difficulties and restored audio via a telephone link 15 seconds later.&nbsp;{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} Michaels quipped, "Well folks, that's the greatest open in the history of television, bar none!"<ref name="Magnuson3">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080216221859/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958883-3,00.html "Earthquake"]. ''Time''. Monday, October 30, 1989. Ed Magnuson. p. 3. Retrieved September 5, 2009.</ref> Michaels then reported from the ABC Sports production truck outside [[Candlestick Park]] on the earthquake, for which he later was nominated for an Emmy Award for news broadcasting. Michaels relayed his reports to [[Ted Koppel]], who was stationed at the [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] bureau in Washington, D.C.

According to Tim McCarver, when the earthquake hit, he, Michaels and Jim Palmer immediately grabbed hold of what they perceived to be the armrests. In reality, the announcers were clutching on each other's thighs and they were each left with bruises the next day. Years later (on a 1999 ''[[SportsCenter]]'' retrospective about the 1989 World Series earthquake), Michaels would boldly admit his strong belief that had the earthquake lasted much longer than 15&nbsp;seconds, he would have been killed. Michaels added that the only time that he really had been scared during the earthquake was when he moved in a position which he perceived to be backward. The three announcers were sitting on a ledge<ref>{{Cite book |last=Palmer; Maimon |first=Jim; Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HwMuDAAAQBAJ&q=ABC |title=Jim Palmer: Nine Innings to Success: A Hall of Famer's Approach to Achieving ... |date=June 2016 |publisher=Triumph Books LLC |isbn=9781633194625}}</ref> with their backs turned and no bracing behind them.

{{blockquote|At this very moment ten days ago, we began our telecast with an aerial view of San Francisco; always a spectacular sight, and particularly so on that day because the cloudless sky of October 17 was ice blue, and the reflections of the late-day sun sparkled like a thousand jewels.

That picture was very much a mirror of the feel and the mood that had enveloped the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] and indeed most of [[Northern California]]. Their baseball teams, the [[1989 San Francisco Giants season|Giants]] and the [[1989 Oakland Athletics season|Athletics]], had won pennants, and the people of this region were still basking in the afterglow of each team's success. And this great American sporting classic, the World Series, was, for the time being, exclusively theirs.

Then, of course, that feeling of pure radiance was transformed into horror and grief and despair in fifteen seconds.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marquez |first=Donald |date=October 17, 2009 |title=Series, Interrupted |url=http://www.athleticsnation.com/2009/10/17/1088907/series-interrupted |website=SBNation.com}}</ref> And now on October 27, like a fighter who's taken a vicious blow to the stomach and has groggily arisen, this region moves on and moves ahead.

And one part of that scenario is the resumption of the World Series. No one in [[Candlestick Park|this ballpark]] tonight- no player, no vendor, no fan, no writer, no announcer, in fact, no one in this area period- can forget the images. The column of smoke in the [[Marina District, San Francisco|Marina]]. The severed [[San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge|bridge]]. The grotesque [[Cypress Street Viaduct|tangle of concrete]] in [[Oakland]]. The pictures are embedded in our minds.

And while the mourning and the agonizing and the aftereffects continue, in about thirty minutes the plate umpire, [[Vic Voltaggio]] will say 'Play Ball', and the players will play, the vendors will sell, the crowd will exhort, the announcers will announce. And for many of the six million people in this region, it will be like revisiting [[Fantasyland]].

But Fantasyland is where baseball comes from anyway, and maybe, right about now, that's the perfect place for a three-hour rest.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marquez |first=Donald |date=November 9, 2009 |title=Scrapbook Memories: 1989 World Series, Game 3, Part 2 |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2009/11/9/1122749/scrapbook-memories-1989-world |website=SBNation.com}}</ref>|Al Michaels at the beginning of [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC's]] telecast of the resumption of Game 3 of the [[1989 World Series]].}}

There was later speculation that if Michaels<ref>{{Cite news |last=Asher |first=Mark |date=June 7, 1990 |title=ABC SIGNS MICHAELS TO RECORD DEAL |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1990/06/07/abc-signs-michaels-to-record-deal/70321133-6c5f-4a5e-8735-cdadbcf6b539/}}</ref> won an [[arbitration]] case involving ABC, he would join [[CBS Sports]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stewart |first=Larry |date=December 30, 1988 |title=Show Time Started Early for Two Brothers |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-30-sp-919-story.html}}</ref> as its lead baseball announcer. ABC following the 1989 World Series, had lost its baseball package to [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]] for the next four years. Michaels had been feuding<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nidetz |first=Steve |date=May 3, 1990 |title=ABC SPORTS TUNES IN TO MUSBURGER |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-05-03-9002070404-story.html}}</ref> with the network over an alleged violation of company policy. Michaels' contract with ABC was originally set to expire in late 1992. Ultimately however, ABC announced a contract extension that sources said would keep Michaels at ABC through at least the end of 1995 and would pay him at least $2.2 million annually with the potential to earn more. That would make Michaels the highest-paid sports announcer in television.

====The Baseball Network (1994–1995)====
{{Main|The Baseball Network|The Baseball Network announcers}}
In [[1994 Major League Baseball season|1994]], ABC resumed their relationship with Major League Baseball for the first time since [[1989 Major League Baseball season|1989]] with a broadcasting joint-venture with NBC dubbed [[The Baseball Network]]. Michaels was once again paired with Jim Palmer and Tim McCarver, for whom he had broadcast three World Series (1985, 1987, and 1989), two All-Star Games ([[1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1986]] and [[1988 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1988]]), and the [[1988 National League Championship Series]] with. On the subject of Michaels returning to baseball for the first time since the [[1989 Loma Prieta earthquake|Loma Prieta earthquake]] interrupted the World Series, Jim Palmer said, "Here Al is, having done five games since 1989, and steps right in. It's hard to comprehend how one guy could so amaze."

{{blockquote|Hi everyone, and welcome to ''Baseball Night in America'', I'm Al Michaels. And those of us at [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] are delighted to be back in the business of broadcasting [[Major League Baseball|baseball]] for the first time since the [[1989 World Series]]. And it's a brand new concept, we'll have six [[1994 Major League Baseball season|regular season]] games on ABC, including tonight and again on [[Monday Night Baseball|Monday night]]. Then, we'll bring you the [[Division Series|Division playoffs]] in October, part of baseball's new expanded playoff format, and the [[1994 World Series|World Series]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bode |first=Gus |date=July 25, 1995 |title=More tales of The Baseball Network. ABC lost the 1994 World Series; this was supposed to be NBC's year. Instead, they split the spoils. Who got the better of the deal? Let's see. The networks each get 6 percent of the advertising revenues; baseball gets 88 percent. Call it a draw. |work=The Daily Egyptian |url=https://dailyegyptian.com/51805/archives/more-tales-of-the-baseball-network-abc-lost-the-1994-world-series-this-was-supposed-to-be-nbcs-year-instead-they-split-the-spoils-who-got-the-better-of-the-deal-lets-see-the-networks-each-get/}}</ref> in late October. ''Baseball Night in America'', a regionalized<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frager |first=Ray |date=December 17, 1993 |title=Enterprising Costas stays at NBC for next generation of baseball |work=The Baltimore Sun |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/bs-xpm-1993-12-17-1993351049-story.html}}</ref> concept, you'll see a game in your region that's important to those of you in those particular areas. It also gives us the capability of updating games as never before. So sit back, relax and enjoy the premiere of ''Baseball Night in America'' as we take you out to the [[List of Major League Baseball stadiums|ballgames]].|Al Michaels on site at [[1994 Seattle Mariners season|Seattle]]'s [[Kingdome]] on the premiere broadcast of ''Baseball Night in America'' on July 16, 1994.}}

A [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|player's strike]] in August 1994 would however, force the cancellation of that season's postseason, including the World Series. Then in June 1995, both ABC and NBC announced they would be dissolving The Baseball Network at the end of the [[1995 Major League Baseball season|1995 season]]. The following month, Michaels along with Jim Palmer and Tim McCarver, called the [[1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] from [[Arlington, Texas]]. Come that October, Michaels, Palmer, and McCarver would call Games 1–2 of the [[1995 National League Division Series|National League Division Series]] between the [[1995 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]] and [[1995 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]], Game 4 of the NLDS between the [[1995 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] and [[1995 Colorado Rockies season|Colorado Rockies]], Games 1–2 of the [[1995 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]] between Atlanta and Cincinnati, and Games 1, 4–5 of the [[1995 World Series|World Series]] between Atlanta and the [[1995 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]].

In what would be the final out he would ever call for a baseball broadcast on ABC, Michaels yelled "Back to [[Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium|Georgia]]!" following the strikeout of Atlanta second baseman [[Mark Lemke]] by Cleveland closer [[José Mesa]]. ABC was in-line to televise a possible seventh game (since NBC was already scheduled to broadcast Game 6), however the Braves wound up clinching the world title two nights later. Game 5 of the 1995 World Series would not only prove to be the final Major League Baseball game Michaels would call (not counting a one shot appearance on [[MLB Network Showcase|MLB Network]] for a game between the [[2011 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] and [[2011 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] on July 8, 2011), but it would also prove to be the last time a Major League Baseball game would be broadcast on ABC until the [[2020 Major League Baseball season|2020]] [[Major League Baseball Wild Card Game|Wild Card series]].

Michaels would later write in his 2014 autobiography ''You Can't Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Michaels, Wertheim |first=Al, L. Jon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UlaYAwAAQBAJ&q=You+Can%27t+Make+This+Up |title=You Can't Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of |date=November 18, 2014 |publisher=Harper Collins |isbn=9780062314987 |page=202}}</ref> that the competition between the two networks could be so juvenile that neither ABC nor NBC wanted to promote each other's telecasts during the 1995 World Series.<ref>{{YouTube|title=1995 World Series Video Highlights|id=tAK9SgHZVxQ}}</ref> To give you a better idea, in the middle of Game 1, Michaels was handed a promo that read "Join us here on [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]] for Game 4 in [[Progressive Field|Cleveland]] on Wednesday night and for Game 5 if necessary, Thursday." Michaels however, would soon follow this up by saying "By the way, if you're wondering about Games 2 and 3, I can't tell you exactly where you can see them, but here's a hint: Last night, [[Bob Costas]], [[Bob Uecker]], and [[Joe Morgan]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pergament |first=Alan |date=October 27, 1995 |title=NBC'S MORGAN EMERGES AS SERIES STAR IN BOOTH |work=The Buffalo News |url=https://buffalonews.com/1995/10/28/nbcs-morgan-emerges-as-series-star-in-booth/ |access-date=June 25, 2021 |archive-date=February 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216181026/https://buffalonews.com/1995/10/28/nbcs-morgan-emerges-as-series-star-in-booth/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> [NBC's broadcast crew] were spotted in [[Underground Atlanta]]."

===''Monday Night Football''===
{{Main|Monday Night Football|History of Monday Night Football#1986–2005: Al Michaels era}}
Michaels's longest-running assignment was that of the lead play-by-play announcer on ABC's ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' telecasts, a position he held for 20 seasons beginning in 1986. Before that, his most notable [[National Football League|NFL]] assignment for ABC was hosting (along with [[Jim Lampley]]) the pre-game coverage of [[Super Bowl XIX]] at the end of the [[1984 NFL season|1984 season]]. In 1988, he called his first [[Super Bowl XXII|Super Bowl]]. Three years later, he was on hand to call the thrilling [[Super Bowl XXV|Super Bowl]] between the [[1990 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] and [[1990 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]].

The trio of Michaels, [[Dan Dierdorf]] (who joined ''MNF'' the year after Michaels's first), and Frank Gifford lasted until the [[1997 NFL season|1997 season]] when Gifford was replaced following disclosure of an extramarital affair. During the 1980s, Gifford would fill-in for Michaels on play-by-play whenever he went on baseball assignments for the League Championship Series ([[1986 American League Championship Series|1986]] and [[1988 National League Championship Series|1988]]) or World Series (1987 and 1989).

Former [[Cincinnati Bengals]] quarterback [[Boomer Esiason]] (who left after the [[1999 NFL season|1999 season]]) replaced Gifford in 1998, and Dierdorf was dropped after that season. Unexpectedly, comedian [[Dennis Miller]] joined the cast in 2000 along with [[Dan Fouts]]. In 2002, following Miller and Fouts' departure, [[John Madden]] joined Michaels in a well-received pairing.

===''NBA on ABC''===
{{Main|NBA on ABC}}
After disastrous [[NBA Finals television ratings|ratings]] in the [[2003 NBA Finals]], ABC decided to revamp their lead NBA [[List of NBA on ABC commentators|broadcast team]]. [[Brad Nessler]] was reassigned to the second broadcast team, where he was joined by [[Sean Elliott]] and [[Dan Majerle]]. Michaels<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 19, 2009 |title=Decade in Review: 10 worst personnel moves — Sports Media Watch |url=http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2009/12/decade-in-review-10-worst-personnel/ |newspaper=Sports Media Watch |author1=Paulsen }}</ref> was hired to replace Nessler as lead broadcaster of the NBA.

For the first several weeks of the [[2003-04 NBA season|2003–2004 season]], he had no partner. However, [[Doc Rivers]], a critically acclaimed analyst when he worked with [[Turner Sports]], became available after a 1–19 start by his [[2003-04 Orlando Magic season|Orlando Magic]]. Rivers was hired weeks before ABC's [[National Basketball Association Christmas games|Christmas Day]] season opener. He and Michaels worked that game together, one of only six they did together during the regular season (all other games Rivers worked were with Brad Nessler). During the playoffs, the team worked every single telecast, including the [[2004 NBA Finals]], which saw great improvement in [[Nielsen ratings|television ratings]]. During the [[2004 NBA Playoffs]], Doc Rivers was hired by the [[2004-05 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]]. Though Rivers continued to work games with him throughout the rest of the playoffs, ABC would have to find a new lead color commentator for the [[2004-05 NBA season|2004–2005 season]].

Early in the 2004–2005 season, ABC found a new partner for Al Michaels. [[Memphis Grizzlies]] coach [[Hubie Brown]], a broadcasting legend with [[NBA on CBS|CBS]], [[NBA on TBS|TBS]], and [[NBA on TNT|TNT]], was forced into retirement for health reasons and was soon after hired to replace Doc Rivers. He and Brown began their partnership on Christmas Day 2004, working the highly anticipated [[Shaquille O'Neal]]-[[Kobe Bryant]] game. After that game, the two did not do a game together again until March 2005. He became sporadic in NBA coverage,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sports Media Watch: Is Buck the new Michaels? |url=http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com/2007/08/joe-buck-is-new-al-michaels.html |website=sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com}}</ref> doing two games in early March, and then three more games in April. Brown worked every week of ABC's coverage, broadcasting some games with veteran broadcaster [[Mike Breen]]. For the [[2005-06 NBA season|2005–2006 season]], the pair were slated to remain as ABC's lead broadcast team. The duo worked that year's Christmas Day game between the [[2005-06 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]] and [[2005-06 Miami Heat season|Miami Heat]] and was expected to work the NBA Finals together as well. However, due to his impending departure to [[NBC Sports|NBC]], that plan did not come to fruition.

Replacing him on ''[[NBA on ABC|The NBA on ABC]]'' was Mike Breen, who became the lead broadcaster for an over-the-air NBA package for the first time in his career. Breen worked the [[2006 NBA Finals]] with Hubie Brown, as well as all the main games ABC broadcast that year. This gave ABC its first consistent lead broadcaster since Brad Nessler, as Breen (unlike Michaels) did games every week. To put things into proper perspective, during his two-season tenure as ABC's lead NBA broadcaster, he called just 13 of a possible 26 regular season games, with all but two games taking place from either [[Staples Center|Los Angeles]] (where he resides) or [[Sleep Train Arena|Sacramento]].

Besides his inconsistent work, Michaels (despite being initially seen as adding credibility to ABC's NBA broadcasts in contrast to his predecessor, Brad Nessler) was criticized<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paulsen |date=December 19, 2009 |title=Decade in Review: 10 worst personnel moves |url=http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2009/12/decade-in-review-10-worst-personnel/ |website=Sports Media Watch}}</ref> for apparently lacking the kind of enthusiasm and confidence (for instance, Michaels initially reacted to [[Amar'e Stoudemire]]'s block of [[Tim Duncan]]'s shot during the [[2005 NBA Playoffs|2005 playoffs]] by calling it a "great, great contested shot") expected of a No.&nbsp;1 play-by-play voice. Barry Horn of the ''[[Dallas Morning News]]'' said that Michaels was simply "not a basketball guy". Meanwhile, [[Bill Simmons]] said during the [[2005 NBA Finals|2005 Finals]] that Michaels "shows up for these games, does his job, then drives home thinking, 'Only five weeks to the [NFL] [[Pro Football Hall of Fame Game|Hall of Fame Game]], I'm almost there!'"

Another criticism that he received was that he too often found himself making tediously long-winded explanations. In return, he would tend to talk over two or three possessions in a row (which Michaels seemed to be better suited for [[Monday Night Football|football]] and [[Major League Baseball on ABC|baseball broadcasts]], for which he's better known). The result was that he would hardly have time to comment on the action viewers were seeing because he was so hung up on a prior subplot or storyline that he felt the audience just had to know about.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA on ABC Can't Live Up to Predecessors |url=http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=299273&rel_no=1&back_url= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026022139/http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=299273&rel_no=1&back_url= |archive-date=October 26, 2007 |website=OhMyNews.com}}</ref>

==Move from ABC to NBC==
===ABC loses NFL rights===
In 2003, Michaels was quoted as saying, "ABC Sports has been my professional home for the last 26&nbsp;years, and I am delighted that will continue to be for several more..." after signing a long-term contract extension.<ref name="go">{{Cite web |title=Michaels signs contract extension with ABC |url=http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/2003/0211/1507336.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030416205113/http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/2003/0211/1507336.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 16, 2003 |access-date=April 18, 2014 |work=ESPN}}</ref>

In 2005, it was announced that ''Monday Night Football'' would be moving from ABC to [[ESPN]] beginning with the [[2006 NFL season|2006 season]], and partner [[John Madden]] announced he would be joining [[NBC Sports]], which had acquired the rights to ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football|Sunday Night Football]]'' games. Despite speculation that Michaels might be joining NBC as well, Michaels stated that he would continue as the ''MNF'' play-by-play announcer, stating, "I feel like I'm a creature of Monday night. I'm home and I'm staying home." Plans were for Michaels to be teamed with [[Joe Theismann]] (who would be coming over from ''[[ESPN Sunday Night Football|Sunday Night Football]]'') on the Monday night telecasts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 26, 2005 |title=Michaels, Theismann, Kolber, Tafoya to crew MNF |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2117146 |work=ESPN}}</ref>

At the time, then-ABC Television President [[Alex Wallau]] said, "For 26&nbsp;years Al has played a pivotal role here at ABC Sports, and for 17 of those years he's been the face and voice synonymous with television's most successful sports franchise, ''Monday Night Football''...&nbsp;It's Al's outstanding play-by-play coverage, coupled with his breadth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm, that keep ''MNF'' fans invigorated, excited and coming back for more." also, "Al Michaels has been invaluable to the Network and we are thrilled to have him remain in our family. [...] Al is the consummate professional and makes everyone around him better" said then-ABC Sports President Howard Katz; however, in the weeks leading up to [[Super Bowl XL]], it was widely speculated that Michaels was attempting to get out of his contract with ESPN to join Madden at NBC. By this time, it was clear that NBC's ''Sunday Night Football'' would be the NFL's premier prime-time package, with ESPN's ''Monday Night Football'' relegated to secondary match-ups similar to that network's previous Sunday night telecasts. Michaels added fuel to the fire by refusing to state his future plans, and he couldn't "respond to rumors ... because that would become a distraction."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bob Raissman |date=January 31, 2006 |title=Michaels won't give play-by-play of plans |work=New York Daily News |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/387099p-328468c.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060209065238/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/387099p-328468c.html |archive-date=February 9, 2006}}</ref>

On February 8, 2006, ESPN announced that its ''Monday Night Football'' team would consist of [[Mike Tirico]] on play-by-play, with Theismann and [[Tony Kornheiser]] as analysts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 10, 2006 |title=ESPN names new MNF team; Breen to call NBA games |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2323121 |work=ESPN}}</ref> ESPN explicitly stated that Michaels would not return to either ''Monday Night Football'' broadcasts or ABC's NBA broadcasts (on which Michaels had been lead NBA play-by-play man).

===Oswald the Lucky Rabbit "trade"===
On February 9, 2006, NBC confirmed that Michaels would be joining Madden at NBC to broadcast the NFL on Sunday nights, thus ending Michaels's 20-year run on ''Monday Night Football'' and almost 30&nbsp;years of service with ABC.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 13, 2006 |title=NBC acquires Michaels for cartoon bunny, golf |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11235692/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060222035442/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11235692/ |archive-date=February 22, 2006}}</ref> In exchange for letting Michaels out of his contract with ABC and ESPN, [[NBCUniversal]] sold ESPN cable rights to Friday coverage of the next four [[Ryder Cup]]s, granted ESPN increased usage of Olympic highlights, and sold to parent company [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] the rights to [[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller, Shales |first=James Andrew, Tom |url=http://www.uvm.edu/~rgriffin/ESPN-Miller.pdf |title=Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN |page=573}}</ref> a cartoon character developed by [[Walt Disney]] himself (which he lost in 1928) but previously owned by [[Universal Pictures]] (now NBCUniversal). [[NBC Sports]] chairman [[Dick Ebersol]] explained, "We earn nothing from those rights; they've had no value in the United States."

Michaels had a bemused take on the "trade". After it was noted to Michaels that the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] gave the [[New York Jets]] a draft pick as compensation for releasing coach [[Herman Edwards]] from his contract, Michaels stated, "Oswald is definitely worth more than a fourth-round draft choice. I'm going to be a trivia answer someday." In an article with the magazine ''[[Game Informer]]'', [[Warren Spector]], a designer on the game ''[[Epic Mickey]]'', stated that Disney CEO [[Bob Iger]] wanted Oswald to be in the game so badly, he made this trade to get the rights of the character back.<ref name="joystiq">{{Cite web |title=Epic (Mickey) trade: Disney swaps Al Michaels for Oswald &#124; Joystiq |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/16/epic-mickey-trade-disney-swaps-al-michaels-for-oswald/ |access-date=April 18, 2014 |publisher=joystiq.com}}</ref>

==NBC Sports (2006–present)==
===''Sunday Night Football''===
{{Main|NFL on NBC|NBC Sunday Night Football}}
Michaels and Madden began their new NBC tenure on August 6, 2006, with NBC's telecast of the preseason [[Pro Football Hall of Fame Game]], with their regular-season debut on September 7. Michaels called ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football|Sunday Night Football]]'' with [[John Madden]] from August 6, 2006 – April 15, 2009. On April 16, 2009, [[Cris Collinsworth]] made an agreement with NBC to join Michaels, replacing Madden for ''Sunday Night Football''. On February 1, 2009, Michaels called [[Super Bowl XLIII]], his first Super Bowl telecast for NBC and seventh overall as a play-by-play announcer. Michaels is the third man to ever do play-by-play for an NBC broadcast of a Super Bowl, following the footsteps of [[Curt Gowdy]] and [[Dick Enberg]]. Michaels also called [[Super Bowl XLVI]] on February 5, 2012, [[Super Bowl XLIX]] on February 1, 2015, [[Super Bowl LII]] on February 4, 2018, and [[Super Bowl LVI]] on February 13, 2022, and in doing so, he tied [[Pat Summerall]] for the most Super Bowls called by a [[play-by-play]] announcer, though Summerall still holds the record for the most Super Bowls announced at 16, having also worked [[Super Bowl I]] as a [[sideline reporter]] and Super Bowls [[Super Bowl II|II]], [[Super Bowl IV|IV]], [[Super Bowl VI|VI]], and [[Super Bowl VIII|VIII]] as a [[color commentator]].

Michaels usually ate his dinner while doing play-by-play commentary during a typical broadcast of ''Sunday Night Football''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farmer |first=Sam |date=October 10, 2005 |title=Monday Evening Quarterback |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-oct-10-sp-michaels10-story.html}}</ref> Michaels would have cookies and grapes during the first half and a light dinner during the second half, having his bites during commercial breaks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Did You Know That Al Michaels Eats An Entire Meal Every Week While Calling Sunday Night Football |url=https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/116834/did-you-know-that-al-michaels-eats-an-entire-meal-every-week-while-calling-sunday-night-football}}</ref>

On May 24, 2022, NBC announced that despite his official departure from ''Sunday Night Football'' following the [[2021 NFL season|2021 season]], Michaels would still call at least one [[NFL playoffs|NFL playoff]] game for [[NFL on NBC|NBC]] under an "[[:wikt:emeritus|emeritus]]" role,<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 24, 2022 |title=AL MICHAELS NAMED TO EMERITUS ROLE WITH NBC SPORTS |work=NBC Sports Group Press Box |url=https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2022/05/24/al-michaels-named-to-emeritus-role-with-nbc-sports/}}</ref> though in December 2023 it was reported that he was cut from postseason coverage on NBC beginning with the 2023–24 NFL playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Michaels Will Not Call Upcoming NFL Playoffs for NBC Sports amid Criticism Over His Energy |url=https://people.com/al-michaels-wont-call-nfl-playoffs-for-nbc-amid-criticism-8415276 |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Staff |first=Richard Deitsch and The Athletic |title=Al Michaels left out of NBC playoff broadcasts |url=https://theathletic.com/5131360/2023/12/12/al-michaels-nbc-playoff-broadcast-teams/ |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=The Athletic |language=en}}</ref>

===NBC Olympic Daytime host===
In March 2009, it was announced that Michaels would be serving as the daytime host for [[NBC Olympic broadcasts|NBC]]'s coverage of the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in Vancouver, British Columbia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Breaking News: Al Michaels to Host Winter Olympics for NBC Sports |url=http://www.eyeonsportsmedia.com/2009/03/breaking-news-to-host-winter-olympics.html}}</ref> It was Michaels's first involvement in an Olympic telecast since he called [[Ice hockey at the 1988 Winter Olympics|ice hockey at the 1988 Calgary Games]] for [[Olympics on ABC|ABC]], as well as his first non-NFL event for NBC. NBC Sports chairman [[Dick Ebersol]] said that Michaels had previously expressed an interest in contributing to NBC's Olympics coverage.<ref name="nbcumv.com" /> Michaels also co-hosted NBC's coverage of the [[2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|Closing Ceremony]] (with [[Bob Costas]]). Michaels also served as daytime co-host (with [[Dan Patrick (sportscaster)|Dan Patrick]]) for the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in London, and co-hosted the [[2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony|Closing Ceremony]] (with Costas and [[Ryan Seacrest]]). For the [[2014 Winter Olympics]] in [[Sochi]], Michaels served as weekday host on [[NBCSN]] and weekend daytime host on NBC. He returned to host daytime coverage for the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in Rio de Janeiro.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 15, 2016 |title=Al Michaels to host NBC daytime coverage during Rio Olympics |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2016/06/15/al-michaels-to-host-nbc-daytime-coverage-during-rio-olympics/85915394/ |access-date=March 7, 2017 |website=USA Today}}</ref>

According to Michaels,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=February 21, 2010 |title=Michaels in the Studio: Unfamiliar, but Not a First |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/sports/olympics/22sandomir.html}}</ref> ABC was in the running to purchase the broadcasting rights for the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Summer Games]] from [[Atlanta]]. As a provision in his contract renewal with ABC back in 1992, in the event that ABC were to broadcast the Olympics again, Michaels would get to become the prime time anchor while [[Jim McKay]] would instead play an emeritus role. Ultimately though, NBC bought the rights to the Atlanta Games for $456 million, edging out ABC by $6 million.

===Premier Boxing Champions===
{{see also|Boxing on NBC}}
In January 2015, NBC announced that Michaels would be at ringside along with [[Marv Albert]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yoder |first=Matt |date=February 9, 2015 |title=Marv Albert and Sugar Ray Leonard are NBC's boxing announcing team |url=http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/marv-albert-sugar-ray-leonard-nbcs-boxing-announcing-team.html |website=Awful Announcing}}</ref> and [[Sugar Ray Leonard]] for the ''PBC on NBC'' Saturday night bouts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Casselberry |first=Ian |date=January 16, 2015 |title=NBC brings boxing back to prime time, hosted by Al Michaels |url=http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/nbc-brings-boxing-back-prime-time-hosted-al-michaels.html |website=Awful Announcing}}</ref> In partnership with [[Al Haymon|Haymon Boxing]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abramson |first=Mitch |date=January 14, 2015 |title=Al Haymon MIA as NBC announces new prime time boxing schedule |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/al-haymon-mia-nbc-announces-new-prime-time-boxing-plan-article-1.2078099 |website=New York Daily News}}</ref> NBC would televise 20 ''PBC on NBC'' events,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Willis |first=George |date=January 15, 2015 |title=Al Michaels to call top-notch boxing on NBC – who will watch? |url=https://nypost.com/2015/01/15/al-michaels-to-call-top-notch-boxing-on-nbc-who-will-watch/ |website=New York Post}}</ref> including five shown in prime time on Saturday nights.

==MLB Network (2011)==
On July 8, 2011, Michaels teamed up with Bob Costas (with the two announcers alternating between play-by-play and color commentary) to call a game between the [[2011 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] and [[2011 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] on [[MLB Network]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fang, Ken |date=June 29, 2011 |title=Al Michaels & Bob Costas To Call Game For MLB Network in July |url=http://fangsbites.com/2011/06/al-michaels-bob-costas-to-call-game-for-mlb-network-in-july/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704072147/http://fangsbites.com/2011/06/al-michaels-bob-costas-to-call-game-for-mlb-network-in-july/ |archive-date=July 4, 2011 |access-date=July 3, 2011 |website=Fangsbites.com |publisher=Wordpress}}</ref> It was Michaels's first appearance on a baseball telecast since August 6, 2003 (when he served as a guest commentator on an [[ESPN Major League Baseball|ESPN]] game, as previously mentioned) and his first as a primary announcer since Game 5 of the [[1995 World Series]] on [[Major League Baseball on ABC|ABC]]. (Michaels had called Games 1, 4 and 5 of that series with [[Jim Palmer]] and [[Tim McCarver]], while Costas called Games 2, 3 and 6 with [[Joe Morgan]] and [[Bob Uecker]] for [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]].) Michaels and Costas also made appearances on [[SportsNet New York]] and [[NBC Sports Bay Area|Comcast SportsNet Bay Area]] during the game's middle innings, since the MLB Network broadcast was [[Blackout (broadcasting)|blacked out]] in the Mets' and Giants' respective home markets.

==''Thursday Night Football'' (2016, 2022–present)==
Michaels first called ''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' in 2016, as part of a deal which would see NBC produce several Thursday night games for broadcast on [[NFL Network]] with simulcasts on selected games on NBC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Michaels, not Mike Tirico, will be calling NFL games on Thursday for NBC |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/al-michaels-not-mike-tirico-calling-thursday-nfl-games-article-1.2759020 |access-date=May 26, 2022 |website=New York Daily News|date=August 20, 2016 }}</ref> The following year, NBC confirmed that Mike Tirico would take over as the voice of NBC-produced Thursday night games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL Reverses Course, Will Let Mike Tirico Call "TNF" For NBC This Season |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/06/01/Media/Tirico.aspx |access-date=May 26, 2022 |website=www.sportsbusinessjournal.com |date=June 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

On March 23, 2022, the NFL and [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] announced that Michaels would become the full-time play-by-play announcer for ''Thursday Night Football'', alongside [[Kirk Herbstreit]], for the first year of the package airing exclusively on [[Amazon Prime Video]] and [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit announced as broadcast team for 'Thursday Night Football' on Prime Video |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/al-michaels-kirk-herbstreit-broadcast-team-thursday-night-football-prime-video |access-date=May 26, 2022 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

Throughout his tenure as the play-by-play announcer for Amazon Prime, viewers have repeatedly criticized Michaels for a perceived lack of enthusiasm during games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Michaels addresses low energy criticism: 'You can't let things like that distress you'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/media/2023/08/15/al-michaels-low-energy-criticism/70595831007/|access-date=November 9, 2023|website=USA Today|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Michaels continues to draw criticism for lack of enthusiasm during TNF|url=https://awfulannouncing.com/amazon/al-michaels-lack-enthusiasm-thursday-night-football.html|access-date=November 9, 2023|website=Awful Announcing|date=November 3, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Michaels responded to the criticism over his unenthusiastic performance as TNF announcer|url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/11/al-michaels-criticism-tnf-announcer-unenthusiastic-calls-retire-questions-reaction|access-date=November 9, 2023|website=USA Today|date=November 8, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref> When asked about his experience calling Thursday night games, Michaels hinted at the suboptimal quality of the games and said, "I mean, you just can't oversell something. Do you want me to sell you a 20-year-old Mazda? That's what you're asking me to do. I can't sell you a used car."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Michaels likens calling this season's Amazon TNF games to selling a 'used car'|url=https://awfulannouncing.com/amazon/al-michaels-thursday-night-football-bad-games-used-car.html|access-date=November 9, 2023|website=Awful Announcing|date=January 13, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
'''Sportscasting'''
* Five-time [[Sports Emmy Award]] winner – [[Outstanding Sports Personality, Play-by-Play]]
* Three-time [[National Sports Media Association|NSMA]] National Sportscaster of the Year
* Sportscaster of the Year – [[American Sportscasters Association]] (ASA)
* Sportscaster of the Year – [[American Journalism Review|Washington Journalism Review]]
* ASA Top 50 Sportscasters of All Time.<ref name="americansportscastersonline">{{Cite web |title=ASA's Top 50 Sportscasters of All Time |url=http://www.americansportscastersonline.com/top50sportscasters.html |access-date=April 18, 2014 |publisher=americansportscastersonline.com}}</ref>
* [[Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism]] (2002).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arizona State University |date=January 29, 2009 |title=Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication |url=https://cronkite.asu.edu/about/walter-cronkite-and-asu/walter-cronkite-award |access-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref>
* Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters "Art Gilmore Career Achievement Award" June 16, 2017
* [[IIHF Media Award]], 2024<ref name="IIHF-bio" />

'''[[Halls of Fame]]'''
* Star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
* NSMA Hall of Fame inductee (class of 1998)
* [[Television Academy Hall of Fame]] inductee (class of 2013)
* 2013 [[Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award|Pete Rozelle Radio & Television Award]] – [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]<ref name="profootballhof">{{Cite web |title=Enshrinement – Al Michaels named winner of Rozelle Award |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/2013/6/20/Al-Michaels-wins-Football-Hall-of-Fame-award/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419025201/http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/2013/6/20/Al-Michaels-wins-Football-Hall-of-Fame-award/ |archive-date=April 19, 2014 |access-date=April 18, 2014 |publisher=profootballhof.com}}</ref>
* 2021 [[Ford C. Frick Award]] winner – [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Guardado |first=Maria |date=July 25, 2021 |title=Michaels gets '21 Frick for 'first love, baseball' |work=MLB |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/al-michaels-receives-ford-c-frick-award}}</ref>

'''State/local'''
* Football stadium at [[Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)|Alexander Hamilton High School]] in Los Angeles (Michaels's alma mater) named Al Michaels Field.

==Personal life==
Michaels is the eldest child of Jay and Lila Michaels. Michaels has a younger brother, David Michaels, and a younger sister, Susan.<ref name="hiestand" />

Al Michaels currently{{when|date=February 2022}} resides in Los Angeles. He was 21 years old when he married his wife Linda on August 27, 1966. Al and Linda have two children together, Jennifer and Steven. Steven Michaels serves as president and CEO of independent film company [[Asylum Entertainment]] in Los Angeles. Michaels is also a [[Los Angeles Kings]] season ticket holder.<ref name="LosAngelesTimes"/><ref>{{Cite news |last=Moeller |first=Jeff |date=November 5, 2012 |title=Mic'd Up with Al Michaels |publisher=National Hockey League |url=http://kings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=645006 |access-date=November 5, 2012}}</ref>

Al's younger brother David is a television producer. David Michaels has produced such programs as [[NBC]]'s coverage of the Olympic Games, [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|Triple Crown]], and [[Fox Sports Net]]'s ''[[Beyond the Glory]]'' series.

Michaels was arrested and charged for [[driving under the influence]] on April 21, 2013. He was released after about five hours.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Morgenstein |first1=Mark |last2=Stapleton |first2=AnneClaire |date=April 20, 2013 |title=Legendary sportscaster Al Michaels arrested, charged for DUI |work=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/21/us/al-michaels-arrest/index.html |access-date=April 21, 2013}}</ref> He eventually pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of reckless driving and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service plus probation.<ref>{{Cite news |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 10, 2013 |title=Al Michaels – On Probation for the Next Two NFL Seasons |work=[[TMZ]] |url=http://www.tmz.com/2013/08/10/al-michaels-plea-deal-dui-reckless-driving |access-date=December 3, 2015}}</ref>

In 2014, Michaels released his autobiography titled ''You Can't Make This Up: Memories and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television'', which reached [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]] for nonfiction.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympic Rings and Other Things : Countdown to Korea |url=http://olympicringsandotherthings.blogspot.com/search?q=al+michaels |access-date=March 7, 2017 |website=Olympicringsandotherthings.blogspot.com}}</ref>

Michaels has claimed that he has never knowingly eaten a vegetable in his lifetime.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Magary |first=Drew |date=October 29, 2020 |title=Al Michaels And The Price Of Comfort |work=Defector |url=https://defector.com/al-michaels-and-the-price-of-comfort/}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
Michaels had an acting role in a [[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series, season 2)|1970 episode]] of ''[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]'', and has appeared as himself in the films ''[[Jerry Maguire]]'' and ''[[BASEketball]]'', as well as on several TV shows including ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]'' and ''[[Spin City]]''. His call of the U.S. hockey team's victory in the 1980 Olympics can be heard in the 2004 film ''[[Miracle (2004 film)|Miracle]]''. Michaels re-recorded all his original play-by-play coverage for the film, except for the memorable line.

[[Brian d'Arcy James]] portrayed Michaels in the 2002 television movie ''[[Monday Night Mayhem]]''. Michaels has also been lampooned on several occasions by noted impressionists, [[Frank Caliendo]] and [[Billy West]] as well as in the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[Mother Tucker (Family Guy)|Mother Tucker]]".

Michaels was also the featured voice in ''[[HardBall III]]'', a popular computer baseball game for PC. He was also featured, along with [[John Madden]], in the ''[[Madden NFL]]'' series from ''[[Madden NFL 2003]]'' to ''[[Madden NFL 09]]''.

Michaels also appeared in two episodes of ''[[Arliss (TV series)|Arliss]]'', portraying the older cousin of sports agent Arliss Michaels.

==Notable broadcasts==
Michaels was the play-by-play announcer for all notable events unless otherwise noted.
{{div col}}
* [[1972 Winter Olympics]] men's ice hockey
* [[1972 National League Championship Series]]
* [[1972 World Series]]<ref name="nationwidespeakers">[http://www.nationwidespeakers.com/speaker/90/al-michaels/abc-sports-journalist Al Michaels – ABC Sports Journalist – Nationwide Speakers Bureau<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517100855/http://www.nationwidespeakers.com/speaker/90/al-michaels/abc-sports-journalist |date=May 17, 2008 }}</ref>
* [[1977 NAPA National 500]]
* 1978 Atlanta 500
* [[1979 Gabriel 400]]
* [[1979 World Series]] (Games 3–5)
* 1980 Atlanta 500
* [[1980 Winter Olympics]] men's ice hockey ("[[Miracle on Ice]]")<ref name="nationwidespeakers"/>
* [[1981 World Series]] (Games 3–5)
* 1982 Coca-Cola 500
* 1982 CRC Chemicals Rebel 500
* [[1983 World Series]]
* [[1984 Winter Olympics]] men's ice hockey
* [[Super Bowl XIX]] (1985, co-host with Jim Lampley)
* [[1984 Summer Olympics]] athletics and road bicycle racing
* [[1985 World Series]]
* [[112th Kentucky Derby]] (1986, host)
* [[1986 Preakness Stakes|111th Preakness Stakes]] (1986, host)
* 123rd Belmont Stakes (1986, host)
* [[1986 American League Championship Series]]
* [[113th Kentucky Derby]] (1987, host)
* [[1987 Preakness Stakes|112th Preakness Stakes]] (1987, host)
* 124th Belmont Stakes (1987, host)
* [[1987 World Series]]
* [[Super Bowl XXII]] (1988)
* [[1988 Winter Olympics]] men's ice hockey
* [[114th Kentucky Derby]] (1988, host)
* [[1988 Preakness Stakes|113th Preakness Stakes]] (1988, host)
* 125th Belmont Stakes (1988, host)
* [[1988 NLCS]]
* [[1989 Sugar Bowl]]
* [[115th Kentucky Derby]] (1989, host)
* [[1989 Preakness Stakes|114th Preakness Stakes]] (1989, host)
* 126th Belmont Stakes (1989, host)
* [[1989 World Series]]<ref name="nationwidespeakers"/>
* [[1990 Sugar Bowl]]
* [[116th Kentucky Derby]] (1990, host)
* [[1990 Preakness Stakes|115th Preakness Stakes]] (1990, host)
* 127th Belmont Stakes (1990, host)
* [[1991 Sugar Bowl]]
* [[Super Bowl XXV]] (1991)
* [[117th Kentucky Derby]] (1991, host)
* [[1991 Preakness Stakes|116th Preakness Stakes]] (1991, host)
* [[1991 Belmont Stakes|128th Belmont Stakes]] (1991, host)
* [[1992 Sugar Bowl]]
* [[118th Kentucky Derby]] (1992, host)
* [[1992 Preakness Stakes|117th Preakness Stakes]] (1992, host)
* 129th Belmont Stakes (1992, host)
* [[119th Kentucky Derby]] (1993, host)
* [[1993 Preakness Stakes|118th Preakness Stakes]] (1993, host)
* [[1993 Stanley Cup Finals]] (host)<ref name="nationwidespeakers"/>
* 130th Belmont Stakes (1993, host)
* [[120th Kentucky Derby]] (1994, host)
* [[1994 Preakness Stakes|119th Preakness Stakes]] (1994, host)
* 131st Belmont Stakes (1994, host)
* [[Super Bowl XXIX]] (1995)
* [[121st Kentucky Derby]] (1995, host)
* [[1995 Preakness Stakes|120th Preakness Stakes]] (1995, host)
* 132nd Belmont Stakes (1995, host)
* [[1995 World Series]] (Games 1, 4–5)
* [[122nd Kentucky Derby]] (1996, host)
* [[1996 Preakness Stakes|121st Preakness Stakes]] (1996, host)
* 133rd Belmont Stakes (1996, host)
* [[123rd Kentucky Derby]] (1997, host)
* [[1997 Preakness Stakes|122nd Preakness Stakes]] (1997, host)
* [[1997 Belmont Stakes|134th Belmont Stakes]] (1997, host)
* [[124th Kentucky Derby]] (1998, host)
* [[1998 Preakness Stakes|123rd Preakness Stakes]] (1998, host)
* [[1998 Belmont Stakes|135th Belmont Stakes]] (1998, host)
* [[125th Kentucky Derby]] (1999, host)
* [[1999 Preakness Stakes|124th Preakness Stakes]] (1999, Host)
* [[1999 Indianapolis 500]] (host)
* [[1999 Belmont Stakes|136th Belmont Stakes]] (1999, host)
* [[Super Bowl XXXIV]] (2000)
* [[126th Kentucky Derby]] (2000, host)
* [[2000 Preakness Stakes|125th Preakness Stakes]] (2000, host)
* [[2000 Indianapolis 500]] (host)
* [[2000 Stanley Cup Finals]] (host)
* [[2000 Belmont Stakes|137th Belmont Stakes]] (2000, host)
* [[2001 Indianapolis 500]] (host)
* [[2001 Stanley Cup Finals]] (host)
* [[2002 Stanley Cup Finals]] (host)
* [[Super Bowl XXXVII]] (2003)
* [[NBA on Christmas Day]] 2004: [[Los Angeles Lakers]] vs [[Miami Heat]]
* [[2004 NBA Finals]]
* NBA on Christmas Day 2005: [[Los Angeles Lakers]] vs [[Miami Heat]]
* [[2005 NBA Finals]]
* [[Super Bowl XL]] (2006; last Super Bowl and NFL telecast for ABC)
* [[Super Bowl XLIII]] (2009; last telecast paired with color commentator [[John Madden]])
* [[2010 Winter Olympics]] (daytime host and co-host of closing ceremony)
* [[The "Butt Fumble"]] November 22, 2012
* [[Super Bowl XLVI]] (2012)
* [[2012 Summer Olympics]] (daytime host and co-host of closing ceremony)
* [[2014 Winter Olympics]] (weekday host for [[NBCSN]], weekend daytime host for NBC and co-host for closing ceremony)
* [[Super Bowl XLIX]] (2015)
* [[2016 Summer Olympics]] (daytime co-host)
* [[Super Bowl LII]] (2018)
* [[Super Bowl LVI]] (2022)
{{div col end}}

==Career timeline==
* 1968–1970: [[Hawaii Islanders]] Play-by-play<ref name="nationwidespeakers"/>
* 1971–1973: [[Cincinnati Reds]] Radio Play-by-play<ref name="nationwidespeakers"/>
* 1971–1974: ''[[NFL on NBC]]'' Play-by-play
* 1972 and 1980–1988: [[Winter Olympics]] Hockey Play-by-play (NBC 1972, ABC 1980–1988)
* 1973–1975: [[UCLA Basketball]] TV Play-by-play<ref name="nationwidespeakers"/>
* 1974–1976: [[San Francisco Giants]] TV & Radio Play-by-play<ref name="nationwidespeakers"/>
* 1975: ''[[NFL on CBS]]'' Play-by-play
* 1976–1989, 1994–1995: ''[[Major League Baseball on ABC]]'' Play-by-play (Lead Play-by-play from 1983 to 1989 and 1994 to 1995)
* 1977–1985: ''[[College Football on ABC]]'' Play-by-play
* 1986–2000: [[Kentucky Derby]] Host (ABC)
* 1986–2000: [[Preakness Stakes]] Host (ABC)
* 1986–2000: [[Belmont Stakes]] Host (ABC)
* 1986–2005: ''[[ABC Monday Night Football]]'' Play-by-play
* 1987–1989: ''[[College Basketball on ABC]]'' Play-by-play
* 1989–1992: [[Sugar Bowl]] Play-by-play (ABC)
* 2000–2002: ''[[NHL on ABC]]'' Stanley Cup Finals host
* 2003–2005: ''[[NBA on ABC]]'' Play-by-play
* 2006–2021: ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football]]'' Play-by-play
* 2015: ''[[Boxing on NBC#Premier Boxing Champions|PBC on NBC]]'' Host
* 2016: ''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' on [[NBC Sunday Night Football|NBC/NFL Network]] Play-by-play
* 2022–present: ''Thursday Night Football'' on [[Amazon Prime Video]] Play-by-play
* 2022–present: ''NBC Sports'' Emeritus role

==Broadcast partners==
{{div col}}
* [[Hank Stram]]
* [[Hubie Brown]]
* [[Frank Broyles]]
* [[Nelson Burton, Jr.]]
* [[Norm Cash]]
* [[Cris Collinsworth]]
* [[Howard Cosell]]
* [[Heather Cox]]
* [[Dan Dierdorf]]
* [[Ken Dryden]]
* [[Don Drysdale]]
* [[Boomer Esiason]]
* [[Dan Fouts]]
* [[Bob Gibson]]
* [[Frank Gifford]]
* [[Lisa Guerrero]]
* [[Lee Grosscup]]
* [[Kaylee Hartung]]
* [[Kirk Herbstreit]]
* [[Suzy Kolber]]
* [[Andrea Kremer]]
* [[Tommy Lasorda]]
* [[John Madden]]
* [[Tim McCarver]]
* [[Dennis Miller]]
* [[Joe Nuxhall]]
* [[Jim Palmer]]
* [[Ara Parseghian]]
* [[Doc Rivers]]
* [[Lon Simmons]]
* [[Melissa Stark]]
* [[Michele Tafoya]]
* [[Kathryn Tappen]]
* [[Mike Tirico]]
* [[Bob Uecker]]
* [[Lesley Visser]]
* [[Wayne Walker (linebacker)|Wayne Walker]]
* [[Earl Weaver]]
* [[Bill White (first baseman)|Bill White]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv4d_YabnZY "Al Michaels Talks TNF, John Madden, Brady, McVay, Rodgers & More with Rich Eisen,"] The Rich Eisen Show via YouTube.com, September 9, 2023. <small>(Video.)</small>

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{{succession box|before=[[Joe Garagiola Sr.|Joe Garagiola]] on [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]] in 1978<br />[[Sean McDonough]] on [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]] in 1993| title=[[World Series]] network television play-by-play announcer<br /><small>(with [[Keith Jackson]] in 1979 and 1981 and [[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]]'s [[Bob Costas]] in 1995; concurrent with NBC's [[Joe Garagiola, Sr.|Joe Garagiola]], [[Dick Enberg]], and [[Vin Scully]] in odd numbered years)</small> | years=1979–1989<br />1995| after=[[Jack Buck]] on [[Major League Baseball on CBS|CBS]] in 1990<br />[[Joe Buck]] on [[Major League Baseball on Fox|FOX]] in 1996}}
{{succession box | before = [[Brent Musburger]] | title = [[List of Super Bowl broadcasters|Super Bowl studio host]] with [[Jim Lampley]]| years = [[Super Bowl XIX|1985]]| after = [[Bob Costas]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Frank Gifford]]| title=[[Monday Night Football|''Monday Night Football'' play-by-play announcer]] | years=1986–2005 | after=[[Mike Tirico]]}}
{{succession box|before=[[Brad Nessler]]| title=Play-by-play announcer, [[NBA Finals]]| years=2004–2005| after=[[Mike Breen]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Mike Patrick]]<br />(on [[ESPN Sunday Night Football|ESPN]]) | title = ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football|Sunday Night Football]]'' play-by-play| years = 2006–2021 | after=[[Mike Tirico]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Frank Gifford]] | title=[[List of Super Bowl broadcasters|Super Bowl television]] play-by-play announcer<br />([[NBC Sunday Night Football|non-cable prime-time package carrier]]) | years=[[Super Bowl XXII|1987]]–[[Super Bowl LVI|2022]] | after=[[Mike Tirico]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Jim Lampley]] | title = American Winter Olympics daytime host| years = [[2010 Winter Olympics|2010]]–[[2014 Winter Olympics|2014]]<br /><small>([[Lester Holt]] hosted on weekdays in 2014; Michaels hosted the weekday coverage on [[NBCSN]] and weekend coverage on [[NBC Olympic broadcasts|NBC]])</small> | after = [[Rebecca Lowe]]}}
{{succession box|before=[[Jim Nantz]]|title=''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' lead play-by-play|years=[[2016 NFL season|2016]]<br>shared with [[Jim Nantz]] (2016)|after=[[Mike Tirico]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Dick Enberg]] (in 1997) | title= Lead ''[[NFL on NBC]]'' play-by-play announcer| years=2006–2021 | after=[[Mike Tirico]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Joe Buck]]| title=''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' play-by-play announcer | years=2022–present| after=Incumbent}}
{{succession box | before = [[Merle Harmon]] (in [[1965 Major League Baseball season|1965]]) | title = #2 play-by-play announcer, ''[[Major League Baseball on ABC]]''| years = [[1976 Major League Baseball season|1976]]–[[1982 Major League Baseball season|1982]]| after=[[Don Drysdale]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Keith Jackson]] | title = Lead play-by-play announcer, ''[[Major League Baseball on ABC]]''| years = [[1983 Major League Baseball season|1983]]–[[1989 Major League Baseball season|1989]]<br />[[1994 Major League Baseball season|1994]]–[[1995 Major League Baseball season|1995]]| after=Last}}
{{s-end}}
{{Major League Baseball on ABC}}
{{NHL on ABC}}
{{NBA on ABC}}
{{Monday Night Football}}
{{NFL on NBC}}
{{Football Night in America}}
{{Major League Baseball on NBC Radio}}
{{Thoroughbred Racing on ABC}}
{{Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Host}}
{{Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Play-by-Play}}
{{Ford C. Frick Award}}
{{2021 Baseball HOF}}
{{Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award}}
{{Sports Lifetime Achievement Award}}
{{2013 Television Hall of Fame}}
{{MLB Network Showcase}}
{{IndyCar Series on ABC}}
{{The Baseball Network}}
{{Boxing on ABC}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michaels, Al}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles) alumni]]
[[Category:American horse racing announcers]]
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[[Category:Arizona State University alumni]]
[[Category:American boxing commentators]]
[[Category:Bowling broadcasters]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
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[[Category:College basketball announcers in the United States]]
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[[Category:Ford C. Frick Award recipients]]
[[Category:American golf commentators]]
[[Category:Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball]]
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[[Category:Sports Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:People from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:People from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Track and field broadcasters]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins basketball]]
[[Category:United States Football League announcers]]
[[Category:Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumni]]