Al Michaels was widely eviscerated Saturday night for his lifeless performance behind the mic during one of the greatest comebacks in NFL postseason history.
And now, the legendary broadcaster is firing back at his critics.
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The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand published his text exchange with Michaels Monday following Chargers-Jaguars, in which Jacksonville roared back from a 27-point deficit. Despite the Jaguars’ incredible comeback, Michaels and analyst Tony Dungy announced the affair with the level of enthusiasm people usually reserve for getting a colonoscopy.
The proof is in the highlights. Michaels didn’t even raise his voice when Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson knocked down the game-winning try as time expired.
“Here we go. For the win … there’s a flag down as everyone is running out onto the field,” said Michaels.
While nobody is asking for Michaels to have a conniption in the booth, it would’ve been nice to hear some excitement during an all-time classic. But alas, Michaels barely spoke with any inflection.
He says his critics are all wrong, however.
“A lot of folks who understand this industry are annoyed with the over-the-top yelling that makes a game sound like an offshoot of talk radio,” wrote Michaels. “I’m in that corner, but there are others who obviously think otherwise.”
Michaels added he was “very happy” with his performance and isn’t trying to create “over the top YouTube hits.”
At 78 years old, it’s apparent that Michaels may be losing a step, or at least his passion for calling NFL games. That’s understandable: Michaels has been in the booth for decades, and largely spent his time this season calling wretched “Thursday Night Football” games on Amazon — and sounding miserable the whole way.
But with a reported contract that pays him $1 million per game, it doesn’t seem like Michaels wants to walk away.
For that kind of money, the least he could do is sound like he’s trying to enjoy himself.