The Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots 30-24, going up 5-2 in the league. But during Thursday Night Football, it was Al Michaels who made headlines, with a former FOX Sports host commenting on a recent call in the game.
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“Al Michaels so old, he don’t even care no more… ‘I’ve been on McAfee twice, you’ve been on 500 times. How is he my guy?!’ 😭😭😭” former FOX host Emmanuel Acho wrote on X.
Acho was referring to a moment during the game when Michaels addressed Herbstreit’s regular presence on The Pat McAfee Show.
Both Michaels and McAfee have been known to have a good relationship, with Michaels having made a few appearances on The Pat McAfee Show earlier. Back in May 2023, Michaels also called McAfee the “new king of all media” during his appearance as a guest on the show.
Michaels is decades older than McAfee, but the former is a fan of the younger star. On an appearance on the show in 2021, Michaels had pitched himself for a spot on the show, even wanting to fill in for A.J. Hawk. The veteran broadcaster also really, really likes the show.
“I love this show,” he said, while an amazed McAfee listened. “[It is] everything I dreamed about; [This is] no holds barred television. None.”
In August this year, McAfee also praised Michaels for coming this far, reckoning that he himself would never get to the Michaels’ age.
“The fact that he’s still doing it at the level which he’s doing is fantastic,” McAfee added.
Now, Michaels remembering McAfee comes at a time when the veteran sportscaster is catching a lot of heat. Michaels’ weirdly unenthusiastic calls and numerous mistakes have had many urging him to retire.
During the Bears-Patriots game, Michaels called a fumble that never occurred in the first place.
With a little over five minutes left in the first quarter, the Bears’ defenders jumped on the Patriots’ Corey Kiner, with Michaels saying, “And the ball comes out.” But the ball was never fumbled in the first place.
In the Buffalo Bills-Detroit Lions game, Michaels overlooked a fumble and an uncalled penalty by the Buffalo Bills quarterback, Josh Allen. Michaels also mistakenly identified returner Marvin Mims Jr. as Marvin Jones during the Seattle-Denver game.
The mistakes have become a recurring problem for Michaels now, who is 81. He said Michael Penix Jr. played for the Oregon Ducks in college, when in fact, the QB played for their rivals, the Washington Huskies. He also claimed Cleveland’s Mason Graham to have come out of Michigan State, when he was in fact a star player for the Michigan Wolverines. Michaels had also confused Falcons RB Bijan Robinson with Brian Robinson Jr., who is also on the Atlanta roster.
The veteran commentator has been Prime Video’s lead on Thursday Night Football since 2022 and has called numerous momentous plays in his 41-year broadcasting career. He himself has made his stance clear on when he will leave the announcing job.
“I’ve done the NFL for 41 years, which is half my life. Love it. But you know what? At a certain time, it’s time,” Michaels said on The Dan Patrick Show in early October. “And if they feel it’s time, great. And if I feel it’s time, I’ll know it. And I’ll say, ‘You know what? Thanks for the memories.'”
For now, Michaels has been contracted by Prime Video on a yearly basis since last year. Reports have come suggesting Ian Eagle could be the replacement for Michaels in the near future. However, Michaels earlier told USA Today that he still has that “passion” for calling out games.
Even though McAfee would love to have Michaels on his show, he might be wary of the frequency, considering the backlash Michaels has gotten.