Deadspin
Of all the brilliance of the great Berman videos, our third biggest thrill (behind the initial outrage and the deux deux deux) involves his rants about Al Michaels. As we said before, in this tiny little universe, Berman seems to see Michaels as Mozart, and himself as Salieri. Which is just sad.
Michaels, to us, has always seemed like the epitome of a middle-aged wealthy Los Angeleno; if Woody Allen made a movie about him, he'd be played by Tony Roberts. And lest we forget the great moment in Michaels' career. No, no, not the Miracle On Ice. The time he informed Peter Jennings that a Howard Stern prankster was on the phone during the OJ Simpson Bronco chase.
Also: He was traded for Oswald the lucky rabbit.
Anyway, do you like the Al Michaels? Do you not like the Al Michaels?
Comments
Old Al- Approve
Current Al- Hell no.
Im sorry, the man rehearses his big calls and spends football games feeding the beast that is Madden.
Friend of a friend, so I have to approve. But I'd approve anyhow.
Al Michaels is Macys, Chris Berman is Gimbels.
Disapprove both.
Approve. Although he seems like he is due for a sex scandal of his own.
Where's the "fuckhead" option?
I'll vote when the picture of Al finishes downloading. It seems like it's stuck at 85%.
contrary to the now popular belief, al is not, in fact, a fuckhead. approve.
That photo looks like one of the "Before" photos on a Proactiv commercial.
Approve, if for nothing else than to stick it to Boomer Esiason.
Approve - The steady hand over at MNF for my entire childhood
He's OK... for a fuckhead.
I like when Michaels talks about the point spread during the game.
I disapprove his hair plugs. You look ridiculous, Allllllll.
Used to like him, but didn't have cable. If you wanted sports, you had to listen to Al. Kind of like convincing yourself in college that you liked Natual Light when it was the only thing there.
Approved
1) He genuinely seems to like football. (FUCK YOU KORNHEISER!)
2) His many appearances on the above mentioned Howard Stern.
@Rob Iracane: And that picture looks like it was taken at the Sears Portrait Studio.
However, I approve.
Approve out of nostalgia. Spent many a monday night falling asleep to a small black and white TV with MNF going long into the night.
The guy's still living off a call he made 27 years ago, but I still approve.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MICHAELS? YES!
Approved.
I'll never forgive Al Michaels for running Herb Brooks off the road on that fateful day in August of 2003. The fucker wanted all the "Miracle on Ice" glory for himself.
Have to approve. Broadcaster of the single greatest sports moment of my younger self, and he nailed the moment. Everything else I choose to ignore or use the mute button.
And Berman hates him. The enemy of my enemy theory.
@Turkeyleg: Couldn't agree more, except for the approve part.
Will, why did you take out the best part of that picture?
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Best play-by-play guy in the game, but at his best when narrating replays--always makes a huge play feel huge. Big approve for Al.
Sorry, disapprove. I'm tired of him ranting during the 4th quarter with Madden when the game is out of hand. All I can say is he's the best of a bad lot when it comes to the head football teams on the networks, but if Al Michaels can't run circles around Jim Nantz and Joe Buck, that's trouble in and of itself.
He gets my vote for having the self-control to not beat Madden to death with a tire iron. Also, he talked us through the aftermath of the Loma Prieta quake.
Al Michaels sucks a EUGE cock.
The picture looks like someone photoshopped Al Michaels' face onto Arnold Schwarzenegger's high school yearbook photo.
Got to approve a guy whose given me over $500 in tips.
Would've voted yes in 1988, Now a days, no. It's like watching Steve Carlton at the end of his career.
This is a completely farcical poll, Peter.
And just six months ago, those girls were still in high school!
/stares blankly
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Approved.
Suck it Berman!
Dropping a deuce the day after eating jalapenos is more enjoyable that listening to a Michaels telecast.
Considering my yahoo suicide pool entry is often named "Al Michaels Sucks off the GOP", disapprove.
@Jefferson Short Bus: The fact that he hasn't beaten Madden to death with a tire iron yet even though he has the chance is exactly why I disapprove.
@The Secret Weapon: That pic is awesome. Now that, my freinds, is a shit-eating grin.
I must approve at least one NFL announcer, so Michaels it is. He doesn't really botch calls often and has a dry sense of humor which I appreciate.
He would be even better if he feigned a little bit of excitement for the big plays. Can somebody inject him with some Gus Johnson juice?
"...as if something really, really funny is going on slightly to the left."
-M. Hedberg
(R.I.P.)
Approve, since he's not shocked that gambling is taking place here.
@Weed Against Speed: Hil-arious. +1
His greatest moments all came before I even knew who he was, but you gotta approve.
There really needs to be a third "whatever" option to this poll; I'm incapable of forming a strong opinion about Al.
This is a totally farsical post.
Al Michaels is the man. And i also like how he, like Costas, doesn't seem to take himself too seriously.
I am more of a well wisher of Al Michaels, as in, I don't wish him any particular harm.
Approve.
I was a Tonight Show intern when Al Michaels came to do a jaywalking segment with Jay. He was cool, laid-back and treated the interns with respect. He is hella short, though.
Sometimes I feel he plays up the "this may have to be reviewed" crap too much, which kills the flow of the game, but I approve wholeheartedly.
/don't have a joke. again.
the hippest old shit in the biz. approve.
I'd rather have the cartoon rabbit.
Media Approval Ratings:Deadspin::Who's Now:WWL
I remember him holding shit down during the 1989 earthquake. Approve.
Considering the partners he's had to endure, I approve.
Approve - if for no other reason than his role in Baseketball.
It's hard to believe the results of this poll.
And it's hard to believe that just four years ago, those girls were only in grade school.
I used to like him, but I've grown tired of him over the years. Disapprove.
He's an ass in person and knows much less about the rules of football than he pretends to, but he's on Mount Rushmore anyway.
Approve, though he was more enjoyable when he used to make thinly-veiled references to gamblers covering the spread in the waning moments of a game.
I can't believe you sons-of-bitches (all due respect to the collective "maugh")... I fuckin' HATE Al "The Weasel" Michaels. He is a continuation of Howard "Look at the little monkey run" Cossell, but too slick to get caught on the air. He is #2 on the list, after the cat I can't seem to catch that shits on my lawn in the pre-dawn hours.
The best thing that could've happened to MNF is that they kept Dennis Miller and Dan Fouts in the booth, then arranged for Al Michaels' pastimely death mid-broadcast from a swordfish rammed up clean up his ass. THAT would have been fantastic!