As you know, Michaels was released from his ESPN/ABC contract and allowed to move to NBC in part because the latter network agreed to fork over the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a Walt Disney creation from the 1920s (when Disney was forced to sell off Oswald, he just shortened the character's ears and created Mickey Mouse). So why would Disney want Oswald back? Was it simply, as Disney CEO Bob Iger claimed, so that a "beloved character could return home?" If you believe that, we have some swamp property in Adventure Land we'd like to sell you. Here's what really happened, according to Jim Hill Media (found via the Tony Isabella message board):

The story that I've heard from a number of Disney insiders is that it was actually an article that ran on Jerry Beck & Amid Amidi's excellent Cartoon Brew website back in January 2005 that reportedly put Oswald the Lucky Rabbit on Iger's radar. You see, Jerry & Amid had just done a story about how Oswald merchandise was (for some inexplicable reason) suddenly selling like hotcakes in Japan. And Bob — while doing his standard every morning routine of trolling-around-the-Internet-while-strolling-on-his-treadmill — [saw it and] allegedly just filed this factoid away.

Iger, say the insiders, started making inquiries about Oswald and found that whoever owned the licensing rights would be sitting on a potential gold mine. After discovering that Universal still owned the rights, Iger just kicked back and waited for the right moment to strike — which happened as soon as ESPN/ABC/Disney had something that NBC/Universal wanted: Michaels. More from Jim Hill Media:

As for Oswald's first gig as a newly reacquired Disney character ... Well, this lucky rabbit is about to go hi-tech. Given that Oswald-related merchandise is still very popular in Japan, Disney's reportedly looking into creating some brand-new animation of this classic cartoon character as he appeared back in the 1920s. So that this lucky rabbit can then make appearances on cellular phones and/or on other handheld devices.

You see, this is why some people make the big bucks. From now on whenever we see Al Michaels, we'll remember the day that NBC got outsmarted by a cartoon bunny.

A Special "Lucky Rabbit" Edition Of Why For [Jim Hill Media]

No, seriously. As pointed out by Dave's Sports Views, the rights to have Michaels broadcast for NBC next year were given to NBC in exchange for:

• Rights to broadcast Friday coverage of the next four Ryder Cups.
• "Increased usage of Olympic highlights."
• The rights to cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who appeared in silent Disney cartoons back in the late 1920s.

No, we're not kidding; this was an actual requirement of the deal. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, according to Wikipedia, Oswald was an original prototype for Mickey Mouse. He hasn't appeared in a cartoon for more than 50 years. And he just was traded for Al Michaels.

Just to rub his face in it, ESPN content head John Skipper essentially calls Michaels a liar on the way out the door. Tell us again how beloved Michaels supposedly was?

Michaels Jumps To NBC [SI.com] (via Dave's Sports Views)
Michaels Trades Monday Night For NBC Sunday Game [ESPN]

(A complete history of Oswald can be found here. No word on whether he carries Michaels' similar affection for tans.)

(UPDATE: True to form, ESPN has taken John Skipper's comments about Michaels off their site. Here's what he said:

"Al was not comfortable and let us know he was not comfortable with our vision of where we are going. Back in November he said it was the greatest job ever invented. So sometime between the last couple of weeks and November apparently he had a change of heart.")