Al Michaels Faces Backlash for On-Air Gaffes on Consecutive NFL Broadcasts

Veteran broadcaster Al Michaels has faced viewer backlash on two consecutive Thursday Night Football broadcasts. The 81-year-old commentator drew ire for factual inaccuracies concerning NFL player history and for a previous on-air remark about Donald Trump's failed bid to purchase the Buffalo Bills.

During the broadcast of the Atlanta Falcons versus Green Bay Packers game, Michaels stumbled while discussing the college career of Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. He incorrectly stated that Penix Jr. had played his college football at Indiana University before spending "two great years at Oregon." College football fans quickly pointed out that Penix Jr. actually played for the Washington Huskies, a fierce rival of the Oregon Ducks. Michaels later corrected himself, but the error had already circulated widely on social media.

Viewers expressed their frustration on social media platforms. One user on X wrote, "Al Michaels just committed the cardinal sin of football, saying Michael Penix had 'two greats years at Oregon.' He corrected himself after my blood pressure had already spike." Another commented, "Al Michaels is already drunk. He said Michael Penix went to Oregon when he actually went to Washington."

This incident followed criticism from the previous week's broadcast. Michaels had commented on Donald Trump's unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Buffalo Bills in 2014. Michaels recalled that Trump had offered a "cashier's check for a billion dollars," but the league ultimately chose Terry Pegula's higher bid of $1.4 billion. Michaels noted that this was Trump's fourth failed attempt to buy an NFL franchise.

Trump supporters reacted negatively to Michaels' commentary, with some viewers expressing a desire to keep political discussions out of sports broadcasts. "People watch football to escape all the bulls*** that goes on in the world," one critic wrote on X. "Nobody wants to hear that political nonsense."

Another user suggested that Michaels should retire, stating he is "becoming more senile every week."