Veteran broadcaster Al Michaels attempted to inject political commentary into Amazon Prime's Thursday Night Football broadcast, making a joke about former President Donald Trump's alleged executive order to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America." The attempt was met with an apparent silence from his broadcast partner, Kirk Herbstreit.
During the broadcast of the Cleveland Browns vs. New England Patriots game, Michaels, 81, commented on a segment about Trump. "That is Lake Erie. We think it is still called Lake Erie ... We're not quite sure at this point. But we'll be by Lake something like Ontario or whatever it's going to be called by the time we get to Buffalo. Anyway, you know what I'm talking about ... Read the news," Michaels said.
Herbstreit, who typically avoids political topics, appeared hesitant and responded quietly, "Some of us know ..."
Michaels, a renowned sports announcer known for broadcasting events like the "Miracle on Ice" and numerous Super Bowls, has been a prominent voice in sports broadcasting for decades. However, his foray into political humor on the broadcast was perceived by some observers as a misstep.
The broadcast, already noted for its struggles including offensive line play and frequent commercials, continued with Michaels' commentary, which some described as an "endurance test" and "pure banana land."
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The reaction from some within the media suggested Michaels should focus on game commentary. One commentary suggested that if such political commentary continues, the broadcast might consider an AI announcer.
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