Legendary broadcaster Al Michaels referred to as his first NFL postseason recreation again in 1988, when he was on the decision for ABC for Tremendous Bowl XXII. Whereas he had already established himself as one of many premier play-by-play announcers in all of sports activities, it was his first style of NFL playoff motion since taking on on Monday Night time Soccer for the 1986 season.

Whereas that was his first NFL playoff recreation, we now have motive to imagine that final 12 months’s Jaguars-Chargers tilt could possibly be his final.

In keeping with Andrew Marchand, who covers sports activities media for The New York Submit, Michaels was left off NBC’s playoff roster for the upcoming NFL playoffs. Moreover, the transfer got here as a shock to Michaels. As described by Marchand within the Submit:

Michaels’ swap-out by NBC has been within the works for awhile, although Michaels was apparently caught off guard.

Throughout an early November interview with The Submit, Michaels stated he believed that he was nonetheless going to name the sport on NBC, however didn’t know whom he can be working with.

When knowledgeable by The Submit about it being in limbo, Michaels sounded unaware of the chance.

“It’s in my deal,” Michaels stated. “The place are you listening to that from? That’s a part of my deal. Are you listening to one thing that I’m not listening to?”

There has lengthy been pressure between Michaels and prime NBC executives, although they’ve performed their finest to cover it from public view, even giving Michaels an emeritus title when he was changed. There was a failure to actually outline what the emeritus position actually meant, apart from calling the playoff recreation.

NBC is slated to broadcast 4 playoff video games this season, with a type of unique to Peacock, the community’s streaming service. Their main asserting workforce, Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth from Sunday Night time Soccer, will deal with three of these. Nevertheless, on the opening weekend of the playoffs the community has two video games, and as an alternative of getting Michaels on the decision for a type of, NBC is popping to its prime faculty pairing. Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge, together with sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen, will likely be on the decision.

Michaels, together with Kirk Herbstreit, are nonetheless slated to be on the decision for the ultimate three Thursday Night time Soccer video games of the season on Amazon Prime.