Al Michaels faces backlash from fans for poor commentary during Saints vs Jaguars - “He's really washed”

Sports broadcaster Al Michaels will forever be known for his signature line, “Do you believe in miracles?” uttered during the 1980 Winter Olympics. However, he has had extensive experience covering football, dating back to ABC’s Monday Night Football in 1986.

Michaels transferred to Sunday Night Football in 2006 and is now with Amazon’s Thursday Night Football. His longevity has merit because he is one of the industry’s best. However, football fans are calling him out for his work during the Week 7 game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New Orleans Saints.

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Al Michaels getting criticism for uninspiring Week 7 commentary

The Jacksonville Jaguars faced first-and-10 on the New Orleans Saints’ 17-yard line with 13 minutes left in the second quarter of their Week 7 showdown. From the snap, quarterback Trevor Lawrence flipped the ball to running back Travis Etienne, who dashed to the sideline.

No Saints defender caught up with Etienne as he scored the Jaguars’ second touchdown. While Jacksonville’s fans celebrated this score, Thursday Night Football viewers were unhappy with Al Michaels’ call during the play.

The veteran sportscaster narrated the sequence:

“From the 17-yard line. Little flip here. ETN, ETN takes it to the end zone. Touchdown.”

This description had one football fan commenting:

“He's really washed, its sad”

Another Twitter user said:

“He's so bad. If you weren't watching, you'd have no Idea it were a TD”

Here are other comments regarding Al Michaels’ unenthusiastic description of Etienne’s touchdown.

Aside from football and ice hockey, Michaels has also covered baseball, basketball, boxing, and horse racing. He was in the broadcast booth when an earthquake interrupted Game 3 of the 1989 World Series between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants.

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Al Michaels' legendary sportscasting journey

The Arizona State alum started his broadcasting career on Chuck Barris Productions’ The Dating Game. In 1967, he did four games as the color commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers’ radio broadcast with legendary sportscaster Chick Hearn.

A year later, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, to become KHVH-TV’s sports anchor. His job includes being the play-by-play announcer for the Pacific Coast League’s Hawaii Islanders. Al Michaels also called games for the University of Hawaii football and basketball teams.

In 1971, the Cincinnati Reds hired him to be their play-by-play guy on their radio broadcast. The Giants hired him for the same role three years later. ABC Sports hired him as a full-time sportscaster in 1977 and stayed there until 2006.

He transferred to NBC Sports but officially left Sunday Night Football after the 2021 NFL season. However, he must call at least one playoff game for NBC as an emeritus announcer.