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Al Michaels could join NBC

R

radioguy555

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/13750644.htm

I know this article is from a few days ago, but it was not brought up on this board. It looks like Al Michaels might want out of his deal with ESPN to do "MNF" games on the cable network and may want to join current partner John Madden in the broadcast booth over at NBC. This just goes to show how much some people absolutely despise ESPN.

So now it makes me wonder if ESPN's Sunday night team might stay put and instead do Monday night games next season. Anything's possible.
 
ht> tp://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/13750644.htm
>
>
> I know this article is from a few days ago, but it was not
> brought up on this board. It looks like Al Michaels might
> want out of his deal with ESPN to do "MNF" games on the
> cable network and may want to join current partner John
> Madden in the broadcast booth over at NBC. This just goes to
> show how much some people absolutely despise ESPN.
>
> So now it makes me wonder if ESPN's Sunday night team might
> stay put and instead do Monday night games next season.
> Anything's possible.
>

Speculation in USA Today and the New York Post is that Mike Tirico would join MNF if Michaels moves to NBC.
 
FTVLive is reporting Al Michaels is in fact joining NBC. They also say ABC will not offically announce Michaels' departure until after the Super Bowl.
 
> ht>
> tp://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/13750644.htm
>
> >
> >
> > I know this article is from a few days ago, but it was not
>
> > brought up on this board. It looks like Al Michaels might
> > want out of his deal with ESPN to do "MNF" games on the
> > cable network and may want to join current partner John
> > Madden in the broadcast booth over at NBC. This just goes
> to
> > show how much some people absolutely despise ESPN.
> >
> > So now it makes me wonder if ESPN's Sunday night team
> might
> > stay put and instead do Monday night games next season.
> > Anything's possible.
> >
>
> Speculation in USA Today and the New York Post is that Mike
> Tirico would join MNF if Michaels moves to NBC.

Tony Kornheiser is also a candidate for MNF.
>
 
If FTV Live is correct, I suspect Al Michaels will stay at ABC through the NBA Finals in June, and then join NBC.

I would also think that should Michaels join NBC, besides play-by-play of "Sunday Night Football", he would probably also displace Mike Emrick as NBC's lead play-by-play man for NHL hockey starting in January of 2007. You'll recall that Michaels did play-by-play for ABC's coverage of the hockey tournaments at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics (his broadcast of the "Miracle On Ice" in 1980 elevated him to the top echelon of American sportscasters).

Michaels would probably also get high-profile assignments for NBC at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing (maybe play-by-play of men's basketball or track and field) and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver (again, men's and women's ice hockey).

Besides, if NBC doesn't make a run at Michaels, who could call "Sunday Night Football"??

They could move Cris Collinsworth off the pre-game show (where he had been announced as Bob Costas' co-host) to do play-by-play, but I don't think he's ever done play-by-play before (but has done outstanding job as an analyst, and may become one of the few ex-athletes to successfully do play-by-play).

Sean McDonough is experienced and in his early forties, but he's not a well-known "name".

Chris Cuthbert, who is NBC's number-two NHL play-by-play man, has broadcast a lot of Canadian football (and several Grey Cup Bowls on CBC), but I don't think he's ever called play-by-play of an NFL or major U.S. college football game. That would work against him. He's only a "name" north of the 49th parallel.

I had thought that Tom Hammond would have gotten the "Sunday Night" play-by-play job were Michaels not to move over from ABC. But now it looks like Michaels will get it.

Let's face it: Al Michaels is the only "name" sportscaster that NBC would probably be able to grab for play-by-play of "Sunday Night Football" this Fall. And for a prime-time series of NFL games that will have to go head-to-head with some of TV's most popular shows, you need "names" both as analyst (which John Madden has been for 25 years) and play-by-play (hence, NBC's interest in Michaels).

Once the Olympcs end and Dick Ebersol returns from Turin/Torino, he should meet with Hank Williams, Jr. about doing a new version of "All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over Tonight" (a version of which, with re-written lyrics, was the theme of "Monday Night Football" for the past several years) so it becomes "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On Sunday Nights" and re-written to introduce games on Sunday nights. The three NBC chimes would be added at the very end of that song. I'd even go as far as NBC using the same "Da-Da-Da-Da" fanfare music that ABC had used for years on Monday nights.

(Hank sings: "Are You Ready For Some Football?/A new Sunday tradition/Y'know Al and John are back to get this whole thing started!/(Name of sideline reporter) on the field, Bob and Cris at the half/All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On Sunday Nights![music ends with three NBC chimes])
 
> If FTV Live is correct, I suspect Al Michaels will stay at
> ABC through the NBA Finals in June, and then join NBC.

I would think the ability to cover the Olympics might have been part of the deal that changed Al's mind about sticking it out @ ABC. They have a deep bench for basketball with Brent Musburger and all the ESPN guys that could do NBA (Mike Patrick, Ron Franklin, Mike Tirico...etc)

> I would also think that should Michaels join NBC, besides
> play-by-play of "Sunday Night Football", he would probably
> also displace Mike Emrick as NBC's lead play-by-play man for
> NHL hockey starting in January of 2007. You'll recall that
> Michaels did play-by-play for ABC's coverage of the hockey
> tournaments at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics (his
> broadcast of the "Miracle On Ice" in 1980 elevated him to
> the top echelon of American sportscasters).

Again, I have to disagree. I think Mike Emrick is among the best of the best doing hockey. I would think his deal was a clear cut #1 deal when he signed on.



> Besides, if NBC doesn't make a run at Michaels, who could
> call "Sunday Night Football"??
>
> They could move Cris Collinsworth off the pre-game show
> (where he had been announced as Bob Costas' co-host) to do
> play-by-play, but I don't think he's ever done play-by-play
> before (but has done outstanding job as an analyst, and may
> become one of the few ex-athletes to successfully do
> play-by-play).

Not too likely...Collinsworth is a much better studio guy. I don't think he would a very good job as play by play


> I had thought that Tom Hammond would have gotten the "Sunday
> Night" play-by-play job were Michaels not to move over from
> ABC. But now it looks like Michaels will get it.

I would have thought that Hammond would have had a good shot at doing Sunday night. He does a great job with Notre Dame. Maybe he does TOO good of a job and they need him there.



> Once the Olympcs end and Dick Ebersol returns from
> Turin/Torino, he should meet with Hank Williams, Jr. about
> doing a new version of "All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over
> Tonight" (a version of which, with re-written lyrics, was
> the theme of "Monday Night Football" for the past several
> years) so it becomes "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On
> Sunday Nights" and re-written to introduce games on Sunday
> nights. The three NBC chimes would be added at the very end
> of that song. I'd even go as far as NBC using the same
> "Da-Da-Da-Da" fanfare music that ABC had used for years on
> Monday nights.
>
> (Hank sings: "Are You Ready For Some Football?/A new Sunday
> tradition/Y'know Al and John are back to get this whole
> thing started!/(Name of sideline reporter) on the field, Bob
> and Cris at the half/All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On Sunday
> Nights![music ends with three NBC chimes])
>
I can already see the outcry from the rest of the board about this...lol
I think NBC will go a long way toward making the Sunday games " their own". They may, as the did with the NHL, try "different things". NBC does a decent job with the NHL and as long as they go that way instead of the Arena league in terms of overall production...it shouldn't need to be "like the others"
 
> Once the Olympcs end and Dick Ebersol returns from
> Turin/Torino, he should meet with Hank Williams, Jr. about
> doing a new version of "All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over
> Tonight" (a version of which, with re-written lyrics, was
> the theme of "Monday Night Football" for the past several
> years) so it becomes "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On
> Sunday Nights" and re-written to introduce games on Sunday
> nights. The three NBC chimes would be added at the very end
> of that song. I'd even go as far as NBC using the same
> "Da-Da-Da-Da" fanfare music that ABC had used for years on
> Monday nights.

I think ESPN will be using the MNF fanfare (they're offering it as a ringtone for their cell phone brand), and maybe even Hank.
 
There's so much wrong with your post, it hurts. But I'm going to try to sort thru your mess of speculation.

> If FTV Live is correct, I suspect Al Michaels will stay at
> ABC through the NBA Finals in June, and then join NBC.

Unlikley. If Michaels is announced to NBC after the Super Bowl, ABC will make a clean break with him at that point and have someone else, probably Mike Tirico, Mike Breen, or Brent Musberger take over on the #1 NBA team.

>
> I would also think that should Michaels join NBC, besides
> play-by-play of "Sunday Night Football", he would probably
> also displace Mike Emrick as NBC's lead play-by-play man for
> NHL hockey starting in January of 2007. You'll recall that
> Michaels did play-by-play for ABC's coverage of the hockey
> tournaments at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics (his
> broadcast of the "Miracle On Ice" in 1980 elevated him to
> the top echelon of American sportscasters).

No. If he goes to NBC, he will not call hockey. If you'll remember, he was asked to voice the NHL on ABC five years ago (at a considerable salary bump) and declined. There is no reason that NBC would displace the premier American hockey announcer in Mike Emerick to pay Michaels even more money.

>
> Michaels would probably also get high-profile assignments
> for NBC at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing (maybe
> play-by-play of men's basketball or track and field) and the
> 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver (again, men's and women's
> ice hockey).
>

While there is no doubt someone of his stature would be involved somehow on the Summer Olympic telecasts, you have to consider that NBC already has top-flite people in place for track and basketball. Though much maligned on football, Tom Hammond is fantastic on track and is the "voice" of track in the US. Marv Albert has a contract to do Olympic basketball. I'd imagine Michaels would join Bob Costas in a hosting role.

>
> Sean McDonough is experienced and in his early forties, but
> he's not a well-known "name".

McDonough is pretty well-known from his days as the lead PBP man on CBS's College Football, but he recently turned down an offer from the New York Mets to re-up his deal for college basketball and football and some MLB games for ESPN. Obviously, this situation is all about getting out of contracts, but I believe ESPN is where McDonough wants to be at this point in his career.

> I had thought that Tom Hammond would have gotten the "Sunday
> Night" play-by-play job were Michaels not to move over from
> ABC. But now it looks like Michaels will get it.
>
Hammond blew his chance in the eyes of NBC execs when he botched the call at the end of the Notre Dame-USC game. Widely reported.

> Let's face it: Al Michaels is the only "name" sportscaster
> that NBC would probably be able to grab for play-by-play of
> "Sunday Night Football" this Fall. And for a prime-time
> series of NFL games that will have to go head-to-head with
> some of TV's most popular shows, you need "names" both as
> analyst (which John Madden has been for 25 years) and
> play-by-play (hence, NBC's interest in Michaels).

It's the NFL. They could put two monkeys in the booth and still outdraw the other programming on Sunday nights, especially in the male demographics that they sell to advertisers. Remember, the shows that do well on Sundays (I'm speaking of teh ABC lineup, of course) are targeted primarily at women.
>

> Once the Olympcs end and Dick Ebersol returns from
> Turin/Torino, he should meet with Hank Williams, Jr. about
> doing a new version of "All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over
> Tonight" (a version of which, with re-written lyrics, was
> the theme of "Monday Night Football" for the past several
> years) so it becomes "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On
> Sunday Nights" and re-written to introduce games on Sunday
> nights. The three NBC chimes would be added at the very end
> of that song. I'd even go as far as NBC using the same
> "Da-Da-Da-Da" fanfare music that ABC had used for years on
> Monday nights.

ABC Sports (now a division of ESPN) owns the copyrights to both the Hank Williams songs and the "Da Da Da Da" theme that you speak of. ESPN has previously announced their intention to use both.

Furthermore, NBC would be foolish to even consider using a theme that another network made famous.

>
> (Hank sings: "Are You Ready For Some Football?/A new Sunday
> tradition/Y'know Al and John are back to get this whole
> thing started!/(Name of sideline reporter) on the field, Bob
> and Cris at the half/All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On Sunday
> Nights![music ends with three NBC chimes])
>

Oh, the humanity!
 
> ABC Sports (now a division of ESPN) owns the copyrights to
> both the Hank Williams songs and the "Da Da Da Da" theme
> that you speak of. ESPN has previously announced their
> intention to use both.

While ABC owns the lyrics, Hank (or his publisher) owns the music -- he could simply write new lyrics for NBC, if NBC wanted a similar song.

As for the "Da da da da" theme -- it's stock music that ABC merely bought the rights to. Some of you may have also recognised that song as the theme to the "SFM Holiday Network" in the 1970s and 1980s.
 
> > ABC Sports (now a division of ESPN) owns the copyrights to
>
> > both the Hank Williams songs and the "Da Da Da Da" theme
> > that you speak of. ESPN has previously announced their
> > intention to use both.
>
> While ABC owns the lyrics, Hank (or his publisher) owns the
> music -- he could simply write new lyrics for NBC, if NBC
> wanted a similar song.
>
> As for the "Da da da da" theme -- it's stock music that ABC
> merely bought the rights to. Some of you may have also
> recognised that song as the theme to the "SFM Holiday
> Network" in the 1970s and 1980s.
>

Hank sold the music to Disney in the mid-90's when it looked as if ABC could lose MNF to CBS or Fox.
 
Hi everyone:

> Not too likely...Collinsworth is a much better studio guy.
> I don't think he would a very good job as play by play

Cris is also a great Color Analyst as well. :)

>
> > I had thought that Tom Hammond would have gotten the
> "Sunday
> > Night" play-by-play job were Michaels not to move over
> from
> > ABC. But now it looks like Michaels will get it.
>
> I would have thought that Hammond would have had a good
> shot at doing Sunday night. He does a great job with Notre
> Dame. Maybe he does TOO good of a job and they need him
> there.

Notre Dame can have him 'cause I'm just not that overly impressed with the way he calls Arena Football games.

And speaking of the AFL....

> I think NBC will go a long way toward making the Sunday
> games " their own". They may, as the did with the NHL, try
> "different things". NBC does a decent job with the NHL and
> as long as they go that way instead of the Arena league in
> terms of overall production...it shouldn't need to be "like
> the others"

What does NBC do differently with the AFL that's so bad compared to their coverage of the NHL (Aside from having Tom Hammond in the booth for AFL games)?

Just curious.

Cheers for now :)

P.S. In case Al Michaels DOES decide to stick it out afterall...Has anyone even considered the thought of Bob Costas being put in the booth and Al Trautwig being tapped to do the pre and (maybe) postgame shows? Would seem to make sense.
<P ID="signature">______________
patspodcast03a.jpg

http://patspodcast.blogspot.com/
Radio? Uhh.....What's THAT?? :)</P>
 
Couple of thisgs to clear up on your post here. I agree with most of it by the way. However, Mike Breen, not Marv Albert called Olympic basketball for NBC in Athens. 2004 marked the first olympics since the early 90's when Marv wasnt involved in some way.

Along those same line, It has been reported that Marv could be inline to call NFL games for NBC if Michaels decides to say with ESPN. This move would make alot of sense. One: Marv has a long history with NBC. Two: he has a long history calling football games, most recently as the voice of Monday Night Football on Westwood One. He will also call the Super Bowl for the Network on Sunday. Thirdly, he has the name recognition that Tom Hammond lacks among most American's. Ask them who Tom Hammond is, and you will get a blank stare. Ask them who Marv Albert is and they will know.

> There's so much wrong with your post, it hurts. But I'm
> going to try to sort thru your mess of speculation.
>
> > If FTV Live is correct, I suspect Al Michaels will stay at
>
> > ABC through the NBA Finals in June, and then join NBC.
>
> Unlikley. If Michaels is announced to NBC after the Super
> Bowl, ABC will make a clean break with him at that point and
> have someone else, probably Mike Tirico, Mike Breen, or
> Brent Musberger take over on the #1 NBA team.
>
> >
> > I would also think that should Michaels join NBC, besides
> > play-by-play of "Sunday Night Football", he would probably
>
> > also displace Mike Emrick as NBC's lead play-by-play man
> for
> > NHL hockey starting in January of 2007. You'll recall that
>
> > Michaels did play-by-play for ABC's coverage of the hockey
>
> > tournaments at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics
> (his
> > broadcast of the "Miracle On Ice" in 1980 elevated him to
> > the top echelon of American sportscasters).
>
> No. If he goes to NBC, he will not call hockey. If you'll
> remember, he was asked to voice the NHL on ABC five years
> ago (at a considerable salary bump) and declined. There is
> no reason that NBC would displace the premier American
> hockey announcer in Mike Emerick to pay Michaels even more
> money.
>
> >
> > Michaels would probably also get high-profile assignments
> > for NBC at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing (maybe
> > play-by-play of men's basketball or track and field) and
> the
> > 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver (again, men's and
> women's
> > ice hockey).
> >
>
> While there is no doubt someone of his stature would be
> involved somehow on the Summer Olympic telecasts, you have
> to consider that NBC already has top-flite people in place
> for track and basketball. Though much maligned on football,
> Tom Hammond is fantastic on track and is the "voice" of
> track in the US. Marv Albert has a contract to do Olympic
> basketball. I'd imagine Michaels would join Bob Costas in a
> hosting role.
>
> >
> > Sean McDonough is experienced and in his early forties,
> but
> > he's not a well-known "name".
>
> McDonough is pretty well-known from his days as the lead PBP
> man on CBS's College Football, but he recently turned down
> an offer from the New York Mets to re-up his deal for
> college basketball and football and some MLB games for ESPN.
> Obviously, this situation is all about getting out of
> contracts, but I believe ESPN is where McDonough wants to be
> at this point in his career.
>
> > I had thought that Tom Hammond would have gotten the
> "Sunday
> > Night" play-by-play job were Michaels not to move over
> from
> > ABC. But now it looks like Michaels will get it.
> >
> Hammond blew his chance in the eyes of NBC execs when he
> botched the call at the end of the Notre Dame-USC game.
> Widely reported.
>
> > Let's face it: Al Michaels is the only "name" sportscaster
>
> > that NBC would probably be able to grab for play-by-play
> of
> > "Sunday Night Football" this Fall. And for a prime-time
> > series of NFL games that will have to go head-to-head with
>
> > some of TV's most popular shows, you need "names" both as
> > analyst (which John Madden has been for 25 years) and
> > play-by-play (hence, NBC's interest in Michaels).
>
> It's the NFL. They could put two monkeys in the booth and
> still outdraw the other programming on Sunday nights,
> especially in the male demographics that they sell to
> advertisers. Remember, the shows that do well on Sundays
> (I'm speaking of teh ABC lineup, of course) are targeted
> primarily at women.
> >
>
> > Once the Olympcs end and Dick Ebersol returns from
> > Turin/Torino, he should meet with Hank Williams, Jr. about
>
> > doing a new version of "All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin'
> Over
> > Tonight" (a version of which, with re-written lyrics, was
> > the theme of "Monday Night Football" for the past several
> > years) so it becomes "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On
> > Sunday Nights" and re-written to introduce games on Sunday
>
> > nights. The three NBC chimes would be added at the very
> end
> > of that song. I'd even go as far as NBC using the same
> > "Da-Da-Da-Da" fanfare music that ABC had used for years on
>
> > Monday nights.
>
> ABC Sports (now a division of ESPN) owns the copyrights to
> both the Hank Williams songs and the "Da Da Da Da" theme
> that you speak of. ESPN has previously announced their
> intention to use both.
>
> Furthermore, NBC would be foolish to even consider using a
> theme that another network made famous.
>
> >
> > (Hank sings: "Are You Ready For Some Football?/A new
> Sunday
> > tradition/Y'know Al and John are back to get this whole
> > thing started!/(Name of sideline reporter) on the field,
> Bob
> > and Cris at the half/All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On
> Sunday
> > Nights![music ends with three NBC chimes])
> >
>
> Oh, the humanity!
>
 
Michaels/Costas

Hey, they've teamed up before...as the play-by-play team in the 1998 lackluster blockbuster "BASEketball"<P ID="signature">______________
Bob
Moderator, Nashville board
Radio-Info.com--Always Tuned In

"I don't spread rumors, but I sometimes make outrageous speculations with no factual basis."</P>
 
> Chris Cuthbert, [is] only a "name" north of the
> 49th parallel.

I guess he's not a "name" in Cavendish Beach, Prince Edward Island, at 4*6* degrees n. long., the northernmost I've ever been in Canada (or any country). :)

ixnay
 
Re: Michaels/Costas

> Hey, they've teamed up before...as the play-by-play team in
> the 1998 lackluster blockbuster "BASEketball"
>
Maybe Al is leaving due to the fact that Skip Bayless

made a big deal that Joe Theismann was going to be the villian

on the booth.

Sure he gets on people's nerves

but Mike Patrick handled him all right during the years that ESPN

went with the two man booth (1988-97)

As far as Kornheiser, he NEVER GOES OUT TO DO ANYTHING

according to Wilbon
 
> > (Hank sings: "Are You Ready For Some Football?/A new
> Sunday
> > tradition/Y'know Al and John are back to get this whole
> > thing started!/(Name of sideline reporter) on the field,
> Bob
> > and Cris at the half/All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On
> Sunday
> > Nights![music ends with three NBC chimes])
> >

We are happy
We are merry
We've got a rhyming dictionary
 
Re: Michaels/Costas

> Hey, they've teamed up before...as the play-by-play team in
> the 1998 lackluster blockbuster "BASEketball"
>
I have that movie on DVD, actually because of its sillyness, it's one of my favorite movies. It does feature our favorites in the movie: America's favorite whipping boy for analysts--Tim McCarver and the infamous Pat O'Brien. I still wonder how much the four of them got from Universal for appearing in BASEketball? It's not always likely to see top-flight sportscasters (and McCarver) do such a silly movie, especially something written and produced by Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by ShawnHill on 02/02/06 05:31 PM.</FONT></P>
 
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