Amazon Prime live commentator Al Michaels came under heavy criticism on social media after fans slammed his “lack of energy” commentary on Thursday Night Football.
Michaels has long been the voice of American football, working at NBC since 2006 and hosting Amazon’s coverage since its inception in 2022.
In recent years, however, some fans have felt that Michaels’ best years are behind him as he celebrates his 80th birthday in November.
He was there for the Bills’ thrilling early touchdown against the Dolphins on Thursday, but some weren’t exactly blown away by the decision.
“Why isn’t Al Michaels retired?” wrote one fan. “He sounds like a robot calling plays. No joy or emotion in his voice. It’s damn depressing,” while another added, “Bro, get Al Michaels out of the locker room. The bro has no passion anymore.”
Al Michaels (right) was on the phone alongside Kirk Herbstreit for Thursday’s game in Miami
Fans quickly took to social media to criticize Michaels’ call after the Bills’ first touchdown of the game
Elsewhere, one fan sarcastically wrote, “Al Michaels is bursting with energy tonight,” and another said, “Can someone please take Al Michaels off the show? The guy needs the beach.”
Michaels is back for another season hosting Amazon’s NFL coverage, but just months after NBC dealt him a major blow.
Last season, he did not commentate on any of the commentator’s four NFL playoff games, ending – much to Michaels’ surprise – a 17-season winning streak.
He has been part of the network’s postseason football coverage every year since joining in 2006, but was not included in the lineup last season.
NBC’s top commentating pair, Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth, who handle the network’s “Sunday Night Football” duties each week, commentated on three, while Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge commentated on the other.
Michaels celebrates his 80th birthday in November and is a loyal employee of NBC and Amazon
Some claimed he “should have retired 10 years ago,” while others urged him to “wake up.”
Michaels spoke ahead of the season about the matches he was assigned for this season on Thursday night, emphasizing that he could offer “a great storyline for each of them.”
Despite his age, Michaels insists he understands the importance of the digital age, telling NFL Network, “Streaming is becoming more and more important.”
“The curve is pointing up in streaming, and I don’t want to say down in linear streaming, because the NFL is so powerful right now and linear is still very, very important, but there’s a lot of emphasis on streaming right now.”
