Al Michaels Quotes, Alan Richard Michaels, born November 12, 1944, in Brooklyn, New York, is an American television sportscaster whose voice has defined iconic moments in sports history. Starting at NBC in 1971, he called the Cincinnati Reds’ games and the 1972 Sapporo Olympics before joining ABC Sports (1976–2006), where he broadcasted Monday Night Football for nearly two decades and the “Miracle on Ice” at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Returning to NBC in 2006, he has covered Sunday Night Football and events like the 1989 World Series, interrupted by an earthquake. A five-time Emmy winner, Michaels was named Sportscaster of the Year by the American Sportscasters Association and inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2013. These 15 quotes—sourced from interviews, his book You Can’t Make This Up (2014), public statements, and posts on X—reflect his wisdom on broadcasting, sports, storytelling, and life, capturing his passion and wit.
15 Al Michaels Quotes
- “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” (You Can’t Make This Up, p. 134, 2014)
- “The game is No. 1. You are an adjunct to the game. In a studio, there is no game. You are the star. For the game, you can’t go away from the game and beat your chest.” (You Can’t Make This Up, p. 78, 2014)
- “I’ve always felt that the game itself is pretty much a melody and I am there to provide the lyrics.” (Interview, NPR, 2014)
- “When dealing in the technology, it becomes a question of whether you overuse something. I think that’s worse than having something technologically available to you and not using it.” (Interview, CNBC, 2010)
- “You can’t script this stuff!” (Broadcast, quoted in Bookey.app, 2023)
- “As a kid growing up, I was so in sync as a fan that that served me well through the years. I can feel the game.” (Interview, NPR, 2014)
- “Those three words, Monday Night Football, resonate like no other.” (Interview, ESPN, 2006)
- “I always believe in miracles.” (Interview, CNBC, 2010)
- “It’s funny, but when there are dominant teams, people rail about seeing the Cowboys or 49ers in the playoffs or Super Bowl.” (Broadcast, quoted in AZQuotes, n.d.)
- “Well, folks. That’s the greatest open in the history of television—bar none!” (Broadcast, quoted in AZQuotes, n.d.)
- “I think the Cowboys are one of only two teams in all of sports that engender love and hate to that extreme. The other is the Yankees.” (Interview, ESPN, 2010)
- “There’s the pass, caught by the receiver, touchdown!” (Broadcast, quoted in Bookey.app, 2023)
- “I’ve always felt that I’m in a spontaneous business and if you script something, it will sound that way.” (Interview, The Athletic, 2023)
- “You have to save it for the moments and tell the story of the game.” (Interview, The Pat McAfee Show, 2024)
- “My mindset always is that you’ve gotta be as good tonight as you’ve ever been.” (Interview, The Pat McAfee Show, 2024)
Al Michaels’s quotes are a vibrant mix of storytelling, passion, and sports wisdom, inspiring us to seize the moment, stay authentic, and elevate the game we’re in. Which one’s got you ready to call your own play? Drop it in the comments and keep Michaels’s legendary voice thriving!
Emma Thompson
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