“Are you someone who believes in miracles? Indeed!” Olympic fans of the 1980s will never forget this final-second exclamation. Al Michaels, one of the greatest sportscasters of his generation, delivered the line during the 1980 Winter Olympic hockey game between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Additionally, the American sportscaster is the first to cover all four major sports competitions in the United States, including the NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB.
After nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels now works for NBC.
Numerous National Football League fans may recognize him as the play-by-play announcer for ABC’s Monday Night Football and NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Michaels is also well-known for memorable calls in other sports, including the earthquake-interrupted Game 3 of the 1989 World Series and the 1980 Winter Olympics’ Miracle on Ice.
Although almost every NFL fan has heard his voice over the last three decades, many of them may wish to read the entirety of his career.
We have shed light on his personal and professional lives in this article. Therefore, read all the way to the end to learn everything about this wonderful group of people.
Life in Childhood, Family, and Education
Alan Richard Michaels, or Al Michaels as he is affectionately known, was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jay Leonard Michaels and Lila Roginsky.
Al grew up alongside his parents and his brother David Michaels and sister Susan Michaels.
The Brooklyn Dodgers fan attended Elmsford, New York’s Alexander Hamilton High School. Due to economic insecurity, the family was forced to relocate to Los Angeles.
Michaels later enrolled in Arizona State University after graduating from high school. His majors were radio and television, and he minored in journalism at the university.
Michaels worked as a sportswriter for the university’s independent student newspaper, The State Press, during his college years.
Additionally, Michaels broadcasted for the campus radio station during Sun Devils (the university’s athletic team) football, basketball, and baseball games.
Al Michaels | Career in its infancy
Michael began his career in sports broadcasting in 1967 as a color commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers.
For a brief period, he worked alongside Chick Hearn on the team’s radio broadcasting. He relocated to Honolulu a year later to work as a sports anchor for KHVH-TV.
The 1969 “Sportscaster of the Year” in Hawaii called play-by-play for the Hawaii Islanders baseball team, the University of Hawaii football and basketball teams, and a few other local high school football games.
Michaels served as the play-by-play announcer for NBC Sport’s hockey coverage of the 1972 Winter Olympics in Japan in 1972.
Additionally, he assisted in the network’s coverage of the World Baseball Series’ Fall Classic for the MLB’s Cincinnati Reds.
Michaels also called play-by-play for the San Francisco Giants and UCLA basketball games in 1974. He left NBC in 1975 to join CBS Sports as a regional NFL announcer.
Al Michaels | A Career in the Professions
ESPN Sports
Michaels joined ABC Sports in 1976 as a substitute announcer for Monday Night Baseball. He joined ABC in 1983 as the lead baseball announcer and covered a variety of sports during his three-decade tenure.
Michael was tasked with broadcasting the ice hockey match between the United States and the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. He was chosen for the game based on his previous participation in a similar game during the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Michael’s most memorable call came during this game: “Do you believe in miracles?” CERTAINLY! ”
The line fit the atmosphere perfectly, as an unknown group of college lads from the United States team was tasked with defending the Gold Medal against the Soviet team’s favorites. Michaels went on to state, WHEN I REFLECT ON MY CAREER, OBVIOUSLY, LAKE PLACID WOULD BE THE HIGHLIGHT; I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING THAT COULD EVER COMPETE WITH IT.
Due to Michaels’ famous words, the game is remembered as “The Miracle on Ice.”
Broadcasts of Baseball
In 1985, Michaels covered Major League Baseball games. He co-announced Game 5 of the American League Championship Series between the California Angels and the Boston Red Sox with Jim Palmer.
He also appeared as a guest commentator on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball in 2003.
The earthquake struck during the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. While reporting, Michaels and his partner Palmer sustained bruises.
This commitment earned him an Emmy nomination for news broadcasting.
Football on Monday Night
Since 1986, Michaels has worked as a play-by-play announcer for ABC Sport’s Monday Night Football broadcast. In 1988 and 1991, he presided over the Super Bowl.
Until the 1997 season, he was assisted by Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford. Following that, on Sept. 7, 1998, Boomer Esiason made his debut, succeeding Frank Gifford and assisting him until 1999.
Additionally, the duo of John Madden and Michaels grew in popularity after Madden joined the show in 2002.
NBA telecasts
Michaels joined ABC as the NBA’s lead broadcaster during the 2003-04 season.
Since the Shaquille O’Neal vs. Kobe Bryant game on Christmas Day 2004, Doc Rivers worked with him until Hubie Brown took over. Later in their careers, the duo became ABC’s top broadcast team.
Michaels, on the other hand, faced numerous criticisms for not being a “basketball guy” and for his lack of enthusiasm and confidence.
Additionally, some claimed he used lengthy explanations and was thus well-suited for baseball and football broadcasts.
Sports on NBC
Before the 2006 season, MNF was moved from ABC to ESPN. Thus, Michaels left ABC after 30 years and MNF after 20 years to join Madden on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
He was “traded” between NBC and Disney, the parent company of ESPN, in exchange for the rights to the cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
The Michaels-Madden duo remained in contact until 2009. Following that, Cris Collinsworth took over for Madden. Michaels previously worked for NBC, calling Super Bowls XLII, XLVI, XLIX, and LII. He eats his dinner identically during his telecast.
Host of the Olympics
Michaels served as the daytime host for NBC’s coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics and co-hosted the closing ceremony.
He was also given a similar role at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Similarly, he hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics on NBCSN during the week and during the day on weekends.
He also hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics’ daytime coverage. Additionally, Michaels hosted the Premier Boxing Championship on Saturday nights on NBC.
Major League Baseball Network
Michaels co-anchored the MLB Network’s 2011 broadcast of the New York Mets-San Francisco Giants game with Bob Costas.
Al Michaels | Awards and Recognition
The five-time Emmy Award winner has been named National Sportscaster of the Year three times by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
In 1998, he was inducted into the NSSA Hall of Fame, and in 2013, he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. Likewise, he has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The Pete Rozelle Radio & Television Award was also presented to the American Sportscasters Association and Washington Journalism Review’s Sportscaster of the Year.
He was presented with the Rozelle Award on Aug. 2, 2013, at Canton’s annual Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner.
Notably, that is also the event at which the 2013 Hall of Fame Class received their gold Pro Football Hall of Fame jackets.
Michales was also a 2002 recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award for Journalism Excellence.
Not to mention that Al Michaels Field is also the name of the football stadium at Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles.
Al Michaels | Documentaries
Michaels appeared in an episode of Hawaii Five-O, as well as in the films Jerry Maguire and BASEketball, as well as on television. Coach and Spin City are two such shows.
Al’s voice can be heard in the film Miracle during his plea for the recreation of the US hockey team’s 1980 Olympic game victory.
Additionally, he appeared in two episodes of the cable television series Arliss as Arliss Michaels’s older cousin.
Michaels has also made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Presented in 2015. From 2003 to 2009, his voice can be heard in the computer game Hardball 3 and the Madden NFL series.
Al Michaels | Family
In August 1966, Michaels married Linda Anne Stamaton. Linda and Al met in the tenth grade and have been friends since they were fifteen.
Apart from being the greatest sportscaster, Al is a devoted husband and a wonderful father. Jennifer Michaels and Steven Michaels are the couple’s children.
His two sons are already married. Steven Michaels is the president and CEO of Asylum Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based independent film company.
Additionally, Al and Linda now reside in Los Angeles. The couple’s primary focus is on their grandchildren. They were also recently photographed taking their grandchildren to a hockey game. They do, however, have a 13-year-old grandson who is obsessed with hockey.
Presence on Social Media:
Al Michaels only has an unverified Twitter account.
1,129 Followers on Twitter
Several frequently asked questions:
Is David Michaels Al Michaels’s brother?
Al Michaels’ younger brother is David Michaels. He is a television producer who has worked on NBC’s Olympic coverage, Fox Sports’ Beyond the Glory series, and other sports shows.
Al Michaels was arrested for what reason?
Al Michaels was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in April 2013. After five hours, the police released him.
What role does Al Michaels play in the film Miracle?
Mi, a 2004 film
Quick Facts:
| Full Name | Alan Richard Michaels |
| Birth Date | November 12, 1944 |
| Birth Place | Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. A |
| Nick Name | Al Michaels |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Alexander Hamilton High School Arizona State University |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Father’s Name | Jay Leonard Michaels |
| Mother’s Name | Lila Roginsky |
| Siblings | Two |
| Age | 76 Years Old |
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 81 kg (178 lbs) |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Build | Chubby |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Linda Anne Stamaton (m. 1966) |
| Children | Jennifer Michaels, Steven Michaels |
| Profession | Sportscaster, Commentator |
| Active years | 1964–present |
| Net Worth | $30 million |
| Salary | $6 million |
| Broadcasting Affiliations | NBC, ABC, CBS |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Books, Autographs |
| Last Update | 2021 |
