Al Michaels removed from NBC Playoff Coverage

[OneLofaTatupu]

I dont watch the playoffs unless the Seahawks are in it but this is kind of surprising. Wonder why?

Because he called out the horrible officiating against the Seahawks when they played Dallas.

I mean because of scheduling conflicts. Sorry nfl.

 

[hoxrox]

NBC's explanation is that he doesn't bring the same enthusiasm he once did. And if you listen to him these days, it sounds like he's bored.

It has nothing to do with comments he made about the officiating.

 

[chrispy]

Is there a reason that people can't simulcast audio calling a game? What would prevent someone from just streaming a YouTube (or just audio on some other service Im not hip enough to know about) live and calling a game without showing it? There are several, maybe most, broadcast teams that are so bad I mute the game. Lots of people use radio. As long as there's no video or audio from the game itself, could the NFL prevent Al from just calling the game on his own website? What does the copywrite protect? ...it can't cover my opinions about a game can it?

 

[bigskydoc]

NBC's explanation is that he doesn't bring the same enthusiasm he once did. And if you listen to him these days, it sounds like he's bored.

It has nothing to do with comments he made about the officiating.

I think this is the closest to the truth. IMHO they are worried that he is getting dangerously close to crossing some lines. Between the boredom, and the fact that he doesn’t really have anything to lose anymore, he might let the mask slip, and say something very Un-PC.

Just a guess on my part, but he seems like an old school man, who is getting to the point in his life that he DGAF anymore, and might decide to go off on a rant at some point.

The kind of rant that would turn off all those new viewers that the NFL is trying to attract with their Swift kick.

JMHO.

 

[SeAhAwKeR4life]

Is there a reason that people can't simulcast audio calling a game? What would prevent someone from just streaming a YouTube (or just audio on some other service Im not hip enough to know about) live and calling a game without showing it? There are several, maybe most, broadcast teams that are so bad I mute the game. Lots of people use radio. As long as there's no video or audio from the game itself, could the NFL prevent Al from just calling the game on his own website? What does the copywrite protect? ...it can't cover my opinions about a game can it?

There's always some kind of exclusivity provisions in these contracts, so yeah, no way they could legally do that. You get one TV crew and one radio crew per market.

 

[fenderbender123]

Most don't, dude. Look how many reactions along the lines of "if you think the NFL is steering games, you're an idiot" we've had here when discussing officiating.

I don't think anyone's an idiot, but there is no proof. Any claim that the NFL is steering games is just a guess. You're just guessing that they are, because you don't actually know, and that's what your gut is telling you.

 

[flv2]

Michaels doesn't need to be going it alone or mucking in with 1 of the minor league outfits - Dazn, Barstool sports, Bleacher report, etc. He doesn't need the aggravation or potential lawsuits. Just take the money and the reduced workload with the mainstream outlets.

 

[RiverDog]

Michaels was pretty critical of the officiating when calling our game with the Cowboys, and although he wasn't working for them, it might have put a scare into the execs at NBC. At 79 years old, he's kinda like a professor with tenure, doesn't feel the same threat from his superiors that a younger person might. He's not as protective of his career like a 40-year old might be.

Regardless, I've become very insulated to comments made by TV announcers, likely because I'm more preoccupied. On Sundays, I'll watch Red Zone, which cuts out the between play chatter of the announcers, and because I'm usually multi-tasking, messing around with my tablet as the game is going on or as I did last Monday night, watching both games simultaneously on two different devices. I don't find myself caring about the quality of announcers like I did in the days of Howard Cosell and Dennis Miller.

 

[RolandDeschain]

I don't think anyone's an idiot, but there is no proof. Any claim that the NFL is steering games is just a guess. You're just guessing that they are, because you don't actually know, and that's what your gut is telling you.

The world isn't built on requiring hard proof for things.

 

[fenderbender123]

The world isn't built on requiring hard proof for things.

Exactly. Hence why people guess.

 

[OneLofaTatupu]

NBC's explanation is that he doesn't bring the same enthusiasm he once did. And if you listen to him these days, it sounds like he's bored.

It has nothing to do with comments he made about the officiating.

Yes it does. It has everything to do with calling out the officials because that’s the narrative I want.

I do not advocate solipsism but I dabble.

 

[OneLofaTatupu]

Michaels was pretty critical of the officiating when calling our game with the Cowboys, and although he wasn't working for them, it might have put a scare into the execs at NBC. At 79 years old, he's kinda like a professor with tenure, doesn't feel the same threat from his superiors that a younger person might. He's not as protective of his career like a 40-year old might be.

Regardless, I've become very insulated to comments made by TV announcers, likely because I'm more preoccupied. On Sundays, I'll watch Red Zone, which cuts out the between play chatter of the announcers, and because I'm usually multi-tasking, messing around with my tablet as the game is going on or as I did last Monday night, watching both games simultaneously on two different devices. I don't find myself caring about the quality of announcers like I did in the days of Howard Cosell and Dennis Miller.

I like listening to collinsworth talk about whatever it is he talks about when he talks. It’s like finding that disoriented patient who snuck out from the institution and is coming off their meds.

 

[bileever]

This is not surprising at all, and it has nothing to do with officiating. Al Michaels left NBC because he got offered tons of money by Amazon to do the Thursday night games. When he left, NBC said the right things about maybe bringing him back to do playoff games, but why would they? They're going to promote their own brand and use their #1 team, Tirico and Collinsworth.

 

[Threedee]

It's not like Jacksonville was going to defeat Baltimore, but, for ****'s sake, New York. Get the effing replay review of the obvious touchdown correct, you retards!