Did You Know That Al Michaels Eats An Entire Meal Every Week While Calling Sunday Night Football

(Source) It’s a fall Monday, the sun is down, the pulse rate is up, and millions of Americans are tuning in to “Monday Night Football,” the longest-running live prime-time show in television history. Filling the air is the familiar baritone of play-by-play announcer Al Michaels. Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers, is filled to capacity and rocking. Twenty TV cameras are rolling, poised to capture the action from every conceivable angle. A crescendo is building.

Are you ready for some … roast beef on a French roll? Hey, a guy’s got to eat, even when 20 million people are listening to his every word. It’s 9 p.m., and Michaels, John Madden and the crew have been in and out of production meetings for the last 12 hours. Michaels typically snacks during the first half, washing down Snackwell cookies, Junior Mints and green grapes with cup after cup of coffee, then has a light dinner in the second half, stealing bites during commercials. He’s a discreet eater and a picky one; he never lets a vegetable touch his plate, let alone his lips.

The millions of football fans watching the game have no idea that Michaels is eating dinner along with them. After more than 40 years in the business, the last 19 with “Monday Night Football,” his delivery is so fluid, so close to flawless, it’s hard to believe that he’s concentrating on anything but what’s happening on the field.

So this guy Sam Farmer tweeted this out last night, a story he wrote back in 2005 about the time he sat in on a Monday Night Football telecast with Al Michaels and how Al basically eats an entire meal during the game. Which, for me at least, changes everything. This is like Tirico claiming he’s not black, just super Italian. Perception and reality are totally off. I always envisioned Al Michaels sitting in the booth with his overcoat and scarf, maybe a hot tea and that’s it. Glued to the game. Eyes always on the details. Nope, Al is sitting there on a Sunday night fighting the demons just like the rest of us. Stuffing his face with roast beef and chips. Cookies for days, just trying to come to grips with the impending week. My respect for him, which was already sky high, is even higher now. Al Michaels is such a good announcer that he can snack for an entire football game without ever changing his voice. And I know he doesn’t do it while he’s actually live but still. If you gave me a sleeve of thin mints right now I’d pound those suckers in a second and come out the other end sounding like I have a cinder block in my throat. Not Al. Consummate professional right there.

PS

The other crazy part about this story is that you know Al also has his book open placing live wagers all night long. Eating, gambling, and serenading millions of Americans. Doesn’t get any better than that.