Al Michaels: Sunday Night Football limits showing Seattle home games
Nov 12, 2015, 1:56 PM | Updated: 3:19 pm
Seattle's impressive record at home in primetime games has kept them from playing on Sunday nights. (AP)
(AP)
BY
Digital Content Producer
There have been rumors over the years that the Seahawks have been kept out of the Sunday Night Football spotlight because they are too good.
It seemed like a conspiracy theory. Apparently, the Truthers have a case.
The voice of NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcasts, Al Michaels, acknowledged that the network actually does limit Seahawks home games on Sunday nights while talking to 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Brock and Salk” on Thursday.
“I wish that we had more games in Seattle, but I think we’re reduced now to one a year,” he said. “They were afraid for so many years that the Seahawks were so dominant at home… When the league was looking at the schedule, they always want to have compelling games on a Sunday night and the Seahawks were victims, I think, of their own success because they were blowing everybody out 42-3. So, it will be good to get back in there.”
Person of Interest: Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer
Michaels and his co-host Cris Collinsworth will be calling this Sunday’s crucial matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks are 2-1 at home this season, and they have five of their last eight games coming at CenturyLink Field. Seattle has a 28-3 home record, including the playoffs, since 2012.
The 71 year old has been a sportscaster for some of the biggest events in sports history, including the Miracle on Ice in the 1980 Winter Olympics and the earthquake-interrupted 1989 World Series. However, something Michaels didn’t get to call were either of Marshawn Lynch’s two famous “Beastquake” runs.
“I’ve done a few of those great runs that he’s had, but not the iconic ones,” he said. “But maybe there’s one coming our way on Sunday night.”
The NBC crew called the Seahawks’ Week-2 loss in Green Bay and also last season’s dramatic Super Bowl to New England. Those aren’t the only games Michaels has called that make him worry 12’s will be calling for his head like they did with FOX Sports’ top announcing duo of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
“I’ve had the Seahawks twice in Super Bowls and I’m 0-2 with you guys because I had the Pittsburgh game when they were the No. 6 seed back in ’05,” he said. “Don’t blame me, blame (official) Bill Leavy or somebody else for that. That was not my fault.”
