Al Michaels, the legendary broadcaster, is noticeably absent from NBC’s NFL playoff broadcasts for the first time since the network resumed televising the league in 2006.
NBC confirmed this departure, and reports suggest that Mike Tirico, the current #1 broadcaster, played a role in Michaels not calling playoff games. Inside sources claim that Tirico, who had been waiting for the opportunity, prevented Michaels from returning to the booth.
RELATED: Veteran Announcer Slams NBC For Its Al Michaels Decision Amid Swirling Taylor Swift Controversy
“Mike tirico put the kibosh on Al Michaels, because he was waiting a long time to get the gig, and he wasn’t about to let Al Michaels back in the door. The whole Taylor Swift narrative as the reason for his removal was merely a smoke screen in an effort to take any unnecessary heat off Tirico, who was ultimately the one responsible for Al Michaels removal from the NFL playoffs,” says our inside source.
Initial reports suggested Taylor Swift as the reason for Michaels’ absence, citing his stance against featuring her during broadcasts. However, insiders assert that this was a smokescreen to deflect blame from Tirico.
Michaels served as the voice of “Sunday Night Football” until 2021, moving to Amazon Prime Video for Thursday night games.
Despite his announcer emeritus role at NBC, Tirico and others covered the wild card round, leaving Michaels out of the playoff picture.
