Al Michaels traded to NBC for... a cartoon bunny.

[trotsky]

This is hilarious!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-nbc-michaels&prov=ap&type=lgns

By granting Michaels his exit papers, The Walt Disney Co., ABC's parent company, will get back a piece of its history from NBC Universal: the first animated character created by Disney and the forerunner to Mickey Mouse.

His name was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and the cheeky bunny was created in 1927 by Disney and his chief creative partner, Ub Iwerks, at the request of Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Pictures.

Personally I wouldn't have traded 25 cents for freeper Al, but that's just me.

[NJ Democrats]

1. Michaels is a really good football announcer

All a have to say is it was a good trade for NBC and a bad one for Disney.

[trotsky]

2. I totally disagree.

Al sucked. The Super Bowl was a prime example. Missed elaborating on key plays, couldn't spot the ball right if he was on the field, and sucked up to his favorite players. Plus there's his annoying habit of trying to work in an anti-Democrat/pro-Republican comment whenever possible.

ESPN MNF will be called by Mike Tirico. It's going to be far, far better with him.

[akarnitz]

3. Michaels is only good when he's interested.

And he seems less interested more often the last few years.

As related in post #2 on this thread, Al's right wing zings are annoying. He barely keeps his political opinions in check on MNF. When I've heard Al being interviewed on The Jungle he's spouted some repugnant Freeper bile. He's squeezes politics in everywhere in these conversations.

As for the OP, I think it's a cute story. Heard it on TotN on Monday, BBC Overnight on Tuesday. But let's not think Oswald was anything but dessert. The meat of the deal was securing Thursday and Friday Ryder Cup coverage. There's a lot of ad revenue to be swallowed.

[Hobarticus]

4. Ugh....

Between him and Madden, I'd have the sound muted half the time on MNF. Especially during the '04 elections, and his non-stop snide comments about "flip-flopping in Massachusetts" and so on.

We get it, Al. You're a millionaire, you'll vote in your own best interests. Now shut up and call the game.

His nonstop chatter during the last ABC MNF game really soured me on him, for keeps. He spent the last half naming every stinkin' person he'd ever worked with on MNF, and blew off the rest of the game. Madden just sat there quietly while Al droned on. I know it was a throw-away game, but there were some interesting side stories (Testeverde throwing the last touchdown pass on MNF, and going to the sidelines with tears in his eyes, for example) that he blew off in his self-aggrandizing back-slapping. MNF is about the game, not the crew. And we'll find out just how much better it'll be without him.

[ticapnews]

5. NBC got screwed. (eom)

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