The shockers continue to come out of the broadcast booth as networks look to build their teams for 2020. First, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post broke the massive contract CBS gave to Tony Romo. Now, he has news ESPN wants to team Al Michaels with Peyton Manning on Monday Night Football.
If this miracle could be pulled off, it would end the oft-criticized tenure of Joe Tessitore on play-by-play and Booger McFarland, who went from a contraption on the sidelines to the booth after Jason Witten returned to the Dallas Cowboys following a disastrous 2018 season.
The one problem would be Michaels is under contract to NBC, which a spokesman was quick to mention when asked about the report.
“Al is under contract for the foreseeable future,” NBC spokesman Greg Hughes said.
Another issue per the Post is the tag-team might only happen if Michaels and Manning come as a package.
NBC has already hired Mike Tirico as Michaels’ replacement with the exact timing of the transition not entirely clear. Tirico is supposed to call more games soon, though. The end of Michaels’ contract coincides with the Super Bowl in Los Angeles in early 2022.
Tirico is expected to take over for Michaels full-time after the LA Super Bowl at the latest, but could be adding more games as early as this season.
In 2022, Michaels could retire, but he has shown no real inclination to do that and, in reality, the one-game-per-week NFL season only extends from August through early February. Ultimately, Michaels may not want to be dealt from NBC, as its Sunday games are the top-rated program on TV, a Super Bowl is on the horizon and he has been with this crew for the past 14 seasons.
Oh, and the Post adds Michaels has been part of a network trade in his storied career.
There is precedent for a trade. In 2006, Michaels was set to continue on MNF as it transferred from ABC to ESPN, having agreed to a new deal to remain on the broadcast.
After Michaels’ MNF partner, John Madden, left for NBC, Michaels asked out of his signed contract. ESPN obliged, but it received Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in return.
Oswald was the precursor to the creation of Mickey Mouse. The rights to Oswald, though, were owned by NBC’s parent company then, Universal. It had been important to the Disney family to regain Oswald.