In Popular Culture
It was Michaels who explained to Peter Jennings that Jennings had been the victim of a prank call in the final hour of O. J. Simpson's Bronco chase, after the Bronco had pulled into Simpson's driveway and parked. The prankster, claiming to be watching Simpson inside the van, described what he said to be the scene in perfect Stepin Fetchit dialect, then signed off with "...and Baba Booey to y'all." Michaels, unlike Jennings, understood the prankster's use of the term as an association of being a Howard Stern fan. Michaels himself is a Howard Stern fan, and has discussed that prank call as a guest on Stern's show. The inflection and tonal quality of his voice is similar to that of actor Alan Alda.
As previously mentioned, Michaels had an acting role in a 1970 episode of Hawaii Five-O, and has appeared as himself in the films Jerry Maguire and BASEketball, as well as on several TV shows including Coach and Spin City. Also as previously mentioned, his call of the U.S. hockey team's victory in the 1980 Olympics can be heard in the 2004 film Miracle. Michaels re-recorded all his original play-by-play coverage for the film, except for the immortal line.
Brian d'Arcy James portrayed Michaels in the 2002 television movie Monday Night Mayhem. Michaels has also been lampooned on several occasions by noted impressionists, Frank Caliendo and Billy West. Michaels, along with Harold Ramis, Ray Romano and Kermit the Frog, was briefly lampooned on the Family Guy episode "Mother Tucker", the joke being that all four have similar voices.
Al Michaels was also the featured voice in Hardball 4, a popular computer baseball game for PC. Al Michaels along with John Madden, is featured on the Madden NFL series from Madden NFL 2003 to Madden NFL 09.
In March 2011, Michaels accompanied New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his wife, Myra, to Israel to visit Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem, an American football venue and home to three teams in the Israeli Football League, which is sponsored by the Kraft family. It was one of Myra Kraft's last trips before becoming sick with the cancer that would ultimately take her life July 20, 2011.
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