Whenever you think of NBC Sports and the Olympics, the first name that you think of is Bob Costas. And when it comes to the sports broadcasting pantheon and those who have worked for NBC, Al Michaels is on that very short list as well. And they will reportedly both be making guest appearances on NBC’s 2024 Summer Olympics coverage in Paris.
The report comes via Front Office Sports , which says that Michaels and Costas are already in Paris and will appear periodically throughout the remaining days in Olympic coverage on NBC.
The network plans to bring back legendary broadcasters Bob Costas and Al Michaels for surprise on-air appearances during its coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The move represents a reconciliation after both Costas and Michaels left NBC under something of a cloud.
The duo is synonymous with Olympic TV coverage. Costas served as prime-time host of a record 12 Olympic games from 1988 to 2016. Michaels delivered the most famous TV call in Olympic history, exclaiming “Do you believe in miracles?” at the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid when Team USA hockey edged out the Soviet Union.
On Wednesday, Costas and Michaels were seen kibitzing with NBC guest commentator Snoop Dogg at the beach volleyball venue under the shadows of the Eiffel Tower. The pair also joined a CEO panel conducted by sister network CNBC.
Michaels and Costas were indeed spotted on Wednesday with NBC’s newest Olympic ambassador – Snoop Dogg. And the photo was tweeted by the official NBC Olympics account, which would lead one to think that all is well at the moment between the network and two of its biggest ever broadcasters.
As FOS indicates, both Michaels and Costas have gone their separate ways with NBC in recent years after illustrious careers.
Al Michaels moved to NBC from ABC in 2006 when the NFL’s network primetime package shifted from Monday Night Football to Sunday Night Football. He was infamously traded for the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which went back to Disney in the deal. The legendary broadcaster was the voice of Sunday Night Football until 2022, when he moved to Thursday Night Football on Amazon and was replaced by Mike Tirico.
That relationship appeared to turn south this past year when Michaels was unceremoniously axed from NBC’s second playoff game and replaced by rising star Noah Eagle. Infamously, Michaels said that he found about about the decision from NBC from reporter Andrew Marchand. No wonder that the relationship between the two sides was apparently strained . While Michaels wasn’t as associated with the Olympics as Costas at NBC, he did host on occasion. Oh, and Michaels has the most famous call in the history of the games.
Bob Costas hosted the primetime Olympic coverage from 1988-2016 (before also handing off to Tirico) and was the face of NBC Sports as a play-by-play man and host. After moving into an emeritus role, Costas quickly left the network quietly in 2019. He’s stayed active calling games for MLB Network and TBS and making appearances on many shows as a political pundit .
The return of Costas and Michaels, and seeing them with the man that each passed off their respective batons to in Mike Tirico, will be a surreal moment. Given what Costas and Michaels have meant to NBC over the years, it’ll be a welcome sight for all parties to be on good standing with each other and a celebration of the past, present, and future of NBC Sports.
[ Front Office Sports ]
The post Al Michaels, Bob Costas reportedly making guest appearances on NBC Paris Olympics coverage appeared first on Awful Announcing .
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