From 1968-1971, NBC Sunday Night Football announcer Al Michaels was the voice of the Hawai‘i Islanders, a Pacific Coast League AAA baseball team. As a young baseball fan, I listened to Michaels and Ken Wilson call Islanders home games on the radio, even while at the games at the long-gone Honolulu Stadium. Michaels was in town to call the 2009 Pro Bowl with Chris Collinsworth.
The 2009 NFL Pro Bowl was a homecoming of sorts for Al Michaels, though it would have been much more special if had been the "Termite Palace". One photo op that I had wanted for the Pro Bowl was to get a photo with Al Michaels, and I did. I got this photo with him as he walked across the Ma kai sidelines of the field, before the pre-game festivities began. It was an honor to meet one of my favorite sports announcers.
Al Michaels is also known for calling the 1980 Winter Olympics Ice Hockey tournament at Lake Placid, NY, in which Team USA defeated the Soviet Union 4-3, in the "Miracle On Ice" game, which led to the USA's gold medal victory against Sweden. That too, was a game to remember, the movie "Miracle" was great in re-creating that historic event.
Folks 45 and over in Honolulu will remember Al Michaels calling the Islanders games on KGU Radio.
1 comment:
Such a great pic of you and Al Michael's. He must have been thrilled that you recognized him. :)
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