Beings that it is Super Bowl week it bears mentioning that top NBC sportscaster Al Michael’s new book, “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television”, is a gem of a read and also the best possible endorsement for the game of hockey and the National Hockey League.
The beginning of Michael’s book is a gushing testament to the greatness of the game and Michaels’ favorite sport. It is fitting that the play-by-play announcer for this Sunday’s Super Bowl is best known for his epic, “Do you believe in miracles, YES,” call for the Miracle on Ice win by the USA over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics. The game was voted as the top moment of the century by Sports Illustrated.
Irony of Ironies
Michaels is unapologetic about hockey being his favorite sport and the Los Angeles Kings being his favorite team. He is a long-time Kings season ticket holder. Michaels first date with his wife was at the Kings first ever game in team history at the Long Beach Sports Arena in 1967.
Despite the fact that hockey is his favorite sport, it is the sport that he has called the least. He is best known for his outstanding work on the NFL, but also for Major League Baseball, the NBA, and of course, the Olympic Games.
Michaels alluded to it being a mixed blessing in his book. The fact that he does not have a professional connection to the NHL, means that it is the one sport that he can truly be a fan of. In the book he goes into the emotional investment he has made with the Kings, and how rewarding their Stanley Cup championships were to him after years of suffering through all of their losing.
Best Possible Endorsement of the Game
For those who don’t give hockey a chance, or who sneer at the game, Michaels opens up minds and eyes as to why the game is so appealing, even in areas such as Los Angeles where the only ice is found in cocktails. Michaels finds an instant connection in his book with the millions of Americans who fell in love with the world’s fastest sport, despite having no connection to it. The NHL brass would be smart to publicize Michaels’ comments and passion for the game and league. Michaels is among the greatest NFL, and overall sports announcers of all time, and it is a brilliant tribute to the game that he loves.
For a pleasing read with plenty of inside dope about the growth of sports television, Michaels’ book is must read material.
