Best: Q & A with Al Michaels
Like many prominent Americans, Al Michaels used to deliver Newsday, in his case during his days at Jerusalem Avenue Junior High in North Bellmore.
"It developed a hell of a work ethic,'' he said.
That was only the beginning of a fairly successful media career, including 25 years calling prime-time NFL games on ABC and now NBC, where he will work Giants-Eagles Sunday.
We spoke Thursday about that and other matters. Excerpts are below; see newsday.com/sportswatch for the unabridged version.
Q: You have been on live, prime-time TV an estimated 2,200 to 2,300 hours, believed to be a U.S. record; what do you make of a number that size?
A: The only time I ponder it is I go, "Oh, my God, that's over a hundred days of my life.'' That's like three-and-a-third months of continuously being on television in prime time, so that's kind of scary.
That's like me being in Pittsburgh the other day and trying to in my brain remember how many times I've been in Pittsburgh in my life, and it came out to about 80. The average trip would be, like, 2 ½ days. You add that up and you realize it is 200 days.
Which meant I have spent seven months in my life in Pittsburgh.
Q: In a recent (unscientific) USA Today poll, you were named best NFL play-by-play man by a wide margin; to what do you attribute your ability still to connect with viewers?
A: No. 1, I'm very pleased, obviously, that enough people think enough of me to not want to throw me out. I've always felt that you have to be a little careful in terms of overexposure, and you can wear people out. All I know is that every week I feel as if I have to prove myself.
I probably work, I don't want to say harder because I've always prepared at a certain level, but let's put it this way: I could probably show up and just do a game - there's no question I could - without doing any preparation. But I've always felt if you ever get to that point, it's time to walk away.
Q: Historically age catches up to play-by-play men; at 66, how will you know when it's time to go?
A: The first sign would be I'm not excited, I'm not that interested. Fortunately that's not happened, and I think one of the reasons it hasn't happened is that I've been lucky enough to be over the last 25 years on the NFL's primary package, most visible package, whatever you want to call it.
Q: One quirk on your resume is a 1970 cameo on "Hawaii Five-0.'' How did that come about?
A: I was working in Hawaii starting my career and "Hawaii Five-0'' had just come on the air, and they would hire local television news people to play supporting roles instead of having actors and flying them over.
I was very nervous, because Jack Lord was such a large presence and he had a very, very gruff exterior. I was playing the young lawyer. The cameras were rolling, and he didn't say hello to me beforehand. I opened up my mouth and said a couple of words and he yells out, "Cut!'' just like that.
I was sure I'd be fired and my heart is palpitating and he looks at the back of his hand and he looks over at the crew and he just says, "I need more hand makeup."
Q: Before that you worked on "The Dating Game," right?
A: I was part of a group that would select girls for "The Dating Game.'' Then during all this I get married that year and my wife [Linda] gets a job in the prize department at [producer] Chuck Barris' place.
So here I am, can you imagine, I'm a newlywed and one of my roles is to pick the girls for "The Dating Game?''
How did it work out? Well, my bride is still my bride after 44 years. So it's working pretty well, and I love her to death.