My latest Chicago Tribune column is a Q/A with Al Michaels.
You also can access the column via my Twitter feed at Sherman_Report.
Here’s an excerpt:
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If circumstances play out, Al Michaels could find himself on the call for three straight Bears games.
Michaels and his NBC colleagues will work the Bears-Eagles game Sunday night. There’s a strong possibility NBC will be at Soldier Field on the evening of Dec. 29 if Bears-Packers is for the NFC North title. Under flexible scheduling guidelines, the NFL will announce Monday its selection for the final Sunday night game of the season.
Finally, if the Bears go to the playoffs, Michaels could be on hand if their first-round game is on wild card Saturday. NBC will air both games that day.
All in all, it could be quite a Bears feast for Michaels. The 69-year-old announcer always relishes doing Bears games, ever since his first in 1986 when he took over the play-by-play duties for ABC’s “Monday Night Football.”
Here’s my interview with Michaels.
How would you feel about doing three straight Bears games?
It’s hard to speculate. It also could be three straight Philadelphia games. The Bears make for great TV. They’re always a good story.
You always have had a special affinity for calling Bears games. Why?
It starts with the history. The Bears are one of those iconic teams, like Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Dallas, that people want to watch. The name just resonates. If you go, “Jacksonville Jaguars,” people go “What?” For teams like the Bears and Packers, it’s different.
It doesn’t matter what kind of year they’re having. People forget for a moment what their record is.
What are your memories of calling Bears games?
I remember the night it was raining sideways and the wind was blowing 40 miles per hour (a 33-6 Packers win in 1994). We had a preseason game in the ’90s that was canceled midway through the third quarter because of thunderstorms. We had a phenomenal overtime game with Jets, with the turf coming up in Cap Boso’s facemask. There was the guy jumping out of the stands to catch an extra point.
I can’t say there’s one game. Rather, it is a compilation of games through the years. There’s always a lot of excitement with the Bears.