Bob Costas & Al Michaels

Bob Costas and Al Michaels are absolute legends in the broadcasting industry.

When we were kids they called all the big games, and did a great job.

Michaels: “Do you believe in miracles?” Call might be the greatest sports call ever when the USA hockey team beat Russia.

Costas is a sport intellectual and most of the time I can listen to him tell stories for hours.

I have been muting Costas during this Yankees-Royals series because I don’t want to hear stories about the 1960’s when there’s a game being played.

Bob won’t even take a break in his story when something happens. Stanton hit one off the wall to score a runner from first - an exciting play - and Costas called it as if he were reading entries in a phone book.

My boys have made fun of Michaels for complaining about the quality of the game he’s calling and both Costas and Michaels suffer from ‘old guy’ syndrome.

They seem to wax poetic about how the game used to be played, and imply that the sport has gone soft.

There was a clip of George Brett and Graig Nettles in a fistfight during the Yankees-Royals playoff game in the late 70’s.

Neither guy was tossed from the game.

A fistfight between two stars in today’s game?

They’d be tossed, of course, and they’d probably be suspended and sent to anger management classes. There would be an intervention and both men would be reduced to tears of shame as they apologized.

Yeah.

It’s changed.

Bob & Al haven’t changed much. Plus, you reach a certain age, and attain money and fame and there’s a “who gives a shit?” Element to their delivery.

I feel guilty muting either Costas or Michaels…

…they were legends…

…but time waits for no one, I guess.