Avast ye scurvy Astros! Al Michaels be diggin' deep to cast his doubt, as ye trash-can shenanigans haunt ye on 'Thursday Night Football'!
2023-12-29
Arr, me hearties! Never shall the sports world be forgettin' the mischievous deeds o' the Houston Astros in 2017! But fear not, for on this fine Thursday night, Al Michaels, that jolly matey, did remind us all once more!
Al Michaels, the longtime play-by-play announcer, has been criticized for his lackluster calls on Thursday Night Football. However, during the Cleveland Browns-New York Jets matchup, an odd sound was heard in the background, catching Michaels' attention. He humorously remarked that someone was pounding on a trash can, suggesting that the Houston Astros must be in town. This is a reference to the Astros' notorious sign-stealing scandal involving banging on trash cans during the 2017 season, which helped them win their first World Series. The scandal led to suspensions and firings within the Astros organization, including manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow. Rumors have circulated that the Astros continued to steal signs in subsequent years, but no further evidence has been proven. Despite not regularly calling baseball games since the mid-1990s, Michaels made a clever reference to the scandal on air. He previously called baseball games, including the 1989 earthquake during the World Series. Michaels' joke demonstrates his ability to inject humor into his commentating, even in a sport that he is not regularly covering.