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| | | | | | | |  Tuesday, November 14, 2000
10 questions with Al Michaels
By Al Michaels
Special to MondayNightFootball.com
WASHINGTON -- The question I received the most from your e-mails was, "If Brad Johnson does not have a good game Monday night, would it surprise you if Jeff George started the next week?" So let's address this first before we move onto other questions about the state of affairs in the NFL.
|  | | Redskins QB Brad Johnson was expected to have a big game against the Cowboys. |
Johnson would have to play a terrible game against the Cowboys, not just a poor one, to get such a quick hook. The Redskins have invested a lot of time, energy and money into the evolution of Johnson, who has clearly proven he's among the top quarterbacks in the NFL. He runs the type of offense Norv Turner wants, and runs it better than George at this point. It's too early in the season to go through a quarterback controversy that would not be created by anything other than an injury to the starter. Unless Johnson somehow turns in one of the most dreadful performances in Redskins history, I can't see any move being made at this point.
Now, on to other issues regarding Monday Night Football, Dallas and my Super Bowl pick this season:
How do you rate Dennis Miller as a football commentator during these first couple of weeks of the season?
Michael Steward, Greenville, N.C.
Michaels: I think he's coming along phenomenally well. People have to remember that Dennis has done five games in his career, and he's still learning about the mechanics that are such an important part of any football telecast. He has a tremendous sense of what Monday Night Football is trying to do.
Dennis is working very hard on is establishing a rhythm, so over a three-hour period of time, he's in there when the audience wants to hear from him. I couldn't be happier with the way this is coming along, because we are attempting to do something that is very unique. A lot of people have described it as the great experiment, but I look at it as the great adventure. I want this to work very badly. If it does work, it's going to set a trend.
With Troy Aikman sustaining the eighth concussion of his career and Deion Sanders gone, do you think it is time for the Cowboys to begin the rebuilding process?
Jared Whitehead, Austin, Texas
Michaels: National Football League teams are always rebuilding on the fly. It's not as if this has all caught up to Dallas right now. I think that Troy Aikman still has a lot of football left in him if he can remain healthy.
The Cowboys felt that Deion had given them about as much as the team could expect, and reached the point where they needed to free up some space under the salary cap to sign some other people. I have observed Jerry Jones carefully over the years, and he has always been rebuilding, but this season that term has become more of a focus for Dallas fans because the bigger names are involved. At this particular moment, the Cowboys are in decline, but the naysayers are overstating the severity of what is taking place. They do have a lot of good, young players. I don't see this team falling off the edge like San Francisco. Dallas will stumble this year, but the team has positioned itself to be in decent shape for the near future.
Do you think Deion Sanders can still play as the top cornerback in the league in his 30s in Washington?
Edward Fuentes, Odessa, Texas
Michaels: Yes, Deion is still one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL. He obviously didn't play well in the loss to Detroit. In fact, he was candid enough to say it was the worst performance of his career.
That doesn't mean he is declining, it means he will see a little more action on his side now, because the Redskins have an up-and-coming star at the other cornerback spot in Champ Bailey. The odd thing about Deion is that for years, teams would not throw in his direction, and he'd go through many Sunday afternoons where he could have taken a nap. Now all of a sudden, Deion is going to begin to see a lot more action. Knowing how he loves to play in the spotlight, you might see Deion gamble even more and try to make the big play to electrify the crowd. Deion will probably be in the middle of more action than he ever was. That will provide a lot of fun for the fans. The big question for those fans: How much will he gamble in order to maintain Pro Bowl-like proficiency?
I will say this, if Deion can play at even 85 percent of what he's been the last few years or so, he will still win a trip to Honolulu in February.
If Dan Snyder wins the Super Bowl after spending millions on players like Deion this off-season, is it bad for the game?
Mark Willard, Millbrae, Calif.
Michaels: No, it's not. If I were a fan, I would want a team owned by somebody who put a tremendous premium on winning. It's very apparent that although his methods may upset other owners, Snyder is among the few of that elite group who will do ANYTHING to win. So, if you are a Redskins fan, it is a source of comfort to know that somebody in the executive suite places the highest premium on bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to you.
Whether it's harmful in the end is a matter of debate. The bill the 49ers are paying now has only become due after two decades of supremacy. If that's the price you have to pay for five Super Bowls, and almost 20 years of winning and exciting football, then so be it. If I were a fan, that price would be worth it compared to rooting for a team that never went to a Super Bowl.
Do you think any team will relocate to Los Angeles in the next two seasons, or will this city have to wait for an expansion team?
Numa Gomez, Goodyear, Ariz.
Michaels: The whole Los Angeles issue will be settled when the city has a facility to house a National Football League team. That's the only thing that keeps a team from moving to Los Angeles or an expansion team from being set up there. I live there, I know the area very well, and the problem is that the Coliseum is just not a NFL type of facility, and neither is the Rose Bowl. It's very clear L.A. will need a brand-new, state-of-the-art pro football facility. When that happens, teams will stand in line to move there.
Will we ever see Barry Sanders in pads again?
Jeff Stricklen, Austin, Texas
Michaels: If you would have asked me that a year ago, I would have said probably. But you are asking me now, and it seems that Barry is done. Barry has always marched to the beat of a different drummer, but I never realized that beat was so different. I know a lot of people thought that Barry was just holding a gun to the Lions' heads to make them trade or release him, but I am convinced that Barry has moved on with his life. If he comes back, it would be for the 2001 season, and he'd be well into his 30s and off for the last three seasons. I just don't see it. It's pretty amazing. Here's a guy that could have been the greatest rusher of all-time, but it doesn't mean a thing to Barry. I don't think you will ever see him in a football uniform again.
What was the best game you had the privilege of announcing in any sport?
Charles Smith, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Michaels: The 1980 U.S. Olympic gold medal victory at Lake Placid, which encompassed of course two games: the unforgettable "Miracle on Ice" game when the U.S. defeated the Soviet Union 4-3 on Friday night, Feb. 22, and then two days later, the clinching win over Finland, 4-2. This set off a celebration the likes of which this country has never seen in regard to a sporting event. The feeling there was validated by the fact that Sports Illustrated ranked it the greatest sports event of the 20th Century. They couldn't have been more correct. For me, it was the capstone of my career and something that I could never see being duplicated because I couldn't even dream of a scenario to top it.
What other sportscasters out there today do you enjoy listening to?
Yosu, Harker Heights, Texas
Michaels: Going back, I have always admired Jim McKay, who is still active at ABC. Curt Gowdy is another one that I patterned my career, even my life, after. Of the contemporary announcers, I think Bob Costas does a fantastic job whether he's doing play-by-play or hosting a sporting event. I am lucky to be a part of an operation here at ABC that includes guys who have done such fantastic work over the years.
Keith Jackson and Brent Musburger have been doing this for a long time, and I marvel at just how enthusiastic they are every time they are on the air. To me, the trait I have always admired in this business is the ability to announce with a sense of discovery. When you have been in the business for a long time, you have an opportunity to get jaded, and when I listen to people like that, it's almost as if I'm listening to them early in their careers.
Do you think the St. Louis Rams will repeat as Super Bowl champions?
Mark Goslawski, Naperville, Ill.
Michaels: The Rams have a very good chance to repeat. I felt going into the season they were as good as anyone in the league. If they don't suffer any disastrous injuries along the way, I don't see any reason why the Rams shouldn't be there at the end in the NFC, along with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the AFC, I still think Indianapolis and Tennessee are the cream of the crop.
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Coach Dave Campo feels it's in everyone's best interest to sit Troy Aikman for another week.