Kirk Herbstreit believes his partner Al Michaels is getting unjustly smeared for a perceived lack of enthusiasm.
The duo is in their second year calling “Thursday Night Football” games on Amazon’s Prime Video service.
This week, they were tasked with a Panthers-Bears game that ordinarily would have had some drama for the race for the NFL’s worst record and thus the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but even that went by the wayside as the Bears own the Panthers’ first-round pick.
Herbstreit began tweeting Friday morning from a private jet en route from Chicago to Athens, Ga., where he will be broadcasting ESPN’s “College GameDay” before No. 1 Georgia faces No. 10 Ole Miss on Saturday.
Herbstreit said Bears-Panthers was a “fun game,” and a replier accused him of expressing an insincere sentiment.
“I love football,” Herbstreit responded.
“I love watching teams compete and work to get better. And any game that’s a 1 possession game late in the 4th Q is a win for a broadcaster. Carolina has a lot of work to do around Bryce to give him a chance-meanwhile now that the @ChicagoBears defense is healthy on the backend coupled with the addition of Sweat lookin forward to watching them compete these next 3 weeks-Lions-Vikings-and Lions again.”
When another replier fixated on the “win for a broadcaster” part and asked if Michaels felt the same way, Herbstreit responded affirmatively.
“Absolutely. Many of you are missing it with Al. He’s having a blast. That narrative isn’t accurate and is low hanging fruit for too many,” Herbstreit wrote.
Earlier this week, The Post’s Andrew Marchand spoke to Michaels about the criticism he is receiving.
Michaels asked Marchand what he thought, and Marchand answered that he believed Michaels was “throwing 85 at times” — a reference to an ace pitcher losing some of his velocity late in his career.
Nevertheless, Michaels, 78, said he does not plan to retire.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m doing next year,” Michaels said. “There’s no question about that in my mind.”
Michaels disputed the idea that he has less excitement than in years passed.
“I don’t think I’m a lot different than I have been through the years,” Michaels said. “And if people you know want to say that, ‘Al doesn’t sound as excited.’ Hold on a second, folks. I’m doing the same game I’ve always done.”
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