Al Michaels on TNF (Photo via TNF on Amazon Prime)
It’s been a very rough night for the Miami Dolphins. And you can probably say the same for Al Michaels.
During Thursday Night Football between the Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills, things went from bad to much much worse for the home team when they saw their star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, go down with yet another scary concussion.
The play took place during the third quarter, with Miami in the red zone trailing by three touchdowns. Tua attempted to run for a first down on a crucial 4th & 4 play, and while he got the necessary yardage, it came at a cost, as his head collided with the chest of Bills safety Damar Hamlin, knocking Tua to the ground and out of the game.
Damar Hamlin hits Tua very hard and he’s down on the field big time #NFL #Tua hope you are ok man pic.twitter.com/j6fdnwZXgq
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 13, 2024
Not long after the play, it was announced that Tagovailoa was ruled out for the remainder of the contest with a concussion.
That’s when Al Michaels did the unthinkable, dropping the following line on live television:
“A little irony there, he got hit by Damar Hamlin. You know that history.”
Kaylee Hartung: Tua Tagovailoa will not return to this game. He has been ruled out with a concussion. They were able to determine that just 6 minutes after he left the field.
Al Michaels: A little irony there, he got hit by Damar Hamlin. You know that history. pic.twitter.com/SW6gr6ln0O
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 13, 2024
Al Michaels Shocked Everyone With His Tua Tagovailoa-Damar Hamlin Comment
Not surprisingly, many people were left with their jaws on the floor after that comment from the 79-year-old play-by-play legend.
I felt the Michael’s comment unnecessary.
— Tony Carter (@TheTony_Carter) September 13, 2024
It’s not ironic. It’s merely coincidental.
— Jon McKelvey 🖐 (@J_McKLV) September 13, 2024
Al trying to get fired already so he don’t have to call another Thursday night football game 😭😭😭
— Angel (@angcar90) September 13, 2024
Of course, what Al Michaels is referring to is the frightening scene that unfolded back on January 2, 2023, during a week 17 game between the Bills and Bengals in Cincinnati. During the first quarter of that game, Hamlin was struck in the chest by the helmet of Tee Higgins, causing him to go into cardiac arrest.
Tua, as you may already know, has a troubling history of concussions. During the 2022 season, he suffered an ugly head injury against these same Bills, but was given the green light to return to the game. Four days later, during a Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Tua took another ugly head shot. This one left him laying unconscious on the field. It was a horrifying scene that called into question the NFL’s procedure for checking concussions on the sideline.
Sadly, Tua’s latest concussion is bound to raise more questions regarding head injuries in the NFL. Many will question whether the Dolphins quarterback should continue playing the game.
One thing is for sure: this is definitely not ironic. Sorry, Al.
We’re all praying for Tua’s health and well-being at this time.
