Al Michaels showed he still has his signature timing during Amazon Prime Video’s lone preseason edition of Thursday Night Football.
Calling the New England Patriots’ matchup with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night, Michaels used an aerial shot of Cleveland and Lake Erie to make a topical joke about President Donald Trump’s reported order to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.”
“That is Lake Erie,” Michaels said as the camera returned from a commercial break. “We think it is still called Lake Erie. We’re not quite sure at this point.”
Michaels then looked ahead to Prime Video’s scheduled Week 2 visit to Buffalo, where the Buffalo Bills will host the Detroit Lions.
“But we’ll be by Lake something like Ontario or whatever it’s going to be called by the time we get to Buffalo,” he added. “Anyway, you know what I’m talking about. Some of you do. Read the news.”
Al Michaels mocked President Trump and America during tonight’s NFL preseason Thursday Night Football game on Amazon, featuring the Cleveland Browns vs. the New England Patriots.
Michaels shamelessly said:
“That is Lake Erie. We think it is still called Lake Erie. We’re not… pic.twitter.com/yaeROqOoDR
— Charles R Downs (@TheCharlesDowns) August 28, 2026
Color analyst Kirk Herbstreit chuckled at the remark before the broadcast team quickly returned its focus to the game. Michaels did not mention Trump by name, but the reference came on the same day reports said the president had ordered the name change amid heightened trade tensions between the United States and Canada.usatoday+1
The moment renewed attention on Michaels, 81, who returned as Prime Video’s lead Thursday Night Football play-by-play announcer for the 2026 NFL season. Michaels has called prime-time NFL games for four decades and has been the voice of Amazon’s package since 2022.