Dec 29, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Amazon Prime sportscaster Al Michaels walks on the field before the game between the Tennessee Titans and the Dallas Cowboys at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Al Michaels was a master at sneaking in gambling references during NFL game broadcasts long before it was cool, and the legendary announcer misses those days.

Michaels has always paid very close attention to sports betting. The 79-year-old knows the point spread or point total for every game he covers, and he has proven that through the years with clever references to gambling during broadcasts.

Now that the NFL has embraced gambling, Michaels said it is not as fun to allude to the point spread or over/under of a game he is calling. He admitted that during a Thursday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

“I had more fun during the time when you weren’t supposed to make any reference to gambling, where I was kind of like the rascal and all that,” Michaels said. “People would say, ‘Well, the league is getting upset.’ Yeah, they’re getting upset, but in the meantime they know everybody’s betting. So it’s like, ‘You shouldn’t do that, but we’re gonna turn a blind eye to it.’

“Now, everybody’s doing it. People are betting on 3rd-and-4. I can still sneak in those things I was able to sneak in in the past, but it’s not as if I’m a rascal anymore.”

“I was surprised that Brandon Aubrey missed that kick because he hasn’t missed all year..

I knew what the spread was obviously but I’ve known that throughout the years..

We know who’s watching these blowouts at the end of the game” 😂😂 ~ Al Michaels #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/sACerynaca

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 3, 2024

Michaels always seems to have a reference cued up that proves he is a friend to the gambling man. There was a certain forbidden fruit element to his remarks years ago that no longer exists. You can understand why the excitement has waned a bit for the Hall of Fame broadcaster.