It only took one possession for veteran play-by-play man Al Michaels to get into midseason form during Amazon Prime Video's preseason "Thursday Night Football" broadcast.
The broadcast was coming back from a commercial after the Browns opened the game with a touchdown from Dillon Gabriel to Luke Floriea. It showed an aerial shot of Huntington Bank Field, which abuts Lake Erie.
Michaels used that opportunity to crack a joke about U.S. president Donald Trump's order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amid an ongoing trade dispute with Canada.
"That is Lake Erie. We think it is still called Lake Erie – we're not quite sure at this point," Michaels said. "But we'll be by Lake something like Ontario or whatever it's going to be called by the time
we get to Buffalo. Anyway, you know what I'm talking about, some of you do. Read the news."
Michaels, referencing the 2026 "TNF" schedule debut when they travel to Buffalo in Week 2 for a Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions matchup, used his patented subtly in making the joke, never referencing Trump by name while delivering the wisecrack.
Michaels' quip elicited a chuckle from his color analyst, Kirk Herbstreit, before the duo returned their attention to the action on the field.
Football fans can expect more such jokes – and discussion about the state of the moon – from Michaels as the 81-year-old prepares to call another NFL season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Al Michaels cracks Lake Ontario joke amid ongoing name controversy
