Al Michaels has faced criticism for his lack of excitement during “Thursday Night Football,” but this week he showed he can still bring the energy.
During the second quarter of the Cleveland Browns-New York Jets game, the renowned broadcaster became very irritated by Browns fans banging on trash cans.
He acknowledged the noise and then humorously referenced the Houston Astros, saying, “Somebody’s pounding on that trash can. I think the Astros must be in town.”
The Houston Astros infamously used trash can banging to steal signs and inform batters of upcoming pitches in real-time during the 2017 season. Many believe this practice contributed to their first World Series win in franchise history.
If it hadn’t been for former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers blowing the whistle in 2019, nobody would have known about it. Months later, MLB suspended manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, and Astros owner Jim Crane fired both of them.
No players were suspended, as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred granted them immunity in exchange for the truth.
Since then, the Houston Astros have won the 2022 World Series, and this season marked their seventh consecutive trip to the American League Championship Series.
