Monday Night Football broadcaster and ASU alumnus Al Michaels received the 19th annual Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism and Mass Communication at a reception at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale on Thursday.
Cronkite introduced Michaels as the first ASU alumnus to receive the honor in the 18 years it has been awarded.
"I always had this great admiration for sports reporters," Cronkite said about Michaels. "I know what they put up with to a degree. In both broadcast and print, sports reporting takes a number of very special qualities."
Among past recipients of the award are Bob Woodward who helped break the Nixon Watergate scandal, (2001); Cokie Roberts, senior analyst for National Public Radio and ABC broadcaster, (2000); and CNN founder Ted Turner, (1990).
Michaels graduated from ASU in 1966 with a major in radio and television and a minor in journalism and has since amassed four Emmy Awards, three awards from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, and was inducted into the NSSA Hall of fame in 1998.
Starting his sports reporting career as sports editor at The State Press, Michaels later joined the staff at ABC in 1976.
He gave his acceptance speech to a crowd composed of area journalists, such as Fox 10 anchorman John Hook; University officials, such as ASU President Michael Crow; and others, including Tempe Mayor Neil Giuliano.
Michaels spent most of his speech telling stories about his time at ASU, from working at the campus radio station, which broadcast no further than the basement of Sahuaro Hall, to pranks he played with his fraternity brothers.
"And here I am receiving the Cronkite Award," Michaels said jokingly, reflecting on his antics at ASU. "To come up here, and receive an award from Walter Cronkite is almost like an out-of-body experience."
Following the resort luncheon, Michaels visited campus and hosted a discussion at Murdock Hall. He fielded questions from students that ranged from his 18 years on Monday Night Football to his thoughts on his famous "do you believe in miracles?" call during the U.S. ice hockey victory over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics.
Michaels also touched on the familiar topic of the problem with professional athletes who ascend to high-level broadcast positions without training. Michaels, who worked with retired athletes such as Tim McCarver and former Monday Night Football color commentator Dan Dierdorf, said that while those men went through training to become broadcasters, many do not.
"That is a problem," Michaels said. "And a lot of athletes resent that even more than broadcasters. One of the things that is a problem with our business is to take people that aren't ready for the job. It is not the way it should be, but it's the way of the world."
In addition to athletes in prominent television positions, women have also received criticism from some broadcasting pundits.
Recently, "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney mentioned that he believes women should not be sideline reporters on sports broadcasts. Michaels works with ABC reporter Melissa Stark on Monday Night Football and says that Stark is the best reporter for the job, regardless of her gender.
"Sideline reporters can be valuable in ways that you don't see on the air," Michaels said. "Having her down there, she can report to us things that we don't see otherwise, things that may not be worthy of a full report, but it helps us.
"As far as men or women, I said 'you know what, just find me the best person for the job'. It's great for women to have had the opportunity to get into this business and in the end, I just say 'this is the best person for the job, hire him or hire her.' "
Michaels said that he still stays abreast of things going on at ASU, including the recent tribulations of Sigma Nu, his old fraternity, and the future of ASU President Crow.
"I am really impressed by him," Michaels said of Crow. "He has a great future and should have a long run at ASU."
Reach the reporter at gregory.salvatore@asu.edu.
