Sunday Night Football play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico has seen a lot and called a lot over his decades in broadcasting. But the job found a way to surprise him as he prepared for NBC’s Thanksgiving Night game.
Tirico was on Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan on Thursday ahead of Sunday night’s Eagles/Cowboys game in Arlington, and Mike said his check-in with Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith made for one of the weirdest production meetings he’s ever done in his 25 years of broadcasting football games.
Smith got injured the Sunday before Seattle’s Thanksgiving Night game against the 49ers, and Tirico said at the team’s request, they did their interviews with Geno while he was receiving treatment from medical staff on his elbow.
“There’s this guy who’s just like beating the heck out of his elbow with this procedure to get blood flow down to the elbow,” Tirico said. “And we’re like, ‘Geno, are you OK?’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah man I’m alright. Go ahead. Ask away, ask away.’ I felt really uncomfortable doing it, to be honest.”
Mike Tirico was asked if he was still going to be speaking to Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy ahead of Sunday’s game given McCarthy is only a couple days removed from an appendectomy. He thought he had a good feeling he’ll catch up with him at some point this weekend.
“I’m sure it’ll be health permitting, I don’t know where Mike will be health wise either Friday or Saturday when we get over to see the Cowboys at The Star,” Tirico said. “Those are those things that happen and pop up during the week where you’re like, ‘Ooh, that wasn’t expected.’ We’ll have to adjust.”
