Just ahead of a very busy weekend, Mike Tirico of NBC was a guest with Stoney and Jansen with Heather on 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit.
Tirico is scheduled to broadcast both the Peacock-exclusive Dolphins-Chiefs game on Saturday night and the Sunday night Rams-Lions game on NBC.
Saturday, Tirico will be paired with former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett with Kaylee Hartung on the sidelines. Sunday will feauture the regular Sunday Night Football crew with Cris Collinsworth and sideline reporter Melissa Stark joining Tirico.
As Mike Stone and Jon Jansen welcomed Tirico to the show from Kansas City, he started with his own question, “Do you know what the windchill is supposed to be Saturday night here?” Tirico asked.
The hosts guessed -20 and Tirico was quick to give the answer, ” -30 at kickoff,” he said.
“How about Tua, from Hawaii who plays in Miami, coming here to play that kind of game with a timing and rhythm offense,” Tirico continued. “I’ve had cold games in Chicago, 8, or 7 or 6 degrees on the thermometer, with a windchill of five or 10 below, but never anything like that at the start of the game. It’s going to be an interesting start and I will be very happy to be indoors Sunday night, that’s for sure.”
Tirico said the windows would be open in the booth, despite the conditions, and recognizes nobody is all that concerned with the comfort of the broadcasters. However, he did hilariously add, “People always say, ‘you’re in a booth, whats the big deal,’ and you’re right, it’s not as cold as the people on the field. But, if you want to know what it feels like to do this and you’re happy to do this, go open your freezer and talk into it for four hours…with 20 million people listening to it.”
Tirico said the weather just adds to the stories of the games, noting Sunday afternoon’s game in Buffalo as well, which could be played during a major snowstorm according to projections. Outside of the weather, he also added, “It’s maybe as good of a series of storylines going in to Wild Card games as I can remember, for sure.”
Born and raised in New York, Tirico has lived in the Detroit area for over 20 years. He said he was rooting for one of two things to happen with the knowledge the Lions would be hosting a playoff game for the first time since January, 1994.
“I was hoping for two things, either it would be Sunday so we could do the game, or Monday so I could go.”
Tirico said he and his family were original season ticket holders at Ford Field, when it opened in 2002, and that despite having called NFL games for 17 years, he has only done a couple in Detroit.
It was clear as Tirico continued, the Rams-Lions game is not just another game for him. “To come in there for that game is going to be one of the most enjoyable feelings for me that I’ve ever had, workwise. I think I know what it means to the people.”
