They’re called the San Francisco 49ers, but they don’t actually play within the city limits of San Francisco. Their stadium resides in Santa Clara, California, which is approximately 43 miles south of The Golden City. At this point, though, it just makes more sense — semantically, anyway — to call them the San Francisco 49ers. After all, the Dallas Cowboys play in Arlington, but no one questions that.
Al Michaels might not agree with this sentiment.
As Thursday’s broadcast of the 49ers’ home matchup with the New York Giants returned from commercial late in the game, it showed a bunch of lovely aerial shots of San Francisco. Here, Michaels veered off script and openly questioned why they were still showing San Francisco because it’s “44 miles away.”
Folks, technically, he’s not wrong!
Al Michaels was fired up about San Francisco being 40 miles away from Levi's Stadium pic.twitter.com/ryAIeU1X9C
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 22, 2023
As a person who doesn’t love when the NFL moves teams out of cities that adored them into overpriced suburban stadiums, I’m all for this. I would love for more announcers like Michaels to call out this weird discrepancy. If only more broadcasters broke Football Guy character and told it like it is under these circumstances.
This was how Twitter reacted to Michaels' comments
Imagine Arrowhead being in Louisburg, Kansas. Grab some cider before you go tailgating. https://t.co/HMK2Y8XrIn
— Aaron Thompson 🎥 (@athompsonvideo) September 22, 2023
drag them al https://t.co/p57KKZV1eZ
— tryler (@tylerlauletta) September 22, 2023
Please do this when they show the Bills and Niagara Falls https://t.co/CuLcBurbD7
— Mikey (@mpru0318) September 22, 2023
Al isn't wrong https://t.co/sBJrk3oslW
— Rice Cube (@CubicSnarkonia) September 22, 2023
He’s right https://t.co/7LAACOFNXm
— Justin Severson (@stpaulrockcity) September 22, 2023
He ain’t wrong. Not only is it forever away from the peninsula, it’s a very crappily-built stadium.
— Andrew Streeter (@andrewstreeter_) September 22, 2023
Al Michaels: "Ever notice, we come here, we always give you aerials from 44 miles away?"
— Brian Murphy (@knbrmurph) September 22, 2023
“downtown SF, Lombard St, 44 miles north of here” -Al Michaels
😂😂
— camden (@wiens55) September 22, 2023
Al Michaels cracking me up with the 49ers shade: “We always show these beautiful aerial shots of San Francisco… 44 miles away.” He kept going too lol
— YoJimbei (@jimr_drumr) September 22, 2023
