"He was genial, he was compassionate": Al Michaels gives moving tribute to Dan Hicks

Credit: Prime VideoThe sports world spent much of Thursday mourning the sudden death of longtime NBC Sports commentator Dan Hicks at the age of 64.Hicks was known as the lead voice of NBC Sports’s coverage of the PGA Tour, as well as his work with Notre Dame football, and several Olympic sports including swimming and skiing. He was married to fellow veteran broadcaster Hannah Storm.Tributes poured in for Hicks from around the sports world all day, and just after halftime of Thursday Night Football on Prime Video between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, Al Michaels took a moment to honor his fellow broadcaster.“Well, all of us in the sports broadcasting business were shocked to learn this morning of the passing of Dan Hicks,” Michaels said. “Dan joined NBC Sports in 1992, provided captions to so many iconic moments in golf, tennis, and Notre Dame football, and he and Rowdy Gaines turned the calling of swimming at multiple Olympics into an art form. He was genial. He was compassionate. He was great company, had a world-class sense of humor. On this very rough day for so many of us, we send our love to Hannah and your three daughters. Wishing you strength and comfort.”Michaels’s voice cracked a bit when saying Hannah’s name.Al Michaels gets choked up during a tribute for Dan Hicks on Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football broadcast. https://t.co/yPlnxlDWGW— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 13, 2026Michaels and Hicks are part of a small group at the top of announcing whose most infamous calls are known in the hearts of sports fans, even if they have no direct knowledge of it. For Michaels, it is the “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” call from the 1980 Winter Olympics.For Hicks, it was the incredible line, “Expect anything different?!” as Tiger Woods rolled in a 12-foot putt at the 2008 U.S. Open to force a playoff at Torrey Pines. Woods would win the third U.S. Open of his career on the following day.He was also on the call of the Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay at the 2008 Olympics as Michael Phelps was looking to make history with eight gold medals in eight events. It was just the second of Phelps’ eight events, and while all eyes entered the race on him, it was an incredible anchor leg from Jason Lezak that won gold, with Lezak making up tons of ground against the favorites France over the final few meters to win at the touch. Phelps would go on to win his eight gold medals, but he never would have had the chance if not for that thrilling closing leg.Dan Hicks’ call of the Michael Phelps-Jason Lezak relay from the 2008 Olympics will long live as one of the greatest ever.Rest in peace to a legend. https://t.co/6CZfqmfsU1— Mark Harris (@itismarkharris) November 12, 2026It’s one of the most exciting moments that the Olympics have ever produced, and it was Hicks that brought the audience into the drama through their screens. It’s a truly incredible bit of broadcasting, with Hicks setting the stakes, noting the unlikelihood of a comeback, and then exploding into disbelief as the comeback became real.With those moments, and many, many more, Hicks will be remembered by many as one of the greats.The post Al Michaels gets choked up while reading tribute to Dan Hicks appeared first on Awful Announcing.