You Can't Make This Up

Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television

By: Al Michaels, L. Jon Wertheim

Narrated by: Al Michaels, Ray Porter

In this highly entertaining and insightful memoir, one of television’s most respected broadcasters interweaves the story of his life and career with lively firsthand tales of some of the most thrilling events and fascinating figures in modern sports.

No sportscaster has covered more major sporting events than Al Michaels. Over the course of his forty-plus year career, he has logged more hours on live network television than any other broadcaster in history, and is the only play-by-play commentator to have covered all four major sports championships: the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, and the Stanley Cup Final. He has also witnessed first-hand some of the most memorable events in modern sports, and in this highly personal and revealing account, brings them vividly to life.

Michaels shares never-before-told stories from his early years and his rise to the top, covering some of the greatest moments of the past half century—from the “Miracle on Ice”—the historic 1980 Olympic hockey finals—to the earthquake that rocked the 1989 World Series. Some of the greatest names on and off the field are here—Michael Jordan, Bill Walton, Pete Rose, Bill Walsh, Peyton and Eli Manning, Brett Favre, John Madden, Howard Cosell, Cris Collinsworth, and many, many more.

Forthright and down-to-earth, Michaels tells the truth as he sees it, giving readers unique insight into the high drama, the colorful players, and the heroes and occasional villains of an industry that has become a vital part of modern culture.

Great story.

Wonderful insight into the world of sports. Very interesting life experiences and rise to the top from the best voice in the business.

Very entertaining

Very enjoyable and easy to listen to I wish there was more chapters read by Al Michaels.
Overall I liked.

Fascinating stories about an incredible career

Fascinating stories about an incredible career. Well written and well read by Al and the narrator.

Great stories!

What a great collection of stories and experiences! I only wish Al would have read more of it himself. He is definitely one of the voices of my generation!

One Tiny Flaw

Any additional comments?

The book was a lot of fun, especially for those of us who grew up experiencing Al Michaels broadcasting so many events, whether it be Monday Night Football or the most memorable U.S. Olympic hockey game ever. It would be nearly impossible for me to read this first-person autobiography and NOT imagine the words in Al Michaels' voice, therefore my one disappointment was when I realized that the entire audiobook wasn't narrated by the author himself; it was a letdown. The portions he does read stand out from the others, with all due respect to Ray Porter. Prepare to be thrown a bit by this. Otherwise, the content was interesting, especially when it enlightened me about the behind-the-scenes aspects of events I remembered.