Prime Video play-by-play broadcaster Al Michaels delivered an emotional tribute Thursday night to former NBC colleague Dan Hicks, who died at 64 years old following an acute illness.
Early in the third quarter of the Giants’ loss to the Commanders, Michaels remembered Hicks — known for his work broadcasting golf, Notre Dame football and the Olympics, among other sports — as a collection of photos appeared on the “Thursday Night Football” broadcast.
Michaels appeared to choke up at one point while describing Hicks.
“All of us in the sports broadcasting business were shocked to learn this morning of the passing of Dan Hicks,” Michaels, who worked “Sunday Night Football” broadcasts for NBC before shifting to Amazon, 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. Great company. Had a world-class sense of humor. And on this very rough day for so many of us, we send our love to Hannah [Storm] and your three daughters. Wishing you strength and comfort.”
Storm, a “SportsCenter” anchor, announced Hicks’ death Thursday in a statement posted to social media, writing that their family is “heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing” of Hicks.
He was scheduled to call Notre Dame’s football game against Boston College on Saturday.
The message from Michaels marked one of the many tributes that poured in from around the sports and sports broadcasting world, including Roger Maltbie and Jimmy Roberts on Golf Channel.
Two of Hicks’ most iconic calls as a broadcaster occurred in 2008, when Tiger Woods sank a putt to force a playoff at the U.S. Open and Team USA produced a stunning comeback during the 4×100 swimming relay at the Summer Olympics in Beijing to take gold.
“He was a devoted husband of over 30 years, loving father of our three daughters, and cherished friend to so many,” Storm wrote in her statement. “His loss is immeasurable. Dan was truly one of a kind, and quite simply, the person everyone wanted to be around. When he walked into a room, he brought the energy, the laughter and the people together. He was endlessly kind, thoughtful and funny, and he made everyone feel like they mattered.
“There are simply no words to express how much he will be missed.”
