Al Michaels Reacts To Tom Brady's 10-Year Broadcasting Deal

Al Michaels isn't sweating Tom Brady's new mega deal. In an interview with NBC's Peter King to talk about any potential jealousy.

"We're all doing pretty well," Michaels said.

Touché, Al. Touché.

"Well, inflation controls everything. You go back to when I did my first Reds-Dodgers game in Dodger Stadium. I still have the ticket from it in L.A. A box seat was $3.50. Three fifty. You sat in the bleachers or in the top deck at Chavez Ravine for a buck fifty. Now, tickets are like a thousand bucks for the same seats. When you see these numbers, and I don’t wanna sound like a dinosaur here, but I go back to when I was with the Reds. The first year I’m there, Pete Rose is holding out. He misses half of spring training because he wants $110,000. And he was one of the first guys to go into six figures. When you see this, this is just the evolvement of the business. The Brady deal, I don’t know whether the number is right. I don’t know whether he’s a brand ambassador, whatever that’s supposed to mean. It can’t just be for doing games. It has to be other stuff. In a way, this is just the way it’s gone."

Tom Brady is fielding offers north of Al Michaels and the rest of his field because that's the price tag for the greatest quarterback of all-time to stop being a football player to come wear make up and talk football. Does it mean Brady will live up to the expectations of that price? No, but Fox Sports is obviously taking a risk that Brady will provide similar success that the Manning brothers are having with ESPN.

But the premise of what Al Michaels said is true. Back in 1997, my father, Gary Sheffield, signed a contract for north of $100 million that was considered an overpay for an all-time great baseball player. Now, Mike Trout, who's known as the best player in the sport, can ink a 12-year contract for $426.5 million. That's the nature of business and everyone will continue to make more money as time goes on -- broadcasters included.

We used to pay McDonald's workers $6.50 an hour, now they tell us the ice cream machine is down for $17 an hour. Tom Brady is one fortunate dude. Married to Gisele, known as arguably the greatest football player ever after a sixth-round selection to the Patriots, and he's got a record-setting broadcasting deal waiting in the wings whenever he feels like it.

Tough life.