NBC to debut Sunday Night Football booth of Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark

Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
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Sunday Night Football commentators Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Bob Costas report prior to the NFL game between the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on September 11, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. Collinsworth attended Astronaut High in Titusville before playing with the Florida Gators and Cincinnati Bengals.

NBC's new "Sunday Night Football" broadcast team featuring former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Cris Collinsworth as color analyst, play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico and Melissa Stark as sideline reporter is set to debut in the 2022 Hall of Fame Game next Thursday (Aug. 4) at 8 p.m. in Canton.

Collinsworth tweeted video in March of his famous "Collinsworth slide" with long-time broadcast partner and former Reds radio play-by-play announcer Al Michaels, with the caption, "One final time with the greatest of all time!"

Michaels and Collinsworth were in NBC's broadcast booth for Super Bowl 56 between the Bengals and Los Angeles Rams in February. Michaels will call NFL games for Amazon, which will pair Centerville native, former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback and self-proclaimed die-hard Reds fan Kirk Herbstreit with Michaels in its "Thursday Night Football" broadcast booth.

Herbstreit will continue to work for ESPN as well.

Last December, NYPost.com's Andrew Marchand reported that NBC's plan was for Tirico to replace Michaels on Sunday night play-by-play.

Collinsworth, 63, was a three-time Pro Bowler for the Bengals who spent his entire NFL career (1981-88) with Cincinnati. He started working for NBC shortly after his playing career ended.

Before Super Bowl 56, Collinsworth said Ja'Marr Chase was already the best receiver he's ever seen play in a Bengals uniform.

Collinsworth's tweeted about the Reds' Joey Votto chatting with the Bengals' Joe Burrow, Chase and Tee Higgins as Burrow prepared to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Reds' home opener:

Collinsworth started working with his son, Jac - a former Highlands High School football player and University of Notre Dame graduate - in 2020 when Jac left ESPN for NBC Sports.

Michaels, who became Collinsworth's broadcast partner in 2009, came to Cincinnati in 1971 and was replaced in the Reds' broadcast booth in 1974 by Marty Brennaman. Michaels was honored in Cooperstown as the winner of 2021 Ford C. Frick Award.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NBC to debut Sunday Night Football booth with Tirico, Collinsworth

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