Al Michaels was done with referees after penalty-filled Giants-Cowboys game: ‘Flag Day’

Al Michaels really doesn’t like flags and he made that abundantly clear during the Prime Video “Thursday Night Football” broadcast.

Fifteen total flags were thrown in the Cowboys’ 20-15 win over the Giants.

It was the high volume in the first half that drew the ire of the legendary sports broadcaster, and he made it a point to air his grievances at several points during the game.

“It looks like June 14 here, otherwise known as Flag Day, as you know,” Michaels quipped at one point during the first half of the broadcast.

“We’ve got another flag. You have two more flags in the backfield. No more laundry left. … And any number of calls coming your way,” Michaels chimed in as the officials called several penalties late in the half.

Michaels, 79, wasn’t done there ragging on the officials for the number of penalty flags they threw.

At halftime, Michaels continued to take jabs at the crew, at one point asking analyst Kirk Herbstreit: “Beside the fact that the game was completely rhythmless because of what’s been going in with the flags, what do you make of the first half?”
The Giants and Cowboys were flagged a ton in their Week 4 game on Sept. 26, 2024.

And in the third quarter, after the refs called their first penalty with 5:16 left in the frame, he commented, “Flag is down. Amazingly, the first of the quarter.”

During the course of the first 30 minutes, the refs called 12 combined penalties between the Giants and Cowboys, even picking up the flags on several occasions — including on Dallas’ first score.

The Giants dropped to 1-3 on the season with the loss to the Cowboys, despite a decent showing from quarterback Daniel Jones, who threw for 281 yards.

Kirk Herbstreit and Al Michaels are the game-callers for “TNF”Getty Images

Big Blue failed to score a touchdown in the game, relying solely on the leg of Greg Joseph for their 15 points on Thursday night.