During the broadcast of the NFL preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns on Amazon Prime Video, Al Michaels referenced President Trump's recent executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. Michaels, 81, made the remarks as the camera showed an aerial view of Huntington Bank Field, with Lake Erie visible in the background.
Michaels stated, "That is Lake Erie. We think it is still called Lake Erie… We're not quite sure at this point. But we'll be by Lake something like Ontario or whatever it's going to be called by the time we get to Buffalo. Anyway, you know what I'm talking about… Read the news."
Trump announced the name change during a press conference, stating that the renaming is effective immediately amid ongoing trade tensions with Canada. He mentioned, "We filed all the necessary papers, documents, everything else. We notified all of the various people that we have to notify. So we’ve done everything that you have to do, and this is official, effective immediately."
Michaels is in his fifth season as the lead game-caller for Amazon, having joined the platform in 2022. Earlier this year, there was speculation about his potential retirement after the 2025 NFL season, but he confirmed his return for the current season, expressing his satisfaction with his work at Amazon. He stated, "First of all, I feel great. Everyone at Amazon has been fantastic and I love working with this group. I’ve been looking at this year one year at a time and as long as I feel I’m at the top of my game, I’d like to continue."