Al Michaels -- Conservative?

I missed this on Thursday night during the Patriots-Colts game in Boston.

When co-announcer John Madden marveled at the seesawing of the score - "This is what you call a flip-flop," he said - Michaels retorted: "You're in the right state for that."

By which Michaels meant Massachusetts, the home state of the Democratic presidential nominee, who's constantly being accused by President Bush's campaign team of "flip-flopping" on the issues.

And apparently James Carville is upset.

"These announcers are getting to think they're some kind of political commentators or pontificators," Carville told me. "But the football fans watch football to hear about football. If Al Michaels wants to give his political opinions, tell him to come on 'Crossfire.'"

Paul Begala, on the other hand, doesn't watch.

"I hardly ever watch ['Monday Night Football'] anymore. It's the television equivalent of Sominex. And they have had all these right-wingers on: Dennis Miller, Rush Limbaugh and Al Michaels - and all it does is drive viewers away."

Fortunately, ABC has the perfect response to this non-issue driven by gossip columnist Lloyd Grove.

"We don't respond to nonsense."