Bellevue native gives ESPN’s Mike Tirico an extra set of eyes for Monday Night Football

It might seem like ESPN’s Monday Night Football play-by-play guy Mike Tirico knows and sees it all. But there’s more than one set of eyes on the field.

The extra set belongs to his trusted spotter, stage manager and Bellevue native Michael Black, who has been alongside Tirico for more than a decade.

“I watch each play through binoculars and he has this board in front of him &#8212 a spotting board &#8212 with all the names and numbers on it,” Black said. “So I watch the play and go to the board and point to different players and he kind of relays what I’m pointing at on air.”

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But his job is far more complex than that.

Black helps fill in all the things Tirico can’t watch or see &#8212 that battle going on away from the ball along the line, or what’s going on along the sidelines. And they communicate through a complex system of notes, gestures and other non-verbal means in a matter of moments.

“Really, anything I see on the field I can relay to him, because there is so much going on the field at once, he can’t see everything,” he said.

Black is uniquely qualified. He was a star kicker at Bellevue High School, Boise State and in the Arena Football League before a friend connected him with ESPN.

His inside knowledge gives him the kind of insights others don’t have. He will get data on what he calls “little stuff,” things such as why a defensive end was able to beat a blocker and get to the quarterback, or hang time on punts.

After more than 10 years working with Tirico on Monday Night Football and college games, they’ve developed a a special relationship, much like a quarterback and receiver – or old married couple.

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“I kind of know what he’s looking for play-to-play,” Black said. “It’s just kind of a rhythm you develop.”

You’ll never see or hear Black directly and that’s OK with him.

“[Tirico] might mention my name every once in a while … I don’t need to be on camera really.”

Neither do most of the others in the army that makes up the Monday Night Football crew. Black says the size of the production is incredible.

“It’s pretty amazing when you have 150 people working on the Monday night show, it’s massive,” he said. “Everybody has a little piece of the puzzle they work on. Especially our production crew; a close knit group.”

Most of the crew couldn’t care less who wins. But in this case, Black has a pretty strong connection and admits he’ll be pulling for the Seahawks. After all, his dad was a season ticket holder since the first season in the Kingdome.

“It’s in my blood for sure. It’s my favorite road trip to go through in the NFL.”