Joe Buck
Encyclopedia
Joseph Francis "Joe" Buck (born April 25, 1969) is an American
sportscaster
and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck
. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards
for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports
.
(where the St. Louis Cardinals
, for whom his father broadcast, then conducted their spring training
) and raised in St. Louis
where he attended St. Louis Country Day School. Buck began his broadcasting career in 1989 while he was an undergraduate at Indiana University.
, a minor league
affiliate of the Cardinals, and was a reporter for ESPN
's coverage of the Triple-A All-Star Game
. In 1991, Buck did reporting for St Louis' CBS affiliate KMOV
. Also, in 1991
Joe followed in his father's footsteps by broadcasting for the Cardinals on local television and KMOX
Radio, filling in while his father was working on CBS telecasts. In the 1992–95 season he was the color commentator for University of Missouri basketball
broadcasts.
Buck continued to call Cardinals games after being hired by Fox Sports, initially with his father on KMOX and later on FSN Midwest
television. As his network duties increased, however, Buck's local workload shrank, and prior to the 2008
season it was announced that Buck would no longer be calling Cardinals telecasts for FSN Midwest. This would mark the first time since 1960
that a member of the Buck family would not be part of the team's broadcasting crew.
In 1994
, Buck was hired by Fox, and at the age of 25 became the youngest man ever to announce a regular slate of National Football League
games on network television.
In , he was named Fox's lead play-by-play voice for Major League Baseball, teaming with Tim McCarver
, who had previously worked with Joe's father on CBS. That year, he became the youngest man to do a national broadcast (for all nine innings and games, as a network employee as opposed to simply being a representative of one of the participating teams) for a World Series
, surpassing Sean McDonough
, who called the 1992 World Series
for CBS at the age of 30. McDonough had replaced Jack Buck as CBS' lead baseball play-by-play man after the elder Buck was fired in late .
On September 8, Joe Buck called Mark McGwire
's 62nd home run
that broke Roger Maris
' single-season record. The game was nationally televised live in prime time
on Fox. It was a rarity for a nationally televised regular season game to not be aired on cable
since the end of the Monday Night
/Thursday Night Baseball
era on ABC in .
During Fox's broadcast of the 2002 World Series
, Joe Buck paid implicit tribute to his father, who had died only a few months earlier (he had read the eulogy at his father's funeral), by calling the final out of Game 6 (which tied the series at 3–3, and thus ensured there would be a Game 7 broadcast the next night) with the phrase, "We'll see you tomorrow night." This was the same phrase with which Jack Buck had famously called Kirby Puckett
's home run off Braves
pitcher
Charlie Leibrandt
which ended Game 6 of the 1991 World Series
. Since then Joe has continued to use this phrase at appropriate times, including Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS
, in which the Boston Red Sox
famously rallied off of New York Yankees
closer Mariano Rivera
in the 9th inning to avoid elimination. When David Ortiz
's walk-off home run finally won it for the Red Sox in the 12th inning, Buck uttered "We'll see you later tonight," alluding to the fact that the game had extended into the early morning. He also used the phrase at the end of Game 6 of the 2011 World Series
when the Cardinals
' David Freese
hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning against the Rangers
to send the series to a seventh game (it was actually 20 years and a day since Kirby Puckett's home run).
At the close of the 2006 World Series
, the younger Buck uttered the low-key statement "St. Louis
has a World Series winner," also echoing a long-time catchphrase of his father. However, he did not echo the phrase when the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series
.
Buck famously announced the end of the "Curse of the Bambino
" with: "Back to Foulke
. Red Sox fans
have longed to hear it: The Boston Red Sox
are World Champions
!"
Buck became Fox Sports' lead NFL
play-by-play man in 2002
(taking over for Pat Summerall
), teaming with Cris Collinsworth
and Troy Aikman
as color commentator
s and Pam Oliver
as the sideline reporter
. Buck is only the third announcer to handle a television network's lead MLB and NFL coverage in the same year (following NBC
's Curt Gowdy
and ABC
's Al Michaels
). By , Buck's Fox duties forced him to cut his local Cardinal schedule to 25 games. Whenever Joe Buck has been on a postseason Major League Baseball assignment, Dick Stockton
(2003-06, 08), Kenny Albert
(2007), and beginning in 2009
, Thom Brennaman
, would fill-in for him.
On February 6, 2005, Buck called his first Super Bowl
, as the New England Patriots
defeated the Philadelphia Eagles
for their third championship in four years, just three months after he called the end of the "Curse of the Bambino
".
On August 14, 2006, Buck was named the host of Fox's pregame NFL show, Fox NFL Sunday
and postgame doubleheader show. According to the Nielsen ratings
system, viewership was down for the entire season. Fox announced in March 2007 that Buck would no longer host Fox NFL Sunday in 2007
, concentrating on play-by-play for the week's marquee game. Since James Brown, the original top sportscaster for Fox, left for CBS
in 2006, Joe Buck has been the network's top broadcaster since.
, with a format similar to that of Costas Now
, the monthly HBO program previously hosted by Bob Costas
.
The show's debut on June 15, 2009 made national headlines due to the tension-filled banter between Buck and guest Artie Lange
, a comedian from The Howard Stern Show, who made several outrageous jokes at Buck's expense. Two more episodes aired in 2009. In March 2010, Buck told a St. Louis radio station that HBO might be planning to cancel Joe Buck Live, adding that he "won't really miss" the program and that it involved "a lot more effort and hassle than I ever expected". HBO subsequently confirmed the show's cancellation to Broadcasting & Cable
.
cable. He also called horse racing
and professional bass fishing
events early in his Fox career, as well as the network's first Cotton Bowl Classic telecast in 1999
.
Part of Buck's broadcast (with McCarver and Bob Brenly
) of Game 5 of the 1997 American League Championship Series
could be heard in the background of one of the recordings Linda Tripp
made of a conversation between herself and Monica Lewinsky
, regarding the latter's affair with then-President
Bill Clinton
.
Buck once guest-hosted an episode of the E!
network's Talk Soup
program.
Since 2001, Buck has hosted the "Joe Buck Classic", a celebrity pro-am golf tournament that is played each May to raise money for St. Louis Children's Hospital
.
Buck can be heard as the voice behind one of the more significant moments in modern Red Sox-Yankees lore. In the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series
, Aaron Boone
famously hit Tim Wakefield's first pitch over the left field wall as Buck exclaimed, "The Boston Red Sox, and fans from New England, will tell you that they were five outs away, leading by three—as Boone hits it to deep left. That might send the Yankees to the World Series
. Boone is the hero of Game 7!"
On a Season 3 episode of Lost
, Ben shows Jack
a clip of the last play of the 2004 World Series
, and Buck can be heard calling the final out: "Back to Foulke. Red Sox fans have longed to hear it: The Boston Red Sox are world champions!"
Buck appeared as himself in the premiere episode of the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down
.
Buck has appeared numerous times on Conan O'Brien
's Late Night
, Tonight
and Conan talk shows as a guest. During an appearance prior to the 2006 World Series
, Buck was handed a garish necktie that had previously been worn by O'Brien and bandleader Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg and agreed to wear it for Game 1, a promise that he honored. On an appearance prior to the 2007 World Series
, Buck explained to O'Brien that sometimes his friends text message him during games and dare him to work words or phrases into the broadcast. O'Brien asked him to say "Jub-Jub" during a World Series broadcast, and if he did, he would donate $1,000 to a charity of Buck's choice. During the third inning of Game 1, Buck duly obliged: "Our own little Jub Jub, Chris Myers
, playing the role of weather person..."
In 2007, Buck filmed a pilot episode for a prospective late-night talk and comedy program with former Saturday Night Live
writer and director Matt Piedmont
. Piedmont and Buck wrote and produced the pilot with Piedmont directing, filming in New York City and Los Angeles and featuring Molly Shannon
, David Spade
and Paul Rudd
. Buck co-hosted the program with Abebe Adusmussui, an actual New York City taxi driver. The pilot was not picked up as a series, however.
Buck has also appeared in various national television commercials for such clients as Holiday Inn
and Budweiser
beer. One of the more memorable spots for the latter had Buck goaded into using the catchphrase, Slamma-lamma-ding-dong! (He also does local commercials in the St. Louis market for the Suntrup chain of automobile dealerships.) His 2008 commercial for National Car Rental
has him using the catchphrase "Now that's a good call".
Buck also contributes occasional opinion pieces to The Sporting News
, and is a key contributor on Team 1380 on the ITD Morning After program in St. Louis.
Buck was the commencement speaker at Saint Louis University
's 2008 commencement ceremony. His late father, Jack Buck, delivered SLU's commencement address in 1995.
In 2009, Buck gave a speech at the School of Journalism at his former college, Indiana University-Bloomington, which was filmed and subsequently aired on the Big Ten Network.
, Joe Buck was introduced to single season home run record holder Barry Bonds
:
In January 2005, Buck drew fire for his on-air comments during an NFL playoff game
between the Minnesota Vikings
and Green Bay Packers
. After Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss
simulated mooning
the Green Bay crowd in the end zone, Buck called it a "disgusting act." The moon was allegedly an attempt to respond to Packer fans, who traditionally moon the Vikings players aboard the team bus, which Buck did not mention. It prompted Red McCombs
, then the owner of the Minnesota Vikings
, to request that Buck be removed from covering their upcoming playoff game, saying that Buck's comments "suggested a prejudice that surpassed objective reporting." Buck also received criticism from other members of the media who felt he "over-reacted" and was being "inconsistent" given his network's history of programming.
In 2007
, Buck was only scheduled to call eight regular season MLB games out of a 26-game schedule for Fox (along with a handful of regional Cardinals
telecasts on FSN Midwest). In an interview with Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, Buck defended his reduced baseball commitment:
In 2008, Buck drew criticism for comments he made during an appearance on ESPN Radio
's The Herd with Colin Cowherd
, in which he admitted to spending "barely any" time following sporting events he doesn't broadcast, and facetiously claimed that preferred watching The Bachelorette
instead.
for Fox, Buck developed a virus on the nerves of his left vocal fold. Despite the ailment, which according to Buck "came out of the blue" and has hampered his ability to raise his voice, he continued to broadcast baseball for Fox during the season, and resumed as the network's lead NFL announcer that fall.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. Buck received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, and is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame...
. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards
Sports Emmy Awards
The Sports Emmy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American sports television programming, including sports-related series, live coverage of sporting events, and best sports announcers...
for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
.
Education
Buck was born in St. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
(where the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, for whom his father broadcast, then conducted their spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
) and raised in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
where he attended St. Louis Country Day School. Buck began his broadcasting career in 1989 while he was an undergraduate at Indiana University.
Career timeline
- 1991–2007: St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
play-by-play - 1992–1993: University of MissouriMissouri TigersThe Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
basketball color commentator - 1994–1997: NFL on FoxNFL on FOXNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
regional play-by-play - 1996–present: Major League Baseball on Fox lead play-by-play
- 2002–present: NFL on FoxNFL on FOXNFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
lead play-by-play - 2006: Fox NFL SundayFOX NFL SundayFox NFL Sunday is the pregame show for the TV show NFL on Fox. The program is broadcast on Fox television affiliates nationwide. The audio portion of the show is broadcast over the Fox Sports Radio network, distributed by Premiere Radio Networks...
host - 2009: Joe Buck LiveJoe Buck LiveJoe Buck Live was a talk show hosted by sportscaster Joe Buck. The show premiered on HBO on June 15, 2009 and ended on December 8, 2009, being cancelled three months later...
host
Before Fox
Buck called play-by-play for the then-Louisville RedbirdsMemphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
, a minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
affiliate of the Cardinals, and was a reporter for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's coverage of the Triple-A All-Star Game
Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game is a single baseball game held between the two Triple-A leagues in minor league baseball—the International League and the Pacific Coast League...
. In 1991, Buck did reporting for St Louis' CBS affiliate KMOV
KMOV
KMOV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KMOV is owned by the Dallas-based Belo Corporation, with its studio and office facilities in St...
. Also, in 1991
1991 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 1991 season was the team's 110th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 100th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 84-78 during the season and finished 2nd in the National League East division....
Joe followed in his father's footsteps by broadcasting for the Cardinals on local television and KMOX
KMOX (AM)
KMOX is a radio station broadcasting from St. Louis, Missouri. It is a 50,000-watt clear channel radio station, which permits its nighttime signal to be heard in most of the continental U.S. KMOX operates as "NewsRadio 1120" and refers to itself as "The Voice of St...
Radio, filling in while his father was working on CBS telecasts. In the 1992–95 season he was the color commentator for University of Missouri basketball
Missouri Tigers men's basketball
The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Missouri in the Big 12 Conference. The Tigers are located in Columbia, Missouri. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2011. The Missouri Tigers men's basketball team plays its home games at...
broadcasts.
Buck continued to call Cardinals games after being hired by Fox Sports, initially with his father on KMOX and later on FSN Midwest
FSN Midwest
Fox Sports Midwest is a regional sports network that operates in eastern and central Missouri , central & southern Illinois, Southern Indiana, Nebraska, and Iowa.-History:...
television. As his network duties increased, however, Buck's local workload shrank, and prior to the 2008
2008 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2008 season was the 127th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 117th season in the National League. The Cardinals, coming off a 78-84 season that was their worst since 1999, improved by eight games, going 86-76 in 2008...
season it was announced that Buck would no longer be calling Cardinals telecasts for FSN Midwest. This would mark the first time since 1960
1960 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 79th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 69th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 86-68 during the season, a fifteen game improvement over the previous season, and finished third in the National League, nine games behind the World...
that a member of the Buck family would not be part of the team's broadcasting crew.
Hiring at Fox
In 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
, Buck was hired by Fox, and at the age of 25 became the youngest man ever to announce a regular slate of National Football League
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
games on network television.
Major League Baseball on Fox
In , he was named Fox's lead play-by-play voice for Major League Baseball, teaming with Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
, who had previously worked with Joe's father on CBS. That year, he became the youngest man to do a national broadcast (for all nine innings and games, as a network employee as opposed to simply being a representative of one of the participating teams) for a World Series
1996 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for...
, surpassing Sean McDonough
Sean McDonough
Sean McDonough is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN.-Early life and career:The son of Boston Globe sportswriter Will McDonough, Sean graduated from Syracuse University in 1984. It was in Syracuse where McDonough began his broadcasting career in 1982 as the play-by-play announcer...
, who called the 1992 World Series
1992 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 17, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaBraves fans had plenty to worry about in regard to both starting pitchers. Tom Glavine's post-season career had been less than stellar, including giving up eight runs in the second inning of Game 6 of the NLCS...
for CBS at the age of 30. McDonough had replaced Jack Buck as CBS' lead baseball play-by-play man after the elder Buck was fired in late .
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
's 62nd home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
that broke Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
' single-season record. The game was nationally televised live in prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
on Fox. It was a rarity for a nationally televised regular season game to not be aired on cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
since the end of the Monday Night
Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs most Monday nights during the regular season on ESPN and is also available in high definition on ESPNHD. The official name of the game is Monday Night Baseball presented by Vonage. The game starts at 7 p.m...
/Thursday Night Baseball
Thursday Night Baseball
Thursday Night Baseball is the title of a presentation of Major League Baseball on cable and satellite channel MLB Network, that premiered on April 9, 2009. Longtime NBC Sports broadcaster Bob Costas is one of the play-by-play voices of the broadcasts. Matt Vasgersian also does play-by-play on some...
era on ABC in .
During Fox's broadcast of the 2002 World Series
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
, Joe Buck paid implicit tribute to his father, who had died only a few months earlier (he had read the eulogy at his father's funeral), by calling the final out of Game 6 (which tied the series at 3–3, and thus ensured there would be a Game 7 broadcast the next night) with the phrase, "We'll see you tomorrow night." This was the same phrase with which Jack Buck had famously called Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases...
's home run off Braves
1991 Atlanta Braves season
In 1991, the Atlanta Braves became the first team in the National League to go from last place one year to first place the next. This feat was also accomplished by the 1991 Minnesota Twins...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Charlie Leibrandt
Charlie Leibrandt
Charles Louis "Charlie" Leibrandt, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1979 to 1993 for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. Leibrandt was a productive pitcher throughout his 14 year career, and a member of the 1985 World Series...
which ended Game 6 of the 1991 World Series
1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
. Since then Joe has continued to use this phrase at appropriate times, including Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS
2004 American League Championship Series
The 2004 American League Championship Series was the Major League Baseball playoff series to decide the American League champion for the 2004 season. It was played between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, at Fenway Park and the original Yankee Stadium, from October 12 to October 20, 2004...
, in which the Boston Red Sox
2004 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox 2004 season was the 103rd Major League Baseball season for the Boston Red Sox franchise. Managed under Terry Francona, the team finished with a 98–64 record...
famously rallied off of New York Yankees
2004 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2004 season was the 102nd season for the Yankees. The Yankees opened the season by playing two games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Japan on March 30, 2004. The team finished with a record of 101-61, finishing 3 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. New...
closer Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
in the 9th inning to avoid elimination. When David Ortiz
David Ortiz
David Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
's walk-off home run finally won it for the Red Sox in the 12th inning, Buck uttered "We'll see you later tonight," alluding to the fact that the game had extended into the early morning. He also used the phrase at the end of Game 6 of the 2011 World Series
2011 World Series
The 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
when the Cardinals
2011 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2011 season was the 130th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 120th season in the National League, and the sixth season at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals began their season at home against the San Diego Padres on March 31, coming off a 86-76 season and...
' David Freese
David Freese
David Richard Freese is a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. A star high school player, Freese chose not to play college baseball in his freshman year of college, but returned to the game a year later...
hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning against the Rangers
2011 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers’ 2011 season was the 51st season in the overall history of the franchise and the 40th since the team relocated to Arlington, Texas. Going into the season they were the defending American League champions....
to send the series to a seventh game (it was actually 20 years and a day since Kirby Puckett's home run).
At the close of the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
, the younger Buck uttered the low-key statement "St. Louis
2006 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2006 season was the team's 125th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 115th season in the National League. The season started out with a bang, as the team raced out to a 31-16 record by late May...
has a World Series winner," also echoing a long-time catchphrase of his father. However, he did not echo the phrase when the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series
2011 World Series
The 2011 World Series was the 107th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion St...
.
Buck famously announced the end of the "Curse of the Bambino
Curse of the Bambino
The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...
" with: "Back to Foulke
Keith Foulke
-Career:After graduating from Hargrave High School in Huffman, Texas in 1991, he attended Galveston College and Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho. He began his career in the minor-league system of the San Francisco Giants, but was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1997 with five other prospects...
. Red Sox fans
Red Sox Nation
Red Sox Nation refers to the fans of the Boston Red Sox. The phrase "Red Sox Nation" was first coined by Boston Globe feature writer Nathan Cobb in an October 20, 1986, article about split allegiances among fans in Connecticut during the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and the New York...
have longed to hear it: The Boston Red Sox
2004 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox 2004 season was the 103rd Major League Baseball season for the Boston Red Sox franchise. Managed under Terry Francona, the team finished with a 98–64 record...
are World Champions
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
!"
NFL on Fox
Buck became Fox Sports' lead NFL
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
play-by-play man in 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
(taking over for Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
), teaming with Cris Collinsworth
Cris Collinsworth
Anthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for...
and Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
as color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
s and Pam Oliver
Pam Oliver
Pamela Donielle "Pam" Oliver is an American sportscaster known for her work on the sidelines for various NBA and NFL games.-Early life:...
as the sideline reporter
Sideline reporter
A sideline reporter, also known as a field reporter, courtside reporter , clubhouse reporter or dugout reporter , rinkside reporter or inside-the-glass reporter , on-court reporter , hole reporter , or boundary rider , is a member of the...
. Buck is only the third announcer to handle a television network's lead MLB and NFL coverage in the same year (following NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
). By , Buck's Fox duties forced him to cut his local Cardinal schedule to 25 games. Whenever Joe Buck has been on a postseason Major League Baseball assignment, Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton is an American sportscaster. He is currently employed by Fox Sports and Turner Sports as a football, baseball, and basketball play-by-play announcer.-Early life and career:...
(2003-06, 08), Kenny Albert
Kenny Albert
Kenny Albert , is an American sportscaster, and the son of sportscaster Marv Albert and the nephew of sportscasters Al Albert and Steve Albert...
(2007), and beginning in 2009
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
, Thom Brennaman
Thom Brennaman
Thomas Wade "Thom" Brennaman is an American sportscaster, and the son of current Cincinnati Reds radio sportscaster Marty Brennaman.-Broadcasting career:...
, would fill-in for him.
On February 6, 2005, Buck called his first Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, as the New England Patriots
2004 New England Patriots season
The 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.Following a Super Bowl...
defeated the Philadelphia Eagles
2004 Philadelphia Eagles season
-Regular season:-Playoffs:-Week 1: vs. New York Giants:The highly-anticipated Eagles' season began with a convincing rout of the division-rival New York Giants in a game that was not as close as the 31–17 score. New York scored the first points when Ron Dayne finished a first quarter drive with a...
for their third championship in four years, just three months after he called the end of the "Curse of the Bambino
Curse of the Bambino
The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...
".
Fox NFL Sunday
On August 14, 2006, Buck was named the host of Fox's pregame NFL show, Fox NFL Sunday
FOX NFL Sunday
Fox NFL Sunday is the pregame show for the TV show NFL on Fox. The program is broadcast on Fox television affiliates nationwide. The audio portion of the show is broadcast over the Fox Sports Radio network, distributed by Premiere Radio Networks...
and postgame doubleheader show. According to the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
system, viewership was down for the entire season. Fox announced in March 2007 that Buck would no longer host Fox NFL Sunday in 2007
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, concentrating on play-by-play for the week's marquee game. Since James Brown, the original top sportscaster for Fox, left for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 2006, Joe Buck has been the network's top broadcaster since.
HBO Sports
On February 5, 2009, Buck signed with HBO to host a sports-based talk show for the network called Joe Buck LiveJoe Buck Live
Joe Buck Live was a talk show hosted by sportscaster Joe Buck. The show premiered on HBO on June 15, 2009 and ended on December 8, 2009, being cancelled three months later...
, with a format similar to that of Costas Now
Costas Now
Costas Now was an American monthly sports television show hosted by Bob Costas on HBO.-History:In 2001, Costas was hired by HBO to host a 12-week talk and interview series called On the Record with Bob Costas. In 2005, the program was revamped to become Costas Now, with more of a focus on sports...
, the monthly HBO program previously hosted by Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
.
The show's debut on June 15, 2009 made national headlines due to the tension-filled banter between Buck and guest Artie Lange
Artie Lange
Arthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and radio personality best known for his tenures with the The Howard Stern Show and the comedy sketch series MADtv....
, a comedian from The Howard Stern Show, who made several outrageous jokes at Buck's expense. Two more episodes aired in 2009. In March 2010, Buck told a St. Louis radio station that HBO might be planning to cancel Joe Buck Live, adding that he "won't really miss" the program and that it involved "a lot more effort and hassle than I ever expected". HBO subsequently confirmed the show's cancellation to Broadcasting & Cable
Broadcasting & Cable
Broadcasting & Cable magazine is a television industry trade magazine published by NewBay Media. Previous names included Broadcasting/Telecasting, Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising, and Broadcasting...
.
Other notable appearances
In the late 1990s, Buck hosted a weekly sports-news show, Goin' Deep, for Fox Sports NetFox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
cable. He also called horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and professional bass fishing
Bass fishing
Bass fishing is the activity of angling for the North American gamefish known colloquially as the black bass. There are numerous black bass species considered as gamefish in North America, including largemouth bass , smallmouth bass , Spotted bass or Kentucky bass , Guadalupe bass Bass fishing is...
events early in his Fox career, as well as the network's first Cotton Bowl Classic telecast in 1999
1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...
.
Part of Buck's broadcast (with McCarver and Bob Brenly
Bob Brenly
Robert Earl Brenly is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. He played the majority of his career as a catcher with the San Francisco Giants and played half a season for the Toronto Blue Jays...
) of Game 5 of the 1997 American League Championship Series
1997 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 1997 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland...
could be heard in the background of one of the recordings Linda Tripp
Linda Tripp
Linda Rose Tripp was a central figure in the Lewinsky scandal of 1998 and 1999 that led to the impeachment and subsequent acquittal of U.S. President Bill Clinton.-Early life and government employment:...
made of a conversation between herself and Monica Lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...
, regarding the latter's affair with then-President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Buck once guest-hosted an episode of the E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
network's Talk Soup
Talk Soup
Talk Soup was a television show produced for cable network E! that debuted on January 7, 1991, and aired until August 2002. Talk Soup aired selected clips of the previous day's daily talk shows—ranging from daytime entries like The Jerry Springer Show and to celebrity interview shows like The...
program.
Since 2001, Buck has hosted the "Joe Buck Classic", a celebrity pro-am golf tournament that is played each May to raise money for St. Louis Children's Hospital
St. Louis Children's Hospital
St. Louis Children's Hospital is an academic pediatric hospital providing tertiary level care in St. Louis, Missouri. SLCH is the pediatric teaching hospital for Washington University School of Medicine. It is the seventh oldest children's hospital in the United States and the first children's...
.
Buck can be heard as the voice behind one of the more significant moments in modern Red Sox-Yankees lore. In the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series
2003 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkBacked by three home runs, Tim Wakefield shut the Bombers down in Game 1.-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York...
, Aaron Boone
Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone is a former Major League Baseball infielder whose famous home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield won the 2003 American League Championship Series for the New York Yankees. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Washington...
famously hit Tim Wakefield's first pitch over the left field wall as Buck exclaimed, "The Boston Red Sox, and fans from New England, will tell you that they were five outs away, leading by three—as Boone hits it to deep left. That might send the Yankees to the World Series
2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...
. Boone is the hero of Game 7!"
On a Season 3 episode of Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, Ben shows Jack
Jack Shephard
Dr. Jack Shephard is a fictional character and protagonist of the ABC television series Lost played by Matthew Fox. Lost follows the journey of the survivors of Oceanic Airlines flight 815 on a mysterious island and their attempts to survive and escape, slowly uncovering more of the much broader...
a clip of the last play of the 2004 World Series
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
, and Buck can be heard calling the final out: "Back to Foulke. Red Sox fans have longed to hear it: The Boston Red Sox are world champions!"
Buck appeared as himself in the premiere episode of the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down
Eastbound & Down
Eastbound & Down is an American comedy television series broadcast on HBO, starring Danny McBride as Kenny Powers, a former professional baseball pitcher, who after an up and down career in the major leagues is forced to return to his hometown middle-school in Shelby, North Carolina, as a...
.
Buck has appeared numerous times on Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
's Late Night
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, Tonight
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
and Conan talk shows as a guest. During an appearance prior to the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
, Buck was handed a garish necktie that had previously been worn by O'Brien and bandleader Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg and agreed to wear it for Game 1, a promise that he honored. On an appearance prior to the 2007 World Series
2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
, Buck explained to O'Brien that sometimes his friends text message him during games and dare him to work words or phrases into the broadcast. O'Brien asked him to say "Jub-Jub" during a World Series broadcast, and if he did, he would donate $1,000 to a charity of Buck's choice. During the third inning of Game 1, Buck duly obliged: "Our own little Jub Jub, Chris Myers
Chris Myers
Christopher Patrick "Chris" Myers ) is an American sportscaster.-Biography:With more than 20 years in broadcasting, Chris Myers has covered premiere events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NCAA Final Four, The Masters and U.S...
, playing the role of weather person..."
In 2007, Buck filmed a pilot episode for a prospective late-night talk and comedy program with former Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
writer and director Matt Piedmont
Matt Piedmont
Matt Piedmont is an American Emmy winning writer, producer and director.At age 25 he secured a job as a writer for Saturday Night Live, a position he held for six years, earning an Emmy in the process...
. Piedmont and Buck wrote and produced the pilot with Piedmont directing, filming in New York City and Los Angeles and featuring Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon
Molly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
, David Spade
David Spade
David Wayne Spade is an American actor, comedian and television personality who first became famous in the 1990s as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and from 1997 until 2003 when he starred as Dennis Finch on Just Shoot Me!. He also starred as C.J...
and Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
. Buck co-hosted the program with Abebe Adusmussui, an actual New York City taxi driver. The pilot was not picked up as a series, however.
Buck has also appeared in various national television commercials for such clients as Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
and Budweiser
Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
beer. One of the more memorable spots for the latter had Buck goaded into using the catchphrase, Slamma-lamma-ding-dong! (He also does local commercials in the St. Louis market for the Suntrup chain of automobile dealerships.) His 2008 commercial for National Car Rental
National Car Rental
National Car Rental is a rental car company based in Clayton, Missouri. National was founded by 24 independent rental car agents on August 27, 1947...
has him using the catchphrase "Now that's a good call".
Buck also contributes occasional opinion pieces to The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
, and is a key contributor on Team 1380 on the ITD Morning After program in St. Louis.
Buck was the commencement speaker at Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
's 2008 commencement ceremony. His late father, Jack Buck, delivered SLU's commencement address in 1995.
In 2009, Buck gave a speech at the School of Journalism at his former college, Indiana University-Bloomington, which was filmed and subsequently aired on the Big Ten Network.
Controversy
During the 2002 World Series2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
, Joe Buck was introduced to single season home run record holder Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
:
In January 2005, Buck drew fire for his on-air comments during an NFL playoff game
NFL playoffs, 2004-05
The NFL playoffs following the 2004 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXIX.-NFC: St. Louis Rams 27, Seattle Seahawks 20:Although the Rams barely made the playoffs with an 8–8 record, two of their regular season wins were against Seattle...
between the Minnesota Vikings
2004 Minnesota Vikings season
2004 was the 44th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 85th regular season of the National Football League.The Vikings finished the 2004 season going 3-7 over the final 10 weeks just like they did in 2003. However, they made the playoffs with an 8-8 record...
and Green Bay Packers
2004 Green Bay Packers season
The 2004 Green Bay Packers season started with the Packers losing four of their first five games, then winning their next six games, and finally ending in a Wild Card playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They finished with an overall record of 10-7....
. After Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
simulated mooning
Mooning
Mooning is the act of displaying one's bare buttocks by removing clothing, e.g., by lowering the backside of one's trousers and underpants, usually bending over, whether also exposing the genitals or not...
the Green Bay crowd in the end zone, Buck called it a "disgusting act." The moon was allegedly an attempt to respond to Packer fans, who traditionally moon the Vikings players aboard the team bus, which Buck did not mention. It prompted Red McCombs
Red McCombs
Billy Joe "Red" McCombs is the founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, a former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Vikings, and the namesake of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin...
, then the owner of the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, to request that Buck be removed from covering their upcoming playoff game, saying that Buck's comments "suggested a prejudice that surpassed objective reporting." Buck also received criticism from other members of the media who felt he "over-reacted" and was being "inconsistent" given his network's history of programming.
In 2007
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
, Buck was only scheduled to call eight regular season MLB games out of a 26-game schedule for Fox (along with a handful of regional Cardinals
2007 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2007 season was the team's 126th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 116th season in the National League. The season started with the team trying to defend their 2006 World Series championship. During the offseason, the Cardinals were faced with the challenge of handling...
telecasts on FSN Midwest). In an interview with Richard Sandomir of the New York Times, Buck defended his reduced baseball commitment:
In 2008, Buck drew criticism for comments he made during an appearance on ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
's The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a sports talk radio show hosted by Colin Cowherd and broadcast on ESPN Radio from Bristol, Connecticut. The show is heard Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. ET until 1 p.m. ET on most ESPN Radio stations and is simulcasted on ESPNews...
, in which he admitted to spending "barely any" time following sporting events he doesn't broadcast, and facetiously claimed that preferred watching The Bachelorette
The Bachelorette
The Bachelorette is a spin-off of the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In its January 2003 debut on ABC, the first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up date from the first season of The Bachelor, offering the opportunity for Rehn to choose a husband among 25 bachelors...
instead.
Vocal cord ailment
In 2011, shortly after broadcasting Super Bowl XLVSuper Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
for Fox, Buck developed a virus on the nerves of his left vocal fold. Despite the ailment, which according to Buck "came out of the blue" and has hampered his ability to raise his voice, he continued to broadcast baseball for Fox during the season, and resumed as the network's lead NFL announcer that fall.