Joe Buck has been around for a long, loooooooong time.
But once upon a time, Buck was derided by the blogosphere for his work in the broadcast booth. Yes, this was a time when the sports blogosphere was still a thing. The criticisms were etched into stone tablets – nepotism, overexposure, wanting to do late night instead of calling games. Buck’s two biggest “viral” moments before viral became a thing were also unflattering – his chiding of Randy Moss for pretending to moon fans in Green Bay and his trainwreck encounter with Artie Lange on his HBO show that he now jokes about.
Nowadays, Buck is one of the most popular sportscasters in America. Long gone are the days when his name would trend on Twitter/X during every telecast with complaints. Instead, his partnership with Troy Aikman in the ESPN Monday Night Football booth is seen as the gold standard.
In fact, Buck’s been trending up in the eyes of fans for a decade now. After all, it’s been ten years since this website published, “How I learned to stop worrying and love Joe Buck.” I like to think we were ahead of the curve with that one.
As we chronicled back then, Buck’s style became notably more energetic and positive after a vocal cord issue threatened his broadcasting career. And a viral clip on X this week showcased just how dramatic that transformation has been in his football play-by-play. And when seen side by side, it’s downright jarring.
Compare this highlight-filled 2000s punt return from Brian Mitchell of the Eagles, where it sounds like Buck had just woken up from a slumber, to his thrilling call of a Jayden Daniels touchdown pass in the Commanders’ stunning victory in Cincinnati on Monday. The tweet drawing over 5 million views is an isolated clip, sure. But it shows that Buck’s 180 in broadcasting and relating to fans is an idea that resonates.
You can go back to really any game and see just how much more energetic Buck is in his calls these days compared to his early years calling the NFL. Take for instance these highlights of the 2005 NFC Championship game between the Seahawks and Panthers that sounds like it’s being called like a preseason contest. Then there’s the entire Jayden Daniels highlight package from Monday that seems like it is being called by a completely different person who is way more fun to be around.
The David Tyree helmet catch call seems like a lifetime ago. And we’re all thankful for it.
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