During the course of the season, NFL fans have noticed how ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman doesn’t always love to promote ESPN2’s ManningCast during Monday Night Football broadcasts.
Aikman will often demur when the promo spot comes up, and when he does speak it is often lacking energy. Everyone from anonymous Twitter users to Marcellus Wiley to Jon “Stugotz” Weiner have noted the peculiarity this season.
So when Aikman’s MNF partner Joe Buck joined The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz this week, the crew pressed Buck on why the longtime Cowboys QB doesn’t hype up Peyton and Eli.
“Moving on,” Buck began, pleading the fifth before giving a real explanation.
“I’d like to think that if the roles were reversed, I’m not so sure that Peyton and Eli wouldn’t be like, hey we’re doing all we can to keep this Jets game interesting, but you should see what’s going on over there,'” Buck explained. “That’s just counter to your own competitiveness.”
Despite what Buck called a “weird phenomenon” with multiple broadcasts of the same game, MNF is delivering record numbers this season for ESPN while being simulcast across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+.
“It’s obviously nothing personal, and I love the fact that we’re all under one roof and we all get the same rating pushed together,” Buck explained. “It’s kind of a weird phenomenon, but all good.”
This week’s game between the Eagles and Chiefs was watched by more than 29 million people. That made it the most-watched MNF game since 1996.
ESPN will take the awkwardness as it serves a buffet of options to NFL fans every week and watches viewership soar.
[The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on YouTube]
