Minnesota Vikings Randy Moss moons the crowd Syndication: Journal Sentinel

Oh, how the times have changed for our dear friend Joe Buck.

The veteran play-by-play announcer has been the voice of many a big moment in the NFL over the past couple of decades.

He and his longtime partner Troy Aikman slotted into second place in the 2024 Awful Announcing NFL announcer rankings, but sports fans haven’t always been such a big fan of Buck’s.

Early in his career, Buck’s work was often overshadowed by that of his father, Jack, in the eyes of fans. The perception of nepotism always followed the younger Buck, whether it was deserved or not. And that perception didn’t necessarily endear him with the masses.

Neither did moments like the one that happened 20 years ago today — a Randy Moss touchdown call that still lives in infamy.

The year was 2005. In the Wild Card round, the Minnesota Vikings faced their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers. Leading by a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper dropped back and launched a 35-yard pass to star wide receiver Randy Moss, who took it to the house to all but seal Minnesota’s victory.

“Culpepper. Moss. Randy Moss is in for a touchdown!” Buck said as the play unfolded.

“Oh Al Harris playing off, bit up on the route,” Collinsworth began. “And Randy Moss, without even really being able to run, as he shoots the moon to the fans here in Green Bay,” he continued as Moss made an…unexpected gesture to the fans at Lambeau Field.

That’s when Buck transitioned from NFL announcer to morality police in about 0.2 seconds.

“That is a DISGUSTING act by Randy Moss,” Buck proclaimed. “And it’s unfortunate that we had that on our air live. That is DISGUSTING by Randy Moss.”

How precious were we as a society, really, in the year 2005?

So precious that our virgin eyes couldn’t handle a wide receiver pretending to pull down his pants in front of opposing fans? In 2025, that type of tomfoolery would be celebrated and shared to infinity on social media. It’d also be flagged for about 500 yards of penalties and Moss would be issued with about $1 million in fines. But it’d be legendary.

Even Buck has softened his stance over the years.

Buck himself admitted he “can’t believe” he called Moss’s celebration a “disgusting act.”

Perhaps that says more about how society has evolved—or regressed, depending on your perspective — over the past 20 years. Either way, what Moss did was objectively hilarious to everyone except Packers fans — and Buck at the time.

Luckily for us, Buck has taken the clerical collar off and let his sense of humor shine through in recent years. And given the type of stuff they let on TV these days, it’s probably safe to say he won’t be wagging his finger at any “disgusting acts” anytime soon.

About Drew Lerner

Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.