When Joe Buck talks, people listen.
The nation will be tuned into Buck on Monday night when he and Troy Aikman have the call for the first ESPN Monday Night Football game of the 2024 NFL season. While the attention will be elsewhere as Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets head out to Northern California to take on the defending NFC Champions in the San Francisco 49ers, Tom Brady was the talk of sports media in Week 1.
It’s not that Rodgers is the second fiddle, but there were a lot of eyes on Brady’s debut. From Awful Announcing to Bill Belichick to Colin Cowherd, Dan Patrick, and Bill Simmons, everyone weighed in, arguing that perhaps Brady needs a few more reps to get the hang of this broadcasting thing.
He’s a work-in-progress, but Buck, who said on The Michael Kay Show on Monday that he spoke to Brady on Friday, declined to comment. The ESPN MNF play-by-play voice did comment on the need to needle Brady after he was in the broadcast booth for five seconds, but he made sure to say hello to his good, dear friends at Awful Announcing before then.
Hey, @Buck 👋 pic.twitter.com/GxL0Ri5aij
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 9, 2024
Hello, Joe.
On a more serious note, Buck, who is no stranger to criticism himself, stated that he thinks it’s absolutely impossible to grade anybody and make any declarations one way or another after one week in the broadcast booth. While Brady is undoubtedly a work-in-progress, Buck felt that was an unfair determination to make after just four quarters of the Dallas Cowboys-Cleveland Browns game in Week 1.
“This is a hard job, and we all do our piece of it,” said Buck, “We all have to be able to settle in; know what you need to know. I talked to him on Friday, and I don’t think anybody’s put in more work into being prepared for his first broadcast than Tom did. And now, you have to go forward and settle in. It’s grossly unfair that everybody wants to weigh in after five seconds. That’s not the way it works.
“That’s not the way it worked for Jimmy Fallon doing The Tonight Show. Conan O’Brien taking over for David (Letterman); he was on a day-by-day or week-by-week contract. It’s hard to work that way. So, I think he’ll be great; I stand by that. We all watched and enjoyed it, and I’ll be doing it again next week.”
Brady’s Week 2 assignment for Fox will again feature the Cowboys (hosting the New Orleans Saints), and consider Buck among those who will be watching.
Yes, Buck was pitched to work with Brady and Greg Olsen, but that shouldn’t signal anything other than his desire to continue his partnership with a known commodity in Aikman. Buck has repeatedly talked with Brady and spoken highly of him in the media, and he fully expects the future Hall of Fame quarterback to be among the best in the business.
