After watching Noah Eagle meet the moment calling Team USA basketball at the Olympics, Nick Wright believes his status as a broadcaster has the potential to surpass Ian Eagle’s.
In a tough industry to crack, the younger Eagle may have had doors opened for him by his father, but at 27 years old, Noah has already proved he deserves every job and opportunity that comes his way. But after walking away from the Olympics impressed by the voice of Team USA basketball, Wright didn’t just praise Eagle for the job he did, he was excited to see what the play-by-play voice is still going to do.
“There is a real Joe Buck/Jack Buck possibility of…and this is a high compliment,” Wright said on his podcast. “Jack Buck was one of the greatest broadcasters ever. His son Joe – Joe might not like me saying this – but I believe has surpassed him. Where Joe is now maybe be the greatest…play-by-play guy ever. Where the dad was a legend and the son maybe overtook him.
“It’s too early to say that’s going to happen with Noah and Ian Eagle, but after his performance in the Olympics, it’s on the board. This kid’s 27 years old and crushed it. Met the moment consistently on the men’s and women’s basketball and his profile is only going to grow. His dad is a legend, a hall-of-fame broadcaster, and maybe he’ll surpass him.”
Joe Buck and Noah Eagle have undoubtedly, and even admittedly, benefitted from nepotism in their careers. But with great genes comes great expectations. Nepotism can help someone get a job, but it doesn’t guarantee they’ll keep it, and it certainly doesn’t guarantee they’ll flourish in it. Buck established himself as one of the greatest broadcasters in sports history years ago, and Eagle might be on the verge of doing the same.
One aspect that helped Joe Buck and will similarly help Noah Eagle was the ability to start young. Jack Buck started calling St. Louis Cardinals games when he was 30. Joe Buck called his first inning for the Cardinals as a teenager. Ian Eagle graduated from Syracuse and spent two years producing radio shows for WFAN. Noah Eagle graduated from Syracuse and became the radio voice of the Los Angeles Clippers at 22.
Social media also helps by giving younger broadcasters more exposure than those who attempted to break into the industry decades ago. There have been more opportunities for Noah Eagle to garner national attention in his 20s, than his father had during his first year as a play-by-play voice in 1994.
Wright’s assessment is a massive compliment to the 27-year-old play-by-play voice. Ian Eagle’s broadcasting career is one that every aspiring announcer should strive for, and at 55 years old, he still has plenty of time to keep building on his own hall-of-fame legacy. But with age, genetics, and opportunity on his side, betting on Noah Eagle seems like a good gamble.
