Joe Buck

A tip of the hat to Kenn Tomasch for pointing this one out.  Will Leitch, former Deadspin dude, defends Fox broadcaster Joe Buck, and says what I've been saying for a long time: frat boys get on Joe Buck for his lack of over-the-top hysterics (not a Buck trait).  But most of all, Buck is too omnipresent.

He is our generations Curt Gowdy.  Gowdy, older fans will recall, did baseball, football (NFL and college), college basketball, and the American Sportsman.  He.  Was.  Everywhere.

Buck is an outstanding play-by-play announcer.  Why do you need screaming?  An announcer is supposed to enlighten and entertain.  They are supposed to report.  Yes, they're allowed to get excited, but when does that fly way over the top (and you know whom I'm getting at)?

Yes, Joe comes off as smug, which I think is more about his sense of humor than his actual personality. 

Here's the big knock on his not getting excited.  The David Tyree play.


Oh please.  Exactly what do you think the great Vin Scully would have done with this play?  Or Al Michaels?

The moment doesn't often need screaming.  It needs to be nuanced.  It needs to be right.  Here's Al handling the James Harrison interception a year later.  Pretty brilliant.


And for a guy who doesn't get excited, Joe Buck sounds pretty good here.  I'm kind of fond of this one.


So stop.  If you're sick of Joe Buck, fine.  If he's not your style, that's good too.  But as for if he's a good play-by-play voice, he's more than fine.

He's working on a Ford Frick Award-winning career.