Passing The Buck: Fox Announcer To Lay Off Moss Talk Sunday

Fox’ Broadcast Team Will Not Dwell On Moss Incident

Fox Sports broadcaster Joe Buck said that he will not refer to Vikings WR Randy Moss’ “moon” TD celebration when calling Sunday’s Vikings-Eagles telecast, “a course that might not have been the best, considering all the attention Moss’ actions commanded this week,” according to Rudy Martzke of USA TODAY. Moss was fined $10,000 by the NFL for his gesture. Buck: “Because there’s now a fine handed down by the NFL, it’s a piece of the story we’ll bring up and then move on. It’s a side issue. Our focus is to do the game.” Martzke notes Vikings Owner Red McCombs asked Fox to remove Buck from this weekend’s telecast, saying Buck “showed a prejudice” when criticizing Moss last weekend. But Fox Sports TV Group Chair & CEO David Hill said if Buck “had remained silent about Randy Moss’ act, he would have condoned it. Quite frankly, I have been amazed at Red’s actions in trying to direct blame at Joe rather than the perpetrator” (USA TODAY, 1/14). Buck, on McCombs’ request: “It’s an owner in this case, as it would be a coach, as it would be a teammate, sticking up for their guy. That’s not surprising. So, I’m not shocked by it, I’m not upset by it. You just move on” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/14).

COLLEAGUES SIDE WITH BUCK: Fox analyst Cris Collinsworth said McCombs’ request to remove Buck from the telecast is “like Fox asking McCombs not to play Moss this weekend. It was completely ridiculous” (L.A. TIMES, 1/14). CBS Sports President Sean McManus said, “I always encourage both our play-by-play people and analysts to express an opinion if they feel strongly about it. The line between play by play and analysis is becoming thinner and thinner” (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/14).

COLUMNISTS TAKE MCCOMBS TO TASK: Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti: “All McCombs did was perpetuate this thing. They wanted this thing to go away earlier in the week. He turned it into a five-day story” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 1/13). ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser: “(McCombs’) request had no legitimacy. Buck is great on the air, and he reacted honestly” (“PTI,” 11/13). FSN’s Michael Holley: “McCombs was out of line ... and Fox would have been totally out of line if they would have accepted this censorship from Red McCombs” (“I, Max,” FSN, 1/13). In N.Y., Bob Raissman: “McCombs turned Fox suits into pillars of journalistic integrity” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/14). In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley writes “trying to remove Buck from his job for a game is laughably foolish.” McCombs tried to “make Buck the issue, not the player. Demonize

Moss Appears Unworried About NFL’s Fine

FINE & DANDY: Moss, on the $10,000 fine: “Ain’t nothing but 10 grand. What’s 10 grand to me?” Moss, whose salary is $5.75M this season, “jokingly suggested he might perform a more vulgar celebration next time” (AP, 1/14). Moss’ agent, Dante DiTrapano, said that he “planned to appeal the fine,” adding, “If you can’t have freedom of expression on the football field, come on” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 1/14).